Dominica

Dominica is a small (751 square kilometer) island nation in the Caribbean Sea, which became independent of France in 1978. The population of 72,660 (estimated as of July 2009) is primarily black (86.8 percent) with the largest minorities being mixed-race persons (8.9 percent) and Carib Indians (2.9 percent). Roman Catholicism is the most common religion (61.4 percent) with several other Christian sects (about 29 percent total) represented as well as Rastafarian (1.3 percent). Dominicans enjoy long life expectancies of 76 years for women and 71 years for men.

Literacy is equal for men and woman at 94 percent. Agriculture was traditionally the mainstay of the economy although recently the tourism industry has played an important role. Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was $10,200 in 2009 and 30 percent of the population live below the poverty line. Women constitute about 40 percent of the nonagricultural work force and 64.6 percent of the part-time labor force.

Maternal and child healthcare has been steadily improving in Dominica, as evidence by a drop of over 8 percent in under age 5 mortality between 1990 and 2003. Childhood immunization rates are high and 100 percent of births are attended by skilled healthcare personnel and 100 percent of women receive at least four prenatal care visits. The total fertility is 1.8 children per woman. Abortion is legal in Dominica only to save the mother's life, but contraceptive use is legal and almost 50 percent of women report using modern methods of contraception.