Dominica sits midway along the Eastern Caribbean archipelago, just a few miles from Martinique to the south and Guadeloupe to the north. Its location is 15 degrees North latitude and 61 degrees West longitude. 

The island's official name is the Commonwealth of Dominica, which is mostly referenced in official communiqué and to distinguish the island from its northerly Caribbean sister, the Dominican Republic. The indigenous Carib Indians named the island Waitukubuli which means "tall is her body" in the carib language.

The island is sparsely populated with around 70,000 people inhabiting its 289.5 square miles. A significant portion of the population lives in and around the capital city, Roseau. Dominica is an arcadia of unspoiled nature. Tropical forest coats two thirds of the island, which nourishes 1,200 plant species. Rivers, lakes, streams, and waterfalls abound, fed by the islands high annual rainfall. Its volcanic physique points to extensive geothermal activity above and below sea level. 

Our Morne Trois Pitons National Park was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the eastern Caribbean.

The island is one of only a couple in the Caribbean still with populations of the pre-Columbian Carib Indians. About 80% of the population is Roman Catholic.  English is the official language, spoken with a melodic French lilt, but a large portion of the population speaks Kwèyòl (Creole), with a few northern villages speaking Kokoy. 

Tourist Board:

http://www.dominica.dm

Travel Tips

Language
English is the official language of Dominica; however a large portion of the population speaks Kwéyòl, which is based primarily on French and Carib vocabularies and a syntax burrowed from a variety of West African indigenous languages. A few Northern villages use a distinctive English dialect called Kokoy.

                                                    Currency
The local currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), which trades at EC$2.67 to US$1.00. Banks will offer EC$2.68 for a US$1.00 traveler’s check. Everywhere on the island businesses accept United States Dollars, British Pounds, and Euros.

Credit Cards
Most tourism related business, such as hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and car rental agencies accept Master Card, Visa, and American Express credit cards, including Traveler’s Checks.

Business Hours
Businesses open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday with a lunch break from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Banking hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. from Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. On Saturdays, the banks are closed but merchants open their enterprises from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Taxi
Taxis are available all over the island. They are easily identified by the letters, H, HA or HB preceding the registration numbers on the number plates.

Telecommunications
Dominica has a modern and reliable telecommunications system. It is easy to find public phones in the city and in most communities. Hotels offer International Direct Dialing from their rooms, and there are three major mobile service providers on the island: Cable & Wireless, Digicel, and Orange Cariabe. The island's area code is 767. 

Electrical
Dominica's electrical services use 220/240 volts. American appliances are quite popular, but their users utilize transformers for voltage conversion. Many accommodations offer both outlets, but it would be wise to receive confirmation from the specific establishment.

Medical Facilities
There are three public hospitals on the island: the Marigot Hospital, the Portsmouth Hospital, and the premier Princess Margaret Hospital. Intensive care units are available at the Portsmouth Hospital and the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). The PMH also has a Hyperbaric Chamber. Several specialists and general practitioners operate private clinics.

Emergency
The emergency contact for the Police, Ambulance, and Fire Department is 999.

Personal Safety
Dominica enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in the entire Caribbean; however visitors are encouraged to practice common sense in their deportment and the protection of their property.

Time Zone
Dominica Time is 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-4), which is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time and the same as eastern Daylight Time.

Climate
Visitors to Dominica should expect plenty of sunshine interjected by intermittent rainfall. The island's annual temperature averages at 27 C. Frequent rainfall cools the tropical heat, nourishes the island's extensive rainforest, and feeds its rivers, lakes, and waterfalls. On the coast, average rainfall registers 1,780 mm, but in the interior that figure is triple.

Getting There

Travel by Air
Dominica has two airports: the Canefield Airport and the Melville Hall Airport. The Canefield Airport, which is 15 minutes from Roseau, is only 3,100 ft long and accommodates small aircrafts offering intra-regional flights. Although Melville Hall, which is one and a half hours from the city, is much bigger, it is not an international airport. International flights from US and Europe are connected to the island through hubs in Antigua, Barbados, St. Maarten, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Leeward Island Air Transport (LIAT)  usually completes the Dominican leg of these flights. LIAT and American Eagle also provide connecting flights to the island out of Puerto Rico.

Travel by Sea
A 300-seat catamaran operated by L'Express des Îles ferries passengers between Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Lucia. Every year, hundreds of thousands of visitors arrive on the island from Cruise Ships berthed at the Bayfront, Woodbridge Bay, and Cabrits. Captains of Yachts and Sailboats can also anchor their private yacht at any of the island's official ports, but they should check in with customs and immigration on arrival.