Dominica is the youngest island of the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean. With its lush, mountainous rainforest and variety of a rare flora and fauna, Dominica calls itself the Nature Island of the Caribbean. Adventure awaits those who visit the 290 square mile island. Below are some top things to do in Dominica.
History of Dominica
But first, lets it explore its history, because that will explain why the culture leans French, but the driving is English style on the left side of the road!
Dominica was first settled by the Arawak in the 5th century. They were later displaced by the Kalinago in the 15th century. Christopher Columbus sailed by the island on a Sunday in 1493, and as a result called it Dominica, latin for Sunday.
The Spanish had little success colonizing Dominica. Consequently, the French claimed it in 1632, though they did not establish a permanent settlement until 1690 when woodcutters from the neighboring French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe began harvesting trees.
The French ceded Dominica to Great Britain in 1783 under the Treaty of Paris after losing the Seven Years’ War. For nearly the next 200 years, the British ruled Dominica until it granted the island independence in 1978.
Despite the more recent and longer reign of the British, the culture is predominately French Creole, though Dominica’s official language is English.
EXPLORE!
