.dm Dominica Country Information Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. In Latin, its name means "Sunday", which was the day on which it was discovered by Columbus.
Dominica's pre-Columbian name was Wai'tu kubuli, which means "Tall is her body".The indigenous people of the island, the Caribs, have a territory similar to the Indian reserves of North America. Because the island lies between two French overseas departments, Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south, and because it was colonized by France for a time, it is sometimes called "French Dominica". However, its official language is English, though a French creole is commonly spoken.
Dominica has been nicknamed the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" due to its seemingly unspoiled natural beauty. It is one of the youngest islands in the Lesser Antilles, still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity, as evidenced by the world's second-largest boiling lake. The island features lush mountainous rainforests, home of many very rare plant, animal, and bird species. There are xeric areas in some of the western coastal regions, but heavy rainfall can be expected inland. The Sisserou parrot, the island's national bird, is featured on the national flag. Dominica's economy is heavily dependent on both tourism and agriculture. Dominica is an island nation and borderless country in the Caribbean Sea, the northernmost of the Windward Islands. The size of the country is about 289.5 square miles (754 km²). The capital is Roseau.
Dominica is largely covered by rainforest and is home to the world's second-largest boiling lake. Dominica has many waterfalls, springs, and rivers. Some plants and animals thought to be extinct on surrounding islands can still be found in Dominica's forests. The volcanic nature of the island and the lack of sandy beaches have made Dominica a popular scuba diving spot. Dominica is home to several protected areas, including Cabrits National Park. Dominica has 365 rivers.
It is said that when his royal sponsors asked Christopher Columbus to describe this island in the "New World", he crumpled a piece of parchment roughly and threw it on the table. This, Columbus explained, is what Dominica looks likecompletely covered with mountains with nary a flat spot.
Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a tropical forest blended with scenic volcanic features. It was recognized as a World Heritage Site on April 4, 1995. Within the Caribbean, it shares this distinction with historic World Heritage sites in San Juan (Puerto Rico), Willemstad (Curacao), Saint Kitts, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic/Haiti) and Cuba, and another natural World Heritage site in St. Lucia.
The Commonwealth of Dominica is engaged in a long-running dispute with Venezuela over Venezuela's territorial claims to the sea surrounding Isla Aves (literally Bird Island, but in fact called Bird Rock by Dominica authorities), a tiny islet located 70 miles (110 km) west of the island of Dominica.
The only two major cities are Roseau and Portsmouth.
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