The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica (
French
:
Dominique
), is an
island nation
in the
Caribbean Sea
. The name is
pronounced
/ˌdɒmɪˈniːkə/
(dom-in-EE-cuh). 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. |