SHAW (since 6
October 1998) elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for
a five-year term; election last held 6 October 1998 (next to be held
NA October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election
results: Vernon Lordon SHAW elected president; percent of legislative
vote - NA% cabinet: head of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES
(since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister
Roosevelt DOUGLAS

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed
senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by NA 2005) election
results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -DLP 10, UWP 9,
DFP 2

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the
Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the
six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary
Jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles
SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers
Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Dominica Liberation Movement or
DLM (a small leftist party)

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS,
OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident in Dominica) chancery: 3216 New Mexico
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 consulate(s)
general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in
Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados

Flag description: green, with a centered cross of three equal bands
- the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and 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)

Economy Dominica

Economy - overview: The Dominican economy depends on agriculture,
primarily bananas, and r