NationMaster - Dominican Government statistics

Administrative divisions 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	15 18 N, 61 24 W
Constitution	3 November 1978
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Ambassador (vacant); note - Judith Ann ROLLE (Charge d'Affaires)
Executive branch > Cabinet Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Executive branch > Chief of state President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003)
Flag description green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
Government type	parliamentary democracy
Independence	3 November 1978 (from UK)
Judicial branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Legal system based on English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms)
National holiday Independence Day, 3 November
Political parties and leaders Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
Status democracy
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Time required to start a business > days	19 days	[135th of 171]
Trademarks, residents	13	[91st of 98]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea