Case Study 4

Amelia Balata

Age: 14
Gender: Female
Country: Dominica

Home location	Point Michel
Education/ Schooling	Dominica Grammar School
Family Members	Mother (55): Rose Father (49): Frederick Sister (10): Emily Sister (16): Ella
Jobs associated with family members	Father owns a banana plantation which harvests 75 boxes: 1000 kilos of bananas every week. Farming is difficult due to the terrain of the land. Bananas are usually harvested on Mondays as the boxes are collected from Roseau port on Tuesdays. The laws which control the importation of bananas are changing in 2006. Historic preferential access that guaranteed Caribbean bananas a sure market in Britain is to be abolished: instead free trade will rule. The Windward Islands’ banana industry will face even greater problems than those of hurricanes and harsh growing conditions at present. Frederick hopes that the Fair Trade banana market will sustain demand for Windwards Bananas. Mother and children help out on harvesting days. Rose drives with Fred down to the depot where the bananas are checked against strict criteria: if one banana in the box, for example, is too short, then the whole box is rejected! Mother also controls the finances of the farm: she pays the hired hands who help on harvesting days and liases with supermarket bosses in the UK.
Hobbies and Interests	Culture and history of my island: I enjoy visiting the Carib Territory and exploring the area around Castle Bruce River. My Grandmother was a Carib and so I want to become involved in carrying on some of their customs and traditions. I love watching the Carib Karifuna Cultural Group perform their traditional dances and music.

Country Profile

Dominica

Religion	Methodist (I go to the Methodist church in Roseau).
Ethnic group	Mixed black
Language	English (official), French patois (I sometimes talk to my friends in patois).
Climate	Tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain	Rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Additional information about the country	GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,500 (2003 est.) GDP by sector: agriculture: 18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2002 est.) Labour force: 25,000 (1999 est.) Labour force by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% Unemployment: 23% (2000 est.) Agriculture: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited Industries: soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes Television broadcast stations: 1 (2004) Internet: 12,500 users (2002) Military: no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard)
Economy overview	The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Production of bananas dropped precipitously in 2003, a major reason for the 1% decline in GDP. Tourism increased in 2003 as the government sought to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the island's production base the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.
Flag