Commonwealth of Dominica

Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island sovereign state located in the Caribbean Sea. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago. The capital city, Roseau, is situated on the western side of the island. Dominica was settled by the Arawak in the fifth century, followed by the Kalinago. European colonization began after Christopher Columbus reportedly passed the island in 1493, with the French predominantly colonizing it from the 1690s to 1763. Great Britain took possession in 1763, establishing English as the official language. Dominica gained independence as a republic in 1978.