Dominica ( /ˌdɒmɪˈniːkə/ DOM-i-NEE-kə;French: Dominique; Kali‘na (Carib): Wai‘tu kubuli), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is 750 square kilometres (290 sq mi) and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of 1,447 metres (4,747 ft). The Commonwealth of Dominica had a population of 71,293 at the 2011 Census. The capital is Roseau.

Dominica has been nicknamed the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" for its unspoiled natural beauty. It is the youngest island in the Lesser Antilles, still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity, as evidenced by the world's second-largest hot spring, Boiling Lake. The island features lush mountainous rainforests, home of many rare plant, animal, and bird species. There are xeric areas in some of the western coastal regions, but heavy rainfall can be expected inland. The Sisserou Parrot (also known as the Imperial Amazon), the island's national bird, is featured on the national flag. Dominica's economy is heavily dependent on tourism, agriculture and heavy taxation.

Dame Mary Eugenia Charles, DBE (15 May 1919 – 6 September 2005) was Prime Minister of Dominica from 21 July 1980 until 14 June 1995. She was Dominica's first, and to date only, female prime minister, as well as the nation's longest serving prime minister. She was the second female prime minister in the Caribbean after Lucinda da Costa of the Netherlands Antilles, and the first woman elected in her own right as head of government in the Americas. She was the world's third longest-serving female Prime Minister, behind Indira Gandhi of India and Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, and the world's longest continuously serving female Prime Minister ever.

Charles was born in the fishing village of Pointe Michel in Saint Luke parish, to a "coloured bourgeoise" family. She attended Convent School in Dominica, the island's only girls' secondary school, and became interested in law while working at the colonial magistrate's court. She worked for many years as assistant to Alastair Forbes. She attended university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada before moving to the United Kingdom to attend the London School of Economics. She was a member of the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho. She passed the bar and returned to Dominica, where she became the island's first female lawyer, establishing a practice specialising in property law.

Pierre Charles (June 30, 1954 – January 6, 2004) was Prime Minister of Dominica from 2000 to 2004 as well as Member of Parliament for Grand Bay, Dominica from 1985 until his death. He was born in Grand Bay in Saint Patrick parish. He began his high school education at the Dominica Grammar School and completed it at the St. Mary's Academy before pursuing studies at the local teachers college. He served as a teacher and community organizer before entering elective office.

He became ill in February 2003, and had angioplasty surgery. Concerns about his health led to calls for him to step down. However, he continued to serve as prime minister until his death, which occurred during a medical leave of absence. Osborne Riviere acted as Prime Minister in Charles' stead. However, upon return from his medical leave of absence, Charles succumbed to a heart attack while being driven home from a Cabinet meeting. Political Ascendancy

In 1979, Pierre Charles, at the age of 25, was appointed a Senator in Dominica’s Parliament. In the general elections of 1985, he contested the Grand Bay seat, and won, though his Dominica Labour Party (led by Rosie Douglas’ brother, Michael) lost to the incumbent Dominica Freedom Party under the leadership of the formidable Dame Eugenia Charles, Dominica longest serving head of state. For the next 15 years, Charles remained in that position, as irremovable from Grand Bay as Rosie Douglas was from Portsmouth. For example, in the 1995 election which saw the unseating of Dame Eugenia’s DFP by the United Workers’ Party (UWP) led by Edison James, Charles took over 51% of the 1936 votes cast in his home parish.

Roosevelt Skerrit (born 8 June 1972) is a Dominican politician who has been Prime Minister of Dominica since 2004; he has also been the Member of Parliament for the Vieille Case constituency since 2000. Regionally, he has served as the Chairman of the OECS and most recently as Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) since January 2010.

Roosevelt Skerrit became Prime Minister after the death of Pierre Charles in January 2004. At the time of Pierre Charles’ death, Roosevelt Skerrit was a member of parliament for the Vieille Case constituency, a position he had held since his election in February 2000. In addition to being the Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit also serves as Minister for Finance, Minister for Foreign Affairs and as the political leader of the Dominica Labor Party.

Upon taking office Skerrit became the world's youngest head of government, surpassing Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With his party's May 2005 election victory, Skerrit became the world's first democratically elected national leader born in the 1970s. As of December 2010 Skerrit remains the youngest head of government in the Western Hemisphere and the third youngest in the world, surpassed only by Madagascar's Andry Rajoelina and Montenegro's Igor Lukšić.