Dominica

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.

Economical characteristics

 * Currency: East Caribbean dollar (ISO code: XCD)
 * Central bank discount rate: 6.5% (31 December 2008)
 * Commercial banks lending rate: 9.06% (31 December 2008)
 * Stock of money (M1): $72.1 million (31 December 2008)
 * Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $289.9 million (31 December 2008)

Links

 * Dominica on Wikipedia
 * Central bank of Dominica
 * Studies from the Library of Congress (1986-1998)
 * BBC country profile