in the Western HemisphereDominica (locally /ˌdɒmɪˈniːkə/ dom-in-EE-kə;[9] UK: US: /ˌdɒmɪˈniːkə/[10][11][12] or /dəˈmɪnɪkə/ ⓘ;[13] Dominican Creole French: Dominik; Kalinago: Waitukubuli), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean.

[15] It is the youngest island in the Lesser Antilles, and is still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity, as evidenced by the world's second-largest hot spring, called Boiling Lake.

[21] Dominica first emerged from the sea during the Oligocene era approximately 67 million years ago, making it one of the last Caribbean islands to be formed by volcanic activity.

The British retained control throughout French invasions in 1795 and 1805,[19][22] the first taking place during the period of the Haitian Revolution, which gained the independence of Haiti (formerly Saint-Domingue, France's richest Caribbean colony).

Marshalling public frustration with the lack of a voice in the government of Dominica, this group won one-third of the popularly elected seats of the legislative assembly in 1924, and one-half in 1936.

The formation soon formalised as the United Workers' Party (UWP) and selected as its leader Edison James, the former general manager of the Dominica Banana Marketing Company.

It was, therefore, no great surprise when Eugenia Charles gave up political leadership of the Dominica Freedom Party in 1993 and did not contest the 1995 general election in any capacity.

[40] On 17 September 2012 Eliud Thaddeus Williams was sworn in as president (a largely ceremonial role), replacing Dr. Nicholas Liverpool who was reportedly removed from office due to ill health.

[43][44] The UK, France and the Netherlands set up shipping and air lifts to take aid to the island, the scale of destruction having left most people homeless.

[19][48] Known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean"[citation needed] due to its lush scenery and varied flora and fauna, Dominica is largely covered by rainforest and is home to the world's second-largest hot spring, Boiling Lake.

Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a tropical forest blended with volcanic features;[52] it was recognised as a World Heritage Site on 4 April 1995, a distinction it shares with four other Caribbean islands.

[66][67] In April 2024, Dominican attorney-at-law Cara Shillingford persuaded the High Court of Justice to overturn the laws banning same-sex activity[68] since they violated LGBT individuals' constitutional rights.

Around this time the International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised the Government of Dominica for its successful macroeconomic reforms, but also pointed out remaining challenges, including the need for further reductions in public debt, increased financial sector regulation, and market diversification.

[citation needed] In response to reduced European Union (EU) trade preferences for bananas from the former European colonies after the 2009 WTO decision,[73][74][75][76] the government has diversified the agricultural sector by promoting the production of coffee, patchouli, aloe vera, cut flowers, and exotic fruits such as mango, guava and papaya,[citation needed] while the economy has become increasingly dependent on tourism.

[48] The expected increase of Dominica's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) fees has been suspended with no implementation date in sight, as announced by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, in the 2016 budget speech.

It is not known how many companies benefit from the tax-free status because of the strict confidentiality the government enforces, although it is known many Internet businesses and hedge funds utilise Dominica for this reason.

The nationality law of Dominica authorises the government to waive the normal requirement of seven years of legal residence to acquire citizenship in exchange for an investment into their country's economy.

[79] Alternatively, since 2014, applicants can make a US$200,000 minimum investment in pre-approved real estate from island exclusive resorts or global brands like Marriott, Kempinski or Hilton.

[84] The government's management of the economic citizenship programme and an initial perceived lack of transparency in the use of the revenues generated are a frequent topic of heated domestic political controversy.

According to prime minister Skerrit's 2018–2019 Budget Address,[86] the island's CBI Programme has helped develop a national health insurance pilot that provides Dominican children in critical medical conditions with overseas treatment.

Because many residents were displaced by Hurricane Maria's impact on the small Caribbean island, the government pledged to build 5,000 hurricane-proof homes, of which the first batch of 125 houses were scheduled for occupancy in February 2019.

[citation needed] Nevertheless, Dominica's mountains, rainforests, freshwater lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, and diving spots make it an attractive ecotourism destination.

To alleviate this, the government announced that it intended to install emergency bridges in Roseau Valley near the Trafalgar Falls to Wotten Waven and in Emshall.

The Island Caribs lived throughout the southern Lesser Antilles such as Dominica, St Vincent and Trinidad, supposedly having conquered them from their previous inhabitants, the Igneri.

Archbold Tropical Research and Education Center, a biological field station owned by Clemson University, is located at Springfield Estate between Canefield and Pont Cassé.

Under the management of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, the institution was established in 1843 with the opening of reading rooms, the first public library in Dominica, Victoria Memorial.

The creation of a public library in Dominica did not come easily though the impetus was a noble one that would help "the coloured people... [improve] their lot as they moved along the path to complete freedom...” (Boromé, 203).

Surviving religious and political discord, the great depression, and two world wars, the library finally came under the care of the government where funds were set aside for its upkeep.

"Massacre" is a name of a river dedicated to the mass murder of the native villagers by English settlers on St. Kitts -the survivors were forced into exile on Dominica.

Popular artists over the years included Chubby and the Midnight Groovers, Bells Combo, the Gaylords (Dominican band), WCK, and Triple Kay.