Info about Dominica
A Brief History of the Commonwealth of Dominica
In the midst of the Caribbean sea, there lies a small island nation called the Commonwealth of Dominica. This diminutive island country is, of course, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic. The Commonwealth of Dominica is named after a word for Sunday, the day on which it was discovered - a word with Latin and Italian roots.
The Commonwealth of Dominica was discovered by Christopher Columbus on November third, in the year 1493. It continued to be mostly isolated for another hundred years after its discovery. Many Caribbean natives began to make it their home as they were driven from other islands by the entrance of European forces entering the region. Possession of the island was officially ceded to the United Kingdom from France in the year 1763. In the year 1805, an official government was put into place and the island was officially established as a colony.
During the year 1834, the British Empire was undergoing the emancipation of its African slaves. Dominica was the first colony in the British Caribbean to boast a legislature in which Africans were in the majority. This happened in the year 1838. In the year 1896, the nation became a Crown colony as the United Kingdom took control of the government. It was another half century before the colony became a province of the West Indies Federation. Today, and ever since the year 1978, the Commonwealth of Dominica has been an independent nation.
The Commonwealth of Dominica is a rather small island, measuring approximately two hundred and ninety-one square miles. It has been appropriately called the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean", as its natural beauty is nearly unmatched. Home to the world's second largest boiling lake, the isle is actually still being formed by geothermal volcanic activity. The general terrain of the island is mountains and thick rainforests, with three hundred and sixty-five known rivers.
There are two primarily populated cities in the Commonwealth of Dominica: Portsmouth, and the island's capital, Roseau. The primary language spoken on the island is English, due to its British rule for so many years. However, French and Creole languages are also spoken by its inhabitants, which are estimated to be about seventy-three thousand in number. The island's official currency is the East Caribbean dollar.
The Commonwealth of Dominica is home to many species of exotic wildlife. In fact, its official bird, featured on its national flag, is the Imperial Amazon parrot. The forests in particular are home to many various types of birds and animals, and the waters are rich in marine life such as sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, humpback whales, common dolphins and countless fish.
The Commonwealth of Dominica's economy has been unstable in the past, but seems to be steadily growing. Agriculture is its main priority, most noticeably its banana crops. A third of its labor force is employed in agricultural exporting such as coffee, flowers, spices and exotic fruits. Although its tourist attractions are few, the beauty and simplicity of the mountainous island make it a stunning place.