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Dominica (officially the Commonwealth of Dominica) is an island country in the Caribbean. The island was originally occupied by the Arawak, and then later the Carib peoples.
Christopher Columbus discovered the island on a Sunday in 1493, hence the name from the Spanish dominica meaning Sunday, but the occupants resisted colonisation until the French gained control of the island in 1632. Having been ceeded to Britain by France in 1763 the island became part of the Leeward Islands' dependancy in 1833 and remained so until it joined the Windward Islands' group in 1940. In 1967 the island achieved internal self-rule and in 1978 full independence.
Dominica is rugged and mountainous, but it contains many fertile valleys and is well watered. The shores are but little indented, and are entirely without harbours; but on the west side there are several good anchorages and bays. Both and English and French are spoken in Dominica, with English being the official language. The religion is predominantly Roman Catholic.
 Research Dominica
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Abbreviations
Gazetteer
