• Dominica:
• Geography

Dominica - Geography

The Commonwealth of Dominica is one of the Windward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, lying between Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south.

Area: 750 sq km

Main towns: Roseau (capital, pop. 16,600 in 2006), Portsmouth (3,600), Marigot (2,700), Berekua (2,600), Atkinson (2,500), Mahaut (2,400), Canefield (2,200), St Joseph, Wesley.

Topography: A volcanic island 46km in length, Dominica has a central mountain ridge running from Cape Melville in the north to the cliffs in the south. Morne Diablotin rises to 1,447m. There are numerous mountain streams and rivers, none of them navigable. The scenery is outstandingly beautiful, with waterfalls and luxuriantly wooded mountains. Most beaches are of black volcanic sand, with some of golden sand.

Climate: The climate is subtropical and hot, but cooled by sea breezes, with a rainy season in June–October, when hurricanes may occur. Rainfall is heavy, especially in mountain areas.

Vegetation: Dominica is known as the nature island of the Caribbean. Dense forest and woodland cover some 60% of the land area, with subtropical vegetation and orchids in the valleys. Tree ferns are indigenous to the island. Arable and cropped land extends to some 23% of the total land area. The island has a fertile volcanic soil.

Wildlife: The forests have a wide range of bird species (some of them rare and endangered), including the brilliant Dominica parrot, or Sisserou, which is depicted on the national flag, various species of doves and the mountain whistler. There are three distinct vegetation and habitat zones determined by rainfall and elevation at defined levels around the mountains. The country has two marine reserves and several hectares of forest reserve.

Transport: There are 780km of roads, 50% paved. Round-island network was completed in the late 1980s, despite the technical difficulties presented by Dominica’s mountainous terrain and friable volcanic rock.

Banana boats and tourist cruiseships call at Roseau, at the deep-water harbour in Woodbridge Bay, and in Prince Rupert’s Bay, Portsmouth.

The airports at Melville Hall, 64km north-east of Roseau, and Canefield, 5km north of Roseau, can accommodate only turbo-prop passenger aircraft. Tourists flying into Dominica must therefore generally come via the nearby island of Antigua.