Long-form name: Commonwealth of Dominica

Type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Roseau

Administrative divisions: 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter

Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)

Constitution: 3 November 1978

Legal system: based on English common law

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Leaders: Chief of State--President Sir Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET (since 19 December 1983); Head of Government--Prime Minister (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since 21 July 1980, elected for a third term 28 May 1990)

Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES; Dominica Labor Party (DLP), Michael DOUGLAS; United Workers Party (UWP), Edison JAMES

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: President--last held 20 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); the president is elected by the House of Assembly; House of Assembly--last held 28 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(30 total; 9 appointed senators and 21 elected representatives) DFP 11, UWP 6, DLP 4

Communists: negligible

Other political or pressure groups: Dominica Liberation Movement (DLM), a small leftist group

Member of: ACCT, ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: there is no Chancery in the US; US--no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels frequently to Dominica

Flag: green with a centered cross of three equal bands--the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white--the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)

NOTE: The information regarding Dominica on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Dominica Government 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Dominica Government 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.