Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Data code: DO
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Roseau
Administrative divisions: 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George,
Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick,
Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution: 3 November 1978
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18
years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President
Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO (since 25 October 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Edison C. JAMES (since
12 June 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice
of the prime minister
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for
a five-year term; election last held 4 October 1993 (next to be
held NA October 1998); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO elected president;
percent of legislative vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators,
21 elected by popular vote representatives; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 12 June 1995; by elections held 13
August 1996 (next to be held by October 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party NA; seats by
party UWP 12, DLP 5, DFP 4
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (located in Saint
Lucia), one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside
over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Political parties
and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party or DFP
[Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Rosie DOUGLAS];
United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]
Political pressure
groups and leaders: Dominica Liberation Movement
or DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization
participation: ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Flag description: green with a centered cross of three equal bands
the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white the
horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed
in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot
encircled by 10 green five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the
10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
©
CIA 1999
When
dialing from outside Dominica dial 1 plus the area code (809) plus the
local 7 digit number
