Goegraphy of Dominica :: Essays Papers

Goegraphy The geography of Dominica is quite unique. It is an island fortress unlike any other island in the Caribbean, and is the largest and most mountainous of the Windward Islands. The island was created by volcanic activity, and still today shows signs of active volcanic activity. Its steep mountains prevented colonists from completely taking over and have made the island a prime destination for Eco-tourists. The island contains over 3,000 peaks, the tallest of which are Morne Diablotin (4,747 ft) and Morne Trois Pitons (4,600ft). (www.delphis.com) The island itself is located between the French islands of Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south. It is 29 miles long and 16 miles wide, and covers 290 square miles. Its exact location is approximately 15 degrees North and 61 degrees West (www.delphis.dm). The island of Dominica is home to the only surviving population of Carib Indians. This was only possible because of Dominica’s treacherous mountains. Early European colonist were not able to drive out or kill all the natives as they had done on other islands. The Caribs now live in the â€Å"Carib Territory†, a 3700-acre reservation on the northeast coast, which was given to them in 1903. The reservation has a chief and is home to between 300 – 3000 Caribs (the exact number of Caribs is hard to determine because without detail genealogy records it hard to prove or disprove that someone actually is a Carib). (www.delphis.dm) The recent boom in eco-tourism has made Dominica one of the premiere tourist destinations both in the Caribbean and in the world. In recent years Dominica has designated more national parks, forests and marine reserves per capita than nearly anywhere else in the world. Dominica’s largest national park is the Morne Trois Pitons National Park. It covers 17,000 acres (9% of the island), and is home to the world’s largest boiling lake. The lake is 70 yards across with an unknown depth and the lake is situated over a massive volcanic sulfur vent, which keeps the water temperature between 180 – 197 degrees Fahrenheit. The park is also home to several waterfalls over 100 feet tall. The average temperature range is between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Average rainfall varies between 50 inches on coastal areas, and 300 inches with in the interior. The driest months are from January to June, and hurricane season which is usually between July and early October.