Forgotten World (153): Dominica

Dominica – not to be confused with the Dominican Republic – is an island in the Caribbean ‘discovered’ by Columbus in 1493 and it acquired its name from the day of the week (Sunday) of its discovery. For centuries, it was a French and then a British colony.
Today, with few natural resources and a fledgling tourist industry, Dominica – a country of only 73,000 – is attempting to reduce its reliance on bananas, traditionally its main export earner. The trade has faced stiffer competition since the European Union was forced by the World Trade Organisation to phase out preferential treatment for producers from former colonies. Although it is among the poorest countries in the region, its differences in wealth distribution are not as marked as in the larger Caribbean islands.


 




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