The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$212 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$340 million f.o.b. (2006)

Exports - commodities:

reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)

Exports - partners:

Somalia 66.4%, Ethiopia 21.5%, Yemen 3.4% (2007)

Imports:

$1.555 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Imports - commodities:

foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products

Imports - partners:

Saudi Arabia 21%, India 18.1%, China 9.4%, Ethiopia 4.7%, Malaysia 4.6%, Japan 4.2% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$78.6 million (2005)

Debt - external:

$428 million (2006)

Currency (code):

Djiboutian franc (DJF)

Currency code:

DJF

Exchange rates:

Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - 177.71 (2007), 174.75 (2006), 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003)

Communications
Djibouti

Telephones - main lines in use:

10,800 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

45,000 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country domestic: microwave radio relay network; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios:

52,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2001)

Televisions:

28,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.dj

Internet hosts:

161 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

11,000 (2006)

Transportation
Djibouti

Airports:

13 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Railways:

total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but remains largely inoperable (2006)

Roadways:

total: 3,065 km paved: 1,226 km unpaved: 1,839 km (2000)

Ports and terminals:

Djibouti

Transportation - note:

the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom

Military
Djibouti

Military branches:

Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 111,274 females age 16-49: 105,168 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 54,460 females age 16-49: 51,684 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 5,618 female: 5,609 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3.8% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues
Djibouti

Disputes - international:

Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 8,642 (Somalia) (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Dominica

Introduction
Dominica

Background:

Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.

Geography
Dominica

Location:

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, about half way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates:

15 25 N, 61 20 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 754 sq km land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

148 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Terrain:

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m

Natural resources:

timber, hydropower, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 6.67% permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Total renewable water resources:

NA

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.02 cu km/yr per capita: 213 cu m/yr (1996)

Natural hazards:

flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months

Environment - current issues:

NA

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world

People
Dominica

Population:

72,514 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 24.7% (male 9,175/female 8,762) 15-64 years: 65.1% (male 24,192/female 22,995) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,178/female 4,212) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 29.4 years male: 29 years female: 29.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.196% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

15.73 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-5.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 14.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 75.33 years male: 72.39 years female: 78.41 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.1 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups:

black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census)

Religions:

Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%,
Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or
unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)

Languages:

English (official), French patois

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

5% of GDP (1999)

Government
Dominica

Country name:

conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Roseau geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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; accepts ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) 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 1 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA%

Legislative branch:

unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010); note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.1%, UWP 43.6%, DFP 3.2%, other 1.1%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1

Judicial branch:

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High 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 [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or
UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); note - Judith Ann ROLLE (Charge d'Affaires) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica

Flag description:

green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and 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)

Economy
Dominica

Economy - overview:

The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic and financial crisis of 2001-02 and to meet IMF targets. This restructuring paved the way for the current economic recovery - real growth for 2006 reached a two-decade high - and will help to reduce the debt burden, which remains at about 100% of GDP. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is researching Dominica's capability to export geothermal energy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$648 million (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$311 million (2007 est.)

GDP