In 2003, Dominica was a small island nation located in the Caribbean. With a population of approximately 70 thousand people and a GDP of $0.5 billion, it was one of the poorest countries in the region.
According to computergees, the country had a parliamentary democracy with Roosevelt Douglas as Prime Minister since 2000. Despite its political stability, the country faced several challenges including widespread poverty, poor infrastructure, and limited access to international markets.
The government had implemented several reforms to promote economic growth and social equality but progress was slow due to limited resources and lack of foreign investment. The political landscape in 2003 was dominated by Prime Minister Roosevelt Douglas who had been in power since 2000.
Despite its political stability, freedom of speech and press were restricted due to strict censorship laws and surveillance practices. Additionally, access to free education and healthcare services were limited due to lack of resources but some progress had been made towards providing more access for citizens. Economic growth was further hindered by corruption, poor infrastructure, and lack of access to international markets.
According to Countryaah.com, Dominica Independence Day is November 3. In February 2000, Rosie Douglas was appointed prime minister. In the same month, Dominica and Cuba signed an agreement on coordination and bilateral talks – including annual meetings – to improve cultural, social and political cooperation between the two countries. Until then, cooperation had been limited to the field of education, but now it was expected that tourism would also benefit from the cooperation.
The prime minister surprisingly died on October 1 at the age of just 58 and was replaced by Pierre Charles.
In February 2002, a money laundering law was passed that allowed foreign institutions to investigate bank accounts in Dominica. In May, Charles declared the country in economic crisis as a result of the low export revenues and dwindling flow of tourists. An additional tax was adopted to stimulate the economy.
In the October 2003 elections, Nicolás Liverpool was elected president. In January 2004, Prime Minister Pierre Charles died at the age of just 49. Instead, the Labor Party appointed 31-year-old Roosevelt Skerrit as his successor.
In March, Dominica established diplomatic relations with China, thus breaking the relationship with Taiwan, which had existed for 20 years. Skerrit stated that: “Our policy towards Taiwan was based on an interpretation of the wrong story.” He added that China had committed to give Dominica 122 million. US $ in development assistance over the next 5 years. Taiwan’s Education Minister Eugene Chien condemned what he called China’s “dollar diplomacy”. Skerrit defended the government’s new policy as follows: “We assessed Dominica’s foreign policy and considered that it was in the national interest to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, which is today an important player in international diplomacy”.
At the May 2005 parliamentary elections, the ruling Labor Party got 12 of the 21 seats, the United Labor Party got 8, and an independent candidate ran for the last seat.
Skerrit retained the post of prime minister when he won the parliamentary elections in May 2006. He stated that the government’s main goal in its next term was to solve the problems that have hitherto hindered the country’s entry into the Caribbean common market.
Dominica Brief Guide
According to AbbreviationFinder, Dominica differs from its neighbors in the eastern Caribbean in that the island is both mountainous and covered with dense rainforests. Dominica has avoided lavish tourism and the island’s charm is based on its unspoilt nature, hiking trails in the rainforests and stunning waterfalls, rivers, crater lakes, and other natural formations.
An almost 500 km long network of hiking trails criss-crosses the island, offering nature or birders the opportunity to get to know more than 170 bird species, more than a thousand plant species and 74 orchid varieties growing wild on the island. It is safe to hike the island’s forest trails, as Dominica is free of any poisonous or dangerous insects or reptiles.
Dominica is also a great dive site, especially the bubble curtain created by underwater springs called “Champagne Reef” and the Seahorses in its area are a popular scene. Dominica is the closest of the Caribbean islands to the “old Caribbean” and the island is especially recommended for more experienced and activity-seeking tourists looking for something other than a traditional beach vacation; it also provides an interesting stopover for island hopping between Martinique and Guadeloupe.
| Language | English, Creole, French |
| Population | 72,000 |
| Area | 750 km 2 |
| Currency | East Caribbean Dollar |
| How to fly | Via Antigua, Barbados, St.Martin, San Jose or St.Lucia |
| Stop-over recommendation |
New York |
| Ship connections | Guadeloupe and Martinique |
| Combine | Guadeloupe and Martinique by ship |
| Inauguration at | Succeed |
| Golf | No |
| The best time to travel | Between January-April or October-December |