Dominica

Dominica is an island republic in the Windward Islands of the eastern Caribbean, between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Roseau on the west coast is the capital, English is the official language, and an Antillean Creole that grew out of French has long been widely spoken.

The island rose from the sea about 26 million years ago, the youngest in the volcanic arc of the Lesser Antilles. Arawak people from South America arrived in the 5th century, and the Kalinago, who called the island Wai'tu kubuli, displaced or mixed with them by the 15th century. Columbus sighted it on Sunday, 3 November 1493, and named it for the Latin word for that day. The Kalinago kept Spanish settlers out, and in 1660 France and England agreed to leave the island to the Kalinago as neutral ground.

French settlers came anyway and from about 1690 grew coffee. Britain took the island after the Seven Years' War in 1763, beat off French attacks in 1795 and 1805, and slowly made English the official language. Dominica became independent as a republic on 3 November 1978 under Prime Minister Patrick John.

Dominica calls itself the Nature Island of the Caribbean for its steep rainforest, and Morne Diablotins, its highest peak, reaches 1,447 m (4,747 ft). Morne Trois Pitons National Park, with volcanic features around Boiling Lake, joined the UNESCO World Heritage list on 4 April 1995. The rare Sisserou parrot lives only here and appears in purple on the national flag, and banana exports long shaped the economy. Sperm whales live in the surrounding sea all year, with dolphins and other whales, which makes the island a destination for whale watching.