Part 241

@Dominica:Geography

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 N, 61 20 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 750 sq km land: 750 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: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 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

Land use: arable land : 9% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 67% other : 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

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, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

@Dominica:People

Population: 66,633 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (male 9,287; female 9,115) 15-64 years: 63% (male 21,364; female 20,617) 65 years and over : 9% (male 2,569; female 3,681) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: -1.26% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 17.72 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.24 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -24.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.6 years male: 74.74 years female : 80.6 years (1997 est.)