Dominica is an island in the Lesser Antilles, sandwiched between Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south. The country has been promoting gentle, ecological tourism for years and is rich in diverse and indescribably beautiful nature – a fantastic travel destination for nature lovers. See andyeducation for education in Dominica.
| Capital City | Roseau |
| Size | 746 km² |
| Resident | 72,500 |
| Official Language | English |
| Currency | East Caribbean Dollar |
| Time Zone | UTC-4 |
| Telephone Area Code | +1 |
Fast facts to know
- Named after the day of the week of their discovery, a Sunday (in Latin: Dominica).
- Last Caribbean island colonized by Europeans.
- About 60% covered by natural vegetation, mostly dense rainforest.
- Heavy forest cover in the interior of the island.
- Most of the population lives in the coastal area.
- Focus on green ecotourism.
- Voted one of the top ten ethical destinations in the world by non-profit organization Ethical Traveler for the third year in a row.
- Also known as “Nature Island”.
- Home of the last descendants of the wild Caribs.
- Many scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were filmed here.
- Spring and tap water is safe to drink.
- Traffic drives on the left in Dominica.
- Few pebbly beaches, no extensive sandy beaches.
- Has colorful underwater world.
- Only 6% of Dominica’s population is illiterate (world average 16%).
Exciting places in Dominica
- Roseau
- Soufriere
- Portsmouth
History of Dominica
- First human traces around 5000 and 3100 BC. Chr.
- Discovered by Columbus in 1493.
- Controlled by the Kalinago between 1400 and 1700.
- 627 claimed by England.
- ceded to France in 1748.
- Handed over to Great Britain in 1763.
- Declared a colony in 1805.
- In 1831 all non-whites received full civil rights.
- 1834 Abolition of slavery.
- Declared a crown colony in 1865.
- 1978 Independence from Great Britain.
- Dominica has been a member of the United Nations since December 8, 1978.
Climate & travel weather on Dominica
- Relatively stable temperatures around 26 degrees all year round.
- Slightly cooler in mountain regions.
- Wettest island in the Caribbean.
- Rainy season from July to October.
- Hurricane season from June to November.
- On average drier in the west than in the east.
- Recommended travel time:
- December to May.
- Avoid hurricane season!
Ideas for excursions in Dominica
- Overwhelming nature invites to trekking tours.
- Diving at Douglas Bay or Scotts Head/Sourfriere Marine Park.
- whale watching.
- Explore Roseau Valley and Roseau.
- Wacky Rollers Adventure Park.
Eating & Drinking in Dominica
- Incredible versatility thanks to Native Americans and European conquerors.
- Chillies, corn, papaya, guavas, pineapple, cassava and sweet potatoes were cultivated early on.
- Slaves from the west coast of Africa brought crops such as chickpeas, okra and black-eyed peas.
- The Spaniards, French and British brought in cabbage, onions, sugar cane, oranges, bananas and tea.
- Many curries come from Indonesian immigrants.
- Popular local spices: nutmeg, ginger, cloves and chili.
- Countless fish and seafood dishes.
- National dishes: mountain chicken (frog legs) and calalou soup.
- Rich and fresh fruit and vegetable offer.
- Often heartily cooked with few nuances.
- Well-known alcoholic beverages: Rum, Carib (popular beer), Kubuli (local beer), Coconut Rumpunch.
- The Caribbean barbecue deserves a special recommendation.
- Typical dishes:
- Accras (fried fish or vegetable dough balls).
- Aguti (small mammals that may only be hunted and eaten from the beginning of September to the end of February).
- Bakes (sandwiches fried in oil, mostly with a fish filling).
- Black Pudding (hearty black pudding).
- Goat Water (rich goat meat stew).
- Blaff (steamed fish with lemon, garlic and lots of herbs).
- Jerk pork/chicken (spicy marinated grilled pork/chicken).
- Johnny cake (fried dumpling, accompaniment to fish or meat).
- Colombo (common curry).
- Pies (dumplings with different fillings).
- Roti (flatbread and curried mix of usually chicken and potatoes).
- Saltfish with ackee (cured cod with scrambled egg flavored vegetables)
- Squid Stew.
Particularly scenic
- rainforests and mountain landscapes criss-crossed by gorges.
- Waterfalls and many mountain lakes in the dense rainforest.
- Trafalgar Falls.
- Morne Trois Pitons National Park.
- Valley Of Desolation.
- Boiling Lake with its water hotter than 80 degrees Celsius.
- Morne Diablotin National Park with rare parrots and the volcano peak.
- Cabrits National Park.
- Middleham Waterfall.
