The population of Dominica in 2017 was 71,293 people, with the majority living in rural areas. The economy of Dominica is largely based on agriculture and tourism, with a GDP of $845 million and a relatively low per capita income. Dominica is a member of the United Nations, Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. It has close ties to many countries throughout the Caribbean as well as the United States and Canada. In terms of politics, it is a unitary parliamentary republic with President Charles Savarin as its head of state. The Prime Minister is Roosevelt Skerrit who leads the Dominica Labour Party which has been in power since 2004. See militarynous for Dominica military and defense.
Yearbook 2017
Dominica. According to Countryaah.com, rumors that the government was selling diplomatic passports to foreigners who, for more or less criminal reasons, needed immunity led to vigorous protests in the capital Rouseau in February. Just a week after the demonstrations began, violent riots erupted, and tear gas-armed riot police were dispatched to the streets. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who dismissed the rumors as false, accused the opposition of being behind the protests. The aim, according to Skerrit, would be to overthrow the government by force. Lennox Linton, leader of the United Workers’ Party (UWP), denied there was a link between the peaceful demonstration held earlier in the day and the rally that took place later in the evening. Linton condemned both violence and vandalism as well as Skerrit’s accusations.
In September, tropical cyclone Maria pulled over Dominica with winds exceeding 72 meters per second. The weather destroyed the roof of virtually all the houses on the island, including the official residence of Prime Minister Skerrit. Large parts of the capital Roseau were flooded and for a few days the country was largely cut off from the outside world. In the countryside, floods and landslides caused about thirty deaths, and collapsed roads and bridges meant that parts of the island became isolated. Many were also left without clean water when the pipes were destroyed. Nature also suffered great damage when the trees in Dominica’s tropical rainforest blew over. Agriculture was hit hard when many banana crops, on which the country’s economy is heavily dependent, were destroyed. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for frequently used acronyms and abbreviations related to as well as country profile of Dominica.