Dominica

Dominica is located in the Eastern Caribbean, the most northerly of the Windward Islands. It lies between the French Overseas Departments (DOMS) of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Dominica is only about 29 miles long and 16 miles at its widest point. Even though it's small its highest point is Morne Diablotin at 4,747ft. Dominica has some of the richest mountain rainforest in the Caribbean. Dominica is volcanic in origin with rich fertile soil and abundant tropical rain forests. Sometimes it's called “The Nature Island of the Caribbean”, with rugged landscape of green slopes, waterfalls, and cloud-drenched mountain peaks. It boasts about 130 species of birds including the Sisserou Parrot (Amazona Imperialis) which is endemic to Dominica and is on the endangered species list. Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a World Heritage Site, and is home to one of the largest boiling lakes in the world.

There are fewer than 75,000 inhabitants nowadays. The original inhabitants were Arawaks, driven out later by the Caribs. In colonial times, it was discovered by Columbus in 1493 on a Sunday, hence "Dominica", but the Spanish didn't stay. It became a French colony, which is why the name is pronounced with the stress on the second "i"  - "domineeka" - as in French. However, it became British in 1761, and part of the slave trade. It has now been a republic since 1978. It's very prone to hurricanes such as in 1979, 2007 and 2017.

Because it has few beaches and is mostly volcanic, tourism is not very developed. When I was thee in 1987 I stayed at the cathedral clergy house in the small capital, Roseau (right). The vast majority are of African descent, with a small number of Europeans descent, and with a unique community of about 3,000 Kalinago (formerly known as Caribs) living in villages on the east coast. They were either wiped out or driven out on the neighbouring islands. I attended an amazing feast day of patron St Isidore there at the village of San Sauveur. A beautiful memory is the ladies dancing the offertory procession with baskets of fruit on their head.