Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by the Europeans.  This was mostly due to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. Dominica was home to the first female prime minister in the Caribbean Mary Eugenia CHARLES.  She remained in office for 15 years.

Nearly 73,000 people live on the island, which is slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC.  The population is mostly black, with some mixed black and European, European, Syrian, and some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica.  They are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.

The official language of Dominicans is English although French Patois is also popularly spoken on the island.

The weather on Dominica is tropical, with heavy rainfall.  It is a rugged mountainous island of volcanic origin.  Flash floods are a constant threat, and destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months.

Dominica is known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied plants and animals, 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

The government is a parliamentary democracy.  The Chief of state is President Nicholas Liverpool, and the head of government is Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.  The capital of Dominica is Roseau.  Independence Day is November 3, 1978.  

The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable.  Tourism has increased as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and absence of an international airport.  In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.

The Gross Domestic Product of Dominica is $384 million.  They import $234 million in manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, and chemicals.  Their main import partners are the US, China, Trinidad and Tobago, and South Korea.  They export $74 million in bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, and oranges.  Their main export partners are the UK, Jamaica, South Korea, and Antigua and Barbuda.