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The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an island nation in the Eastern Caribbean. In Latin, its name means "Sunday", which was the day on which it was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Dominica, pronounced "dom-ee-nee-kah", is not to be confused with the much larger Spanish speaking Caribbean nation, the Dominican Republic. Because the island lies between two French overseas departments, Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south, and because it was colonized by France for a time, it is sometimes called "French Dominica". However, its official language is English, though a French creole is commonly spoken.

It is one of the youngest islands in the Lesser Antilles, still being formed by geothermal (volcanic) activity, as evidenced by the world's second-largest boiling lake. The island features lush mountainous rainforests, home of many very rare plant, animal, and bird species. There are xeric areas in some of the western coastal regions, but heavy rainfall can be expectedi nland. Dominica is also especially vulnerable to hurricanes as the island is located in what is referred to as the hurricane region.

The Dominican economy is dependent on both tourism and agriculture, and to a lesser extent Offshore Banking and Financial Services. Twenty percent of Dominican workers are in the agricultural sector, and Dominica's primary agricultural exports include tobacco, bananas, vegetables, citrus, copra, coconut oil, and essential oils such as bay oil. The country's industries, other than tourism, include soap, furniture, cement blocks, and shoes. Dominica is further benefited by the presence of an offshore Devry-owned medical school, Ross University , in the northern town of Portsmouth. Over 1,000 students mainly from USA and Canada live and study in Portsmouth.

The Dominican economy has high poverty (30%), high unemployment (23%), and a low per capita income (US$5,400). The Dominican economy has been hurt by problems in the banana industry. The entire economy suffers whenweather conditions damage the banana crop or when the price of bananas falls. The lack of a large international airport (although expansion of Melville Hall International Airport is underway) or sandy beaches limit opportunities for standard tourism, but the island's heavily rainforest landscape and beautifully preserved pristine natural environment could lure those looking for unparalleled ecotourism experiences.

Prices of property are very reasonable compared to otherparts of the Caribbean. Dominica is a lush tropical Island with rainforests,rivers, and waterfalls. Most importantly there are no death duties, estatetaxes, or capital gains taxes.

Dominica Resources:

Dominica Official Tourism Site - Nature Island of the Caribbean (external link)

Dominica Economic Citizenship Program

Griffon Bank - Offshore Bank in Dominica (external link)

Caribbean Land and Property (external link)