Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
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Overview
- Background
- Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Britain in 1763, and Dominica became a British colony in 1805. Slavery ended in 1833, and in 1835, the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. In 1871, Dominica became first part of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, formally taking responsibility for its internal affairs, and the country gained its independence in 1978. In 1980, Dominica's fortunes improved when Mary Eugenia CHARLES -- the first female prime minister in the Caribbean -- replaced a corrupt and tyrannical administration, and she served for the next 15 years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 751 sq km
- Water
- NEGL
- Total
- 751 sq km
- Climate
- tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
- Terrain
- rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Land Use
- Other
- 0% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 76.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 33.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
- Coastline
- 148 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Morne Diablotins 1,447 m
- Irrigated land
- NA
- Map references
- Central America and the Caribbean
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
volcanism: Dominica lies in the middle of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from the island of Saba in the north to Grenada in the south; of the 16 volcanoes that make up this arc, five are located on Dominica, more than any other island in the Caribbean: Morne aux Diables (861 m), Morne Diablotins (1,430 m), Morne Trois Pitons (1,387 m), Watt Mountain (1,224 m), which last erupted in 1997, and Morne Plat Pays (940 m); the two best-known volcanic features on Dominica, the Valley of Desolation and the Boiling Lake thermal areas, lie on the flanks of Watt Mountain, and both are popular tourist destinations - Geography note
- known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its lush and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest thermally active lake in the world
- Natural resources
- timber, hydropower, arable land
- Area comparative
- slightly more than four times the size of Washington, D.C.
- Geographic coordinates
- 15 25 N, 61 20 W
- Population distribution
- population is mostly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated
People & Society
- Languages
- English (official), French patois
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 29.7% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 6.7%, Pentecostal 6.1%, Baptist 5.2%, Christian Union Church 3.9%, Methodist 2.6%, Gospel Mission 2.1%, other Protestant 3.1%), Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.3%, none 9.4%, unspecified 1.4% (2011 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.91 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 13.02 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 8.15 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 36.5 years
- Total
- 37.5 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 37.6 years
Population
- Male
- 37,753
- Total
- 74,661 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 36,908
Nationality
- Noun
- Dominican(s)
- Adjective
- Dominican
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 72% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 20.7% (male 7,891/female 7,530)
- 15 64 years
- 65.6% (male 25,000/female 24,009)
- 65 years and over
- 13.7% (2024 est.) (male 4,862/female 5,369)
- Ethnic groups
- African descent 84.5%, mixed 9%, Indigenous 3.8%, other 2.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)
- People note
- 3,000-3,500 Kalinago (Carib) still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the Caribbean; only 70-100 may be "pure" Kalinago because of years of integration into the broader population
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 52.3 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 31.5 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 4.8 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 20.9 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 6.5% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 6.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -5.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 2.01 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 5.8% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- -0.04% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.98 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- population is mostly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 75.8 years
- Female
- 81.8 years
- Total population
- 78.7 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 4.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 27.9% (2016)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: green with a centered cross of three equal bands in yellow, black, and white; in the center of the cross is a red disk with a Sisserou parrot surrounded by 10 five-pointed green stars edged in yellow
meaning: the stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the tricolor cross represents the Christian Trinity; yellow stands for sunshine, the primary agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the Carib people; black for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white for rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc for social justice
Capital
- Name
- Roseau
- Etymology
- the name is French for "reed;" the first settlement was named after the river reeds that grew in the area
- Time difference
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 15 18 N, 61 24 W
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- yes
- Citizenship BY descent only
- yes
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 5 years
Constitution
- History
- previous 1967 (pre-independence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978
- Amendment process
- proposed by the House of Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as fundamental rights and freedoms, the government structure, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by three fourths of the Assembly membership in the final reading of the amendment bill, approval by simple majority in a referendum, and assent of the president
Country Name
- Etymology
- the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday (Domingo in Spanish, dominica dies in Latin), 3 November 1493
- Conventional long form
- Commonwealth of Dominica
- Conventional short form
- Dominica
- Independence
- 3 November 1978 (from the UK)
- Legal system
- common law based on the English model
- Government type
- parliamentary republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; the Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal
- Subordinate courts
- Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
- Chief of state
- President Sylvanie BURTON (since 2 October 2023)
- Election results
2023: parliament elects Sylvanie BURTON (DLP) with 20 votes for and five against
2018: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed- Head of government
- Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)
- Most recent election date
- 27 September 2023
- Election/appointment process
- president nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition party and elected by the House of Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
- Expected date of next election
- October 2028
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
- National color(s)
- green, yellow, black, white, red
- Political parties
- Dominica Freedom Party or DFP
Dominica Labor Party or DLP
Dominica United Workers Party or UWP
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 32 (21 directly elected; 9 appointed)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- House of Assembly
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 12/6/2022
- Expected date of next election
- December 2027
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 40.6%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Dominica Labor Party (DLP) (19); Independents (2)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Isle of Beauty"
- History
- adopted 1967
- Lyrics/music
- Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
- National symbol(s)
- sisserou parrot, Carib wood flower
- National coat of arms
- the coat of arms was adopted on July 21, 1961, and features two sisserou parrots supporting a shield that is divided into four sections by a cross, a reference to the island’s discovery on a Sunday; the quadrants feature a palm tree, a banana tree, a frog that is native to the island, and a canoe on the Caribbean Sea; the golden lion symbolizes Dominica’s past colonial ties with the UK; below the shield is the national motto, which means "After God is the Earth"
- Administrative divisions
- 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 364-6791
- Chancery
- 3216 New Mexico Ave NW Washington, DC 20016
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 364-6781
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Steve FERROL (since 15 September 2023)
- Consulate(s) general
- New York
- Email address and website
embdomdc@gmail.com
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Embassy
- the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica
- International organisations
- ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
DOMINICA · LEGISLATURE
House of Assembly
32 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
32
Majority line
17
Largest party
United Workers' Party
Parties
2
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Sylvanie Burton
- Head of State
Roosevelt Skerrit
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $233.831 million (2017 est.)
- Expenditures
- $164.673 million (2017 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $173.93 million (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $173.93 million (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $188.818 million (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $212.753 million (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $354.27 million (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $354.27 million (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $417.164 million (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $387.532 million (2024 est.)
- Industries
- soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 71.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 71.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 6.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 5.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 5.6% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 2.7 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 2.7 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 2.7 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 2.7 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 2.7 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $301.191 million (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- highly agrarian OECS island economy; ECCU-member state; large banana exporter; improved oversight of its citizenship-by-investment program; emerging ecotourism, information and communications, and education industries
- Exports partners
- Bahamas, The 13%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Iceland 10%, Guyana 7%, Antigua & Barbuda 7% (2023)
- Imports partners
- USA 24%, China 11%, Indonesia 8%, Trinidad & Tobago 7%, Italy 7% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $21,301
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $17,600 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $18,300 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $18,700 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.1%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 10.4% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 3.7% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 2.1% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- taro, grapefruits, yams, bananas, coconuts, plantains, milk, yautia, sugarcane, oranges (2023)
- Exports commodities
- iron blocks, medical instruments, excavation machinery, power equipment, soap (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, ships, plastic products, semi-finished iron, cars (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$260.4M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$163.746 million (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$223.632 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- -$160.12 million (2024 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $688.881 million (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 87.7% (2018 est.)
- Government consumption
- 27.4% (2018 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0% (2018 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 32.7% (2018 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 29.2% (2018 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -77.8% (2018 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.6%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 2.9% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 5.1% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 2.6% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 8.8% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.241 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $1.173 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $1.216 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $1.241 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $204.343 million (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $183.53 million (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $155.971 million (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 13.9% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 56.9% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 12.2% (2024 est.)
Energy
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 1,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Consumption
- 145.827 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 41,000 kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 8 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 36.395 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 84.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 15% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 84% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- no terrestrial TV service; subscription cable TV provider offers some locally produced programming, plus channels from the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; state-operated radio broadcasts on 6 stations; privately owned radio broadcasts on about 15 stations (2019)
- Internet country code
- .dm
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 7,000 (2021 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 11 (2021 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 56,929 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 85 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 14,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 21 (2022 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 0
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Portsmouth, Roseau
- Very small
- 2
- Total ports
- 2 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 1
- Airports
- 2 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 77 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 26, oil tanker 10, other 41
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- J7
Environment
- Climate
- tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Land Use
- Other
- 0% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 76.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 33.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 72% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 13,200 tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 12.6% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage; forests endangered by the expansion of farming; soil erosion; pollution of the coastal zone from agricultural/industrial chemicals and untreated sewage
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 19 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 0 cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 7.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 200 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- Dominica has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)
- Military and security forces
- no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) under the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Refugees
- 5 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index68.0 / 100as of 2024-Q451 / 1902024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Dominica — vintage 2026-Q1: Dominica factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/dominica
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata