Dominica Trivia

1. Dominica was named for the day on which it was discovered - the Latin translation of 'Sunday'. Which explorer was it, who spotted the island on November 3rd, 1493?

From Quiz Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour

Answer: Christopher Columbus

The voyage during which Columbus espied the island of Dominica was not his first famous 1492 trip, but rather his second. He left the Spanish port of Cadiz on September 24th (1493) with 17 ships and 1,200 men all with the intent of colony establishment. During this trip he sighted many islands, explored a few, and named what he saw. Among the other Lesser Antilles islands that he named were Guadalupe (Santa María de Guadalupe de Extremadura), Montserrat (named for the Monastery of Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain), and Antigua (after a church in Seville named Santa María la Antigua). He also spotted what would become known as the Virgin Islands - except that he dubbed them Islas de Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes. The native name for the island was 'Wai'tu kubuli', which translates as 'tall is her body'.

From Quiz Delightful Dominica

Answer: Great Britain

On November 3, 1978, Great Britain granted independence to Dominica. However, because Dominica is located between two French overseas holdings, French culture is prevalent, and French Creole is spoken by some of the population.

From Quiz Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour

Answer: Island Carib

The language spoken by the native inhabitants of Dominica was known as Kalipuna. Now an extinct language, it was a derivative of the Arawak language. The Island Caribs were a mixed community - largely Kalinago Carib men and Arawak women. Today, the Carib population on the island have a territory on the east coast of Dominica, where they elect their own chief. The Voto tribe was located in Costa Rica, around the mouth of the San Juan River. The Bogotá tribe could be found in northwestern Panama. The Caquetío tribe were located in northern Venezuela, along the shores of Lake Maracaibo.

From Quiz Delightful Dominica

Answer: Bananas

Bananas form the backbone of Dominica's economy, and when the price of banana falls, the country suffers greatly. In 1998, banana export value dropped 63% which crippled the economy. Recently, the government has been trying to develop other goods and services, the foremost being tourism.

From Quiz Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour

Answer: France

For many years, despite claiming the island as theirs, the French made no attempt to settle it. In fact, one of the only (recorded) Europeans who even visited Dominica was a French missionary by the name of Raymond Breton, and he didn't do so until the mid 17th century. In 1660 the English and French agreed to leave Dominica and St. Vincent unsettled, letting the Caribs continue to live unmolested and declaring the island neutral territory.

From Quiz Delightful Dominica

Answer: Arawaks

The Arawaks were the original inhabitants but the Caribs came later and wiped the Arawaks out in the 14th century. The Navajos live in the United States and aliens are yet to be discovered.

From Quiz Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour

Answer: Martinique

The settlement from Martinique happened in 1715, but 12 years later the French government took control of the island, dividing it into districts (quartiers en français), and officially folding Dominica into the French colonial empire.

From Quiz Delightful Dominica

Answer: Morne Trois Pitons National Park

Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a tropical rainforest with volcanic features that was recognized as a World Heritage Site on April 4, 1995. Jaú National Park is located in Brazil, Río Platano Biosphere Reserve is in Honduras, and Canaima National Park is located in Venezuela.

From Quiz Delightful Dominica

Answer: African

Descendants of African slaves comprise almost all of the estimated 70,000 inhabitants of the island. Caribs only make up about 3,000, Americans are few, however, there are several hundred at the Ross Medical School in Portsmouth. The number of British is trivial.

From Quiz Delightful Dominica

Answer: Roman Catholicism

Protestantism makes up most of the other 20% of the population, and the other 2 choices I made up.

From Quiz Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour

Answer: Cricket

The stadium was built to ICC (International Cricket Council) standards and has a seating capacity of 12,000 with state-of-the-art amenities. It is interesting to note that the population of Roseau was not quite 15,000 in their 2001 census. Dominica competes in test cricket as part of the West Indies cricket team.

From Quiz Delightful Dominica

Answer: Pirates of the Caribbean

The second Pirates film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and the third film "At World's End" all had major scenes filmed in Dominica.

From Quiz Delightful Dominica

Answer: Sisserou

The Sisserou parrot is indigenous to Dominica's mountains and is featured on the country's flag.

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