|
 Dominica
was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans,
due
chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded
possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony
in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes
improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced
by that of Mary Eugenia Charles, the first female prime minister
in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000
Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian
population remaining in the eastern Caribbean. |
| Location: |
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico
to Trinidad and Tobago |
| Climate: |
Tropical;
moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
| Borders: |
None |
More... |
One
of the Windward Island republics in the West Indies,
Dominica has Guadeloupe to
the north and Martinique to
the south.
English is the official language,
although a French patois is also spoken among the Roman Catholic
islanders. Christopher Columbus first
sighted the island on November 3rd, 1493 and named it Dominica.
The French arrived in 1632,
but the island was handed over to the British in 1763 by the
Treaty of Paris.
Dominica gained full independence
from Great Britain on November 2nd, 1978.
Roseau's Roman Catholic cathedral was
built in the 18th century, and you can also visit the botanical
gardens. The twin waterfalls at Trafalgar, are also a popular
tourist attraction. |
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