Dominica

 

Quick Facts

• Continental region – Country in the Caribbean
• Currency symbol of Dominica –East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
• Capital City –Roseau
• Official languages –English
• Population – 71,625 (2018)
• Country dialling code  –  (+767 )
• Official website – Dominica
• Top 3 biggest industries  –Agriculture,Tourism, Manufacturing. 
• Google Maps link –Dominica
• Where is it? –Dominica is a mountainous Caribbean island nation with natural hot springs and tropical rainforests. MorneTrois Pitons National Park is home to the volcanically heated, steam-covered Boiling Lake. The park also encompasses sulphur vents, the 65m-tall Trafalgar Falls and narrow Titou Gorge. 

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Dominica In Pictures

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Dominica History

• How did the country get its first name? –The Kalinago (Caribs) called the island Waitukubuli,
• How did the country get its current name? -The “Dominican” word comes from the Latin Dominicus, meaning Sunday. Columbus choose this name as it was the day he landed. 
• When and by whom the country was first discovered? – The Kalinago were present when the first European, Christopher Columbus arrived on the island in 1493. 
• Who were the first Inhabitants? – The Ortoroids who arrived from South America around 3100 BC. until around 400 BC. 
• When it was first recognized as a country?  Dominica became independent 3 November 1978.
• Who was the first leader of the country? – Patrick John. 

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Five Significant Events 

1. 1493 – Christopher Columbus visits the island and names it Dominica (Sunday Island). (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19409492)
2. 1660 – Britain and France agree to abandon Dominica and St Vincent. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19409492)
3. British rule 1896 – Britain re-establishes crown colony government over Dominica. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19409492)
4. Independence 1978 – Dominica becomes independent with John as prime minister. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19409492)
5. 1998 – Government announces plans to make Dominica a principal provider of offshore financial services “not only in the Caribbean, but the world”. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19409492)

Five Places to Visit in Dominica

1. Morne Trois Pitons National Park: Morne Trois Pitons National Park is the jewel of Dominica. Encompassing much of the island’s mountainous interior, the park is primordial rainforest, ranging from thick jungle with giant ferns and wild orchids, to the stunted cloud forest on the upper slopes of 1,424-meter Morne Trois Pitons. Highlights of the 17,000-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site, include Boiling Lake; Victoria Waterfall; Trafalgar Falls; mist-shrouded Boeri Lake; Middleham Falls; Titou Gorge; Emerald Pool; and the steaming Valley of Desolation, an area of boiling mud ponds, brightly-colored hot springs, and mini-geysers. One of the best starting points for a visit to the park is the village of Laudat, 11 kilometers from Roseau. (https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/dominica-dmn.htm)
2. Boiling Lake: Boiling Lake is one of the most popular attractions in Morne Trois Pitons National Park. This eerie-looking pool of bubbling, gray-green water lies at the end of a strenuous, three-hour hike through thick forest. But it’s worth it. Geologists believe the 63-meter-wide actively boiling lake, the world’s second largest, is a flooded fumarole, a crack in the earth allowing hot gases to vent from the molten lava below. The temperature at the edge of the lake ranges from 82-92°C and is at boiling point in the center. After rain, the trail becomes slick and muddy. Guides are highly recommended. (https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/dominica-dmn.htm)
3. Victoria Falls: One of the most impressive and photogenic waterfalls on the island, the Victoria Waterfall, in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, is formed by the White River cascading over a cliff into a warm pool below. Minerals give the water a milky-white color. Wear water shoes with good grip as the approximately 40-minute hike involves river crossings and boulder scrambling, but these beautiful falls and the river itself are worth seeing. You can relax at the end with a dip in the warm pool. Guides are strongly recommended, as part of the trail was washed away by Tropical Storm Erika in 2015. (https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/dominica-dmn.htm)
4. Trafalgar Falls: The hike to the the twin falls is one of the most popular things to do in Dominica. Known as Mother and Father, the falls lie at the end of an easy 10 to 15-minute hike through a forest of ginger plants and vanilla orchids. The cool main stream of Trafalgar Falls originates in the mountains and is joined near the bottom by a hot mineral spring. You can take a dip in the hot and cold pools amid the sulfur-dyed rocks at the base of the falls. (https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/dominica-dmn.htm)
5. Cabrits National Park: In the Northwest of Dominica, Cabrits National Park preserves lush rainforest, swampland, black-sand beaches, and thriving coral reefs. This scenic peninsula boasts panoramic views from its highest point, and the reefs offer some excellent snorkeling and diving opportunities. Also found in the park are the remains of Fort Shirley, an 18th-century British garrison with beautiful views of Prince Rupert Bay. The town of Portsmouth also sits on this peninsula with The Cabrits, a cruise ship port and terminal. (https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/dominica-dmn.htm)

References: 

• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19409492
• https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/dominica-dmn.htm