Although many of the islands of the Carribbean are montainous, the Commonwealth of Dominica is undoubtedly the wildest and most complex of all the islands. Indeed it is such a mass of peaks, ridges, and ravines that in proportion to area it seem more rugged than Switzerland.

In the north of the island is the isolated Morne au Diable(860 meters), a volcanic pile of intermediate age, forms a blunt peninsula ending in high northward-facing cliffs.

There is also some flat land in the region apart from that behind Portsmouth which tends to be swampy.

In the centre of the island, seperated from Morne au Diable by a low col, is a maturely eroded highland.

Probably the remnants of an old plateau, its summits rise to about 450 meters, though some ridges and isolated peaks rise to 600 meters. It is dissected by the gorges of many streams and by the relatively wide basin of the Layou River. On top of the plateau stand two, young inactive volcanoes.

In the south is the well-preserved cone of Morne Toris Pitons (1424 meters) a mountain surmounted by there hight pitons. In the north is Morne Diablotin, which is approximately 4,747 feet high from which high ridges radiate to the north, south and west - those in the west reaching almost to the coast. To the east however , the descent is more gradual.

South of the Morne Trois Pitons, and Micotrin (1220 meters) is the basin of the Roseau River which falls by a series of cataracts to the capital. Farther south still there is another complex volcanic mass of intermediate age, the highest peak of which, Watt Mountain rises to 1225 metres.

By world standars these mountains are not high, and in fact half the island lies below 300 metres. It is steepness of slope rather than altitude which gives the Commonwealth of Dominica its particular character, and makes the transportation of agricultural products so difficult in some areas.

Remoteness in the Commonwealth of Dominica is not a matter of distance but of difficulty of access. For instance, Roseau is about 30 kilometers in a straight (direct line ) from the airport, however, by car the journey on the narrow, winding road can take more than an hour, to more than two hours. Very few non-volcanic rocks have been found on the island, and the numerous funaroles, and hot streams indicate that there is still some subdued volcanic activity there.

So does the boiling lake in the valley of Desolation, the turbulent surface of which is constantly being broken by jets of boiling water which may spurt up three metres and more. The steaming, sulphurous fumes emitted from the lake have killed much of the surrounding vegetation. Dead trees stands between occasional clumps of ferns, and coarse grass, and dead logs cover much of the ground.

One of the volcanic rocks on the island punice, was extracted for export, however, the pumice is now utilized in Dominica in the production of cement.

Rainfall and vegetation

Rainfall varies considerable from one area to the next, but in no district is it scanty. Over 80% of the island has at least 2500 millimetres a year, and even the sheltered leeward side of the island can expect rain on two days out of three. The mountainous interior gets over 6300 millimetres a year.

June to October are the wettest months and February to May are the driest. About three-quarters of the island is forested, the highest proportion of forest in the West Indies.

The high mountains are covered with elfin woodland, however, below 1000 metres this changes to tropical rain-forest which in the Commonwealth of Dominica, is particularly luxuriant.

On the leeward side below 300 metres there is a deciduous forest where trees shed their leaves towards the end of the least rainy months, and lower down beside the coast there is a narrow belt of thorn bush and scrub. In one area close to the coast a recent lava flow has given rise to such poor soil that it supports only grass.

Though the lumber industry is still very small, several varieties of timber, including white and red cedar, balata, and mahogany are taken to saw mills near Roseau, and exported in small quantities. Settlement and development

Because the rugged and forested interior of the Commonwealth of Dominica provided a natural refuge for the Caribs, Europeans were unable to settle in Dominica, for more than two hundred years, after Columbus visited.

The French settlers gained a precarious foothold and began the cultivation of several crops, of which coffee was the most important. Though Dominica later came under British control, French influence is still seen in place-names and heard in the patios (broken French).

While the production of coffee declined in the nineteenth century, the production of sugar increased.

However, the island never became a large sugar producer, and at some point and time the output of sugar ceased because the producers claimed that there was not enough flat land to grow the cane required to support a modern factory.

Cocoa became important for a time, the output reaching its peak about the beginning of last century, before West African competition caused a decline. Limes were introduced about 1870 and, because they can grow at elevations up to 450 metres in higher, more exposed, areas than cane or cocoa, they soon became the mainstay of the economy.

By 1920 lime products accounted for 80% of the total export, and for a long time Dominica was the world’s leading producer of lime. However, set-backs occurred in the 1930s, when a process was discovered in Europe for manufacturing citric acid synthetically, and when disease and hurricane destroyed many trees.

Most of the lime plantations on the windward side of the island were abandoned. By 1934 production had fallen to 5% of that of 1922, but since then there has been a slow and intermittent recovery.

It was at this time that several attempts were made to established a banana industry in the Commonwealth of Dominica, but they were only temporarily successful, it was not until about 1948, 1950, the banana industry became a viable, and successful industry in Dominica, which lasted to this day, though it is a slowly dying industry, ships call regularly to be loaded with exported banana, roads have been built into some of the more remote areas, cultivation is widespread and bananas form the bulk of Dominica’s exports.

Thus the Commonwealth of Dominica has had several periods of relative prosperity, each based on a different crop.

The Commonwealth of Dominica is the only island in the Caribbean to have an area set aside for its indigenous people the Carib Indians.

Several hundred people, few of whom are pure Carib Indian descent, live in a reserve some 3000 acres in size which stretches along 13 kelometres of the windward coast and up into the ridges behind. They cultivate food crops and catch fish. They have lost their old language, but they have retained their traditional craft of straw basket, and canoe making.

Because the development of the island was retarded for so long and because so little of it was suited to plantation agriculture, relatively few slaves were employed there.

In consequence the population was never large, and the island is still under-populated. nonetheless, it is true that the Commonwealth of Dominica, is the only Commonwealth Eastern Caribbean territory in which a large proportion of the resources are still undisturbed. Perhaps an increase in population could create an overall economic benefit.

Agriculture

Perhaps only 32% of the total area is under permanent cultivation, and most crops are confined to river valleys, and alluvial flats.

The pre-war banana industry, brought to an end by Panama disease and by the shipping shortage during the war, was revived and enlarged. Thus in 1948 banana export formed only 1% of the total export. By the end of the mid-1960s the figure had risen to over 75%. Since then it has declined, being about 60% in the mid-1970s.

Yields, however are much lower now and perhaps between 20, and 25 tones per hectare are needed to make cultivation and production profitable.

The largest single banana producing area is in the north-east in the area of Marigot, Wesley, and Woodford Hill.

Dominica is the only one of the Eastern Caribbean territories where citrus fruits are of paramount. Oranges and grapefruit were exported from Dominica to markets in the United kingdom.

Most of the lines grown in the southwest of the island below a height of 300 metres. Some are exported as fresh fruit to other West Indian island, particularly to the neighboring islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and to the islands of Antigua, Barbados, and in recent years St. Martin, with tourist industries.

However in 1975 the bulk of the crop was converted into lime juice and lime oil products which brought in 3% of foreign earnings. Vanilla, long associated with Dominica, and made from the dried pods of a plant belonging to the orchid family, has almost gone out of production, and needs to be brought back into production.

Cocoa is widely grown on small holdings in sheltered areas. The output is small and most of it is consumed locally. In recent years new cuttings have been planted to replace some of the old trees. Coconuts are another subsidiary crop. They are sometimes interplanted with bananas. The bulk of the crop is made into soap and cooking oil.

Bay oil is extracted from the leaves of bay trees (few of which have been deliberately planted) and exported, mainly to the United States.

A small amount of sugar cane is grown to supply an old mill and rum distillery near Roseau. Shifting cultivation is common among the Dominican farmer, some fruit and vegetables have at times found a market overseas, especially in the Bahamas, but production of food crops has tended to decline with the rise of bananas.

Other Commodities

The manufacture of straw goods, especially of floor mats, is a profitable local industry. The mats are exported to a variety of countries, including Barbados, Bermuda, and the United States Virgin Islands. other small industries include the making of cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and cigars, from tobacco grown mostly in the Layou valley. Lumber, and cement, soap, coffee, tea, and rum.................

Towns and communication

Roseau the capital, is situated on a small alluvial fan created by the Roseau River on the western coast; there is a port for the visiting tourist ships, and yacht, and another where cargo, and other ship tie up while off loading, and are loaded with cargo. Portsmouth also has a harbour, but lack the facilities that facilitate shipping and the tourist.

The communication system on the island is as modern as the most modern system found in the more developed countries of the world. There are three Radio Stations operating on the island, and two paid Cable Television Stations. The most popular television and telecommunication server is Marpin Television.

Set as it is between the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, the Commonwealth of Dominica is isolated from the other Commonwealth Eastern Caribbean territories.

However, the ruggedness of the terrain has been a bigger handicap to development than has isolation, and the construction of roads has been the most difficult problem.

Although the long stretches of coastline are somewhat rugged, there is continuous coastal and other feeder roads connecting both towns and all villages.

Vacation

Yes, indeed: Although there are not as many white sandy beaches, there are beaches in various places on the island some better the others.

However, there are lots of other activities on the island which compensate for the white sandy beaches with which the island is not endowed.

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