Dominica

Capital City: Roseau

People: black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7%

Religion: Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1%

Language: English (official), French patois

Currency: East Caribbean Dollar

Electrical Voltage: 220/240 volts

How to get 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 3,100ft 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. The Leeward Island Transport (LIAT) and Caribbean Sun usually complete 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.

Weather: 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.

Travel Documentation and Custom Duty: Immigration officials require most visitors to Dominica to present a valid passport on arrival. All need to show a return ticket and some need to have a visa. Canadian citizens can show documents certifying proof of citizenship that also bears a photograph, and French nationals can stay for up to two weeks by presenting a valid identification card. Visitors coming from a specified list of countries, who intend to stay for 21 days or less, do not require a visa.

Getting Around: Taxis, Car Rentals, Bus

Tourism Website: http://www.discoverdominica.com

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.

Banks: Dominica Agricultural Industrial & Development Bank, The Bank of Nova Scotia, The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, First Caribbean International Bank, Griffon Bank, National Bank of Dominica, Royal Bank of Canada

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