ment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

@Dominica:People

Population: 66,633 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 9,287; female 9,115)
15-64 years: 63% (male 21,364; female 20,617)
65 years and over : 9% (male 2,569; female 3,681) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: -1.26% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 17.72 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.24 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -24.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.6 years
male: 74.74 years
female : 80.6 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.92 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups: black, Carib Amerindian

Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%,
Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none
2%, unknown 1%, other 5%

Languages: English (official), French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (1970 est.)

@Dominica:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica

Data code: DO

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National 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)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Constitution: 3 November 1978

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO (since 25 October
1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Edison C. JAMES (since 12 June
1995)
cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
prime minister
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year
term; e