|Commonwealth of Dominica
|Motto: "Après Bondie, C'est La Ter" (Antillean Creole)
"After God is the Earth"
"Après le Bon Dieu, c'est la Terre"
|Anthem: Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour|
and largest city
|Vernacular languages||Dominican Creole French|
|Ethnic groups (2001)||Black 86.8%
Carib Amerindian 2.9%
|-||Prime Minister||Roosevelt Skerrit|
|-||from the United Kingdom||3 November 1978|
|-||Total||790 km2 (184th)
290 sq mi
|-||July 2009 estimate||72,660 (195th)|
|GDP (PPP)||2011 estimate|
|GDP (nominal)||2011 estimate|
|HDI (2007)|| 0.724
high · 73rd
|Currency||East Caribbean dollar (XCD)|
|Time zone||Eastern Caribbean (UTC–4)|
|Drives on the||left|
|1.||Rank based on 2005 UN estimate.|
The Commonwealth of Dominica is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. It is between the French-speaking territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique. The island measures 751 km² (290 mi²) in area. Roseau is its capital; Portsmouth is another main town. Almost seventy thousand people live on the island.
In August 1979, Hurricane David, the most powerful storm to hit the island, wiped out its entire infrastructure. On 21 November 2004, the island was hit by its most destructive earthquake in history; Portsmouth and the northern area were deeply affected.
Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a tropical forest with scenic volcanic features. It was recognised as a World Heritage Site on 4 April 1995.
Dominica Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.