Not to be confused with the Dominican Republic further northwest (Though the inhabitants of both countries are called Dominicans in English), the Commonwealth of Dominica (French: Dominique; Island Carib: Wai‘tu kubuli) is a country in The Caribbean and the northernmost island of the Windward Islands chain, sitting between Guadeloupe in the North and Martinique in the South.
Originally inhabited by the Kalinago people, the island was colonized by France, who brought enslaved Africans to populate the island. The French colonization lasted from the 1690s until the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, when Great Britain took over and established English as Dominica's official language. The country later became independent in 1978. Unlike most other ex-British West Indies countries, Dominica decided to cut ties with the monarchy of the United Kingdom, so it has its own head of state and is not a Commonwealth Realm, although it remains a part of The Commonwealth of Nations. Before Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago was the only former BWI country to choose this option (though it was a monarchy for 14 years after its independence in 1962, unlike Dominica which became a republic right away), and Barbados has since followed suit.
Dominica's lush rainforests, mountains, freshwater lakes, hot springs and waterfalls have earned the country the nickname of "Nature isle of the Caribbean", with many rare plants, animals and bird species being found there, including the Sisserou parrot, which is an endangered species only found on Dominica and is the country's national bird. It is also the youngest island in the Lesser Antilles, and has the world's second largest hot spring, Boiling Lake, with parts of the island actually still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity. However, with the island being located in the hurricane region of the Caribbean, hurricanes remain a constant threat to the country.
Notable Dominicans and people of Dominican descent:
- Danny John-Jules's parents are Dominicans who immigrated to the UK via the HMT Empire Windrush.
- Kim Roberts was born in Toronto to a Jamaican father and a Dominican mother.
- Edwin Hodge and his younger brother, Aldis Hodge, were born in Jacksonville to a Dominican father.
- British actress Dominique Tipper of The Expanse fame.
- Nathalie Emmanuel is of Dominican descent on her mother's side.
- 21 Savage's mother is British Dominican.
The Dominican flag
The Dominican national anthem
Government
- Unitary dominant-party parliamentary republic
- President: Sylvanie Burton
- Prime Minister: Roosevelt Skerrit
- Speaker of the House of Assembly: Joseph Isaac
Miscellaneous
- Capital and largest city: Roseau
- Population: 71,625
- Area: 750 sq km (290 sq mi) (174th)
- Currency: East Caribbean dollar ($) (XCD)
- ISO-3166-1 Code: DM
- Country calling code: 1 (area code 767)
- Highest point: Morne Diablotins (1447 m/4,747 ft) (143rd)
- Lowest point: Caribbean Sea (7,686 m/25,217 ft) (-)
