🇩🇲 Dominica

Dominica (not the Dominican Republic) is a volcanic Caribbean island of just 72,000 people, calling itself the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean." GDP is about $650 million. The island has 365 rivers, nine active volcanoes, and the world's second-largest hot spring — Boiling Lake. Hurricane Maria in 2017 caused damage equivalent to 226% of GDP, essentially destroying the entire island. Dominica has set an ambitious goal to become the world's first climate-resilient nation. The country's Citizenship by Investment program is a major revenue source.

Agriculture (bananas, citrus), tourism, and the Citizenship by Investment program are the economic pillars. The CBI program generates over $100 million annually — more than any single industry. Eco-tourism is growing but still small. The country imports most manufactured goods and much of its food. Recovery from Hurricane Maria has been slow, with some infrastructure still not fully rebuilt.

Dominica is one of the best places in the world to see sperm whales — a resident population lives just offshore year-round. The island's Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a UNESCO site featuring the Valley of Desolation, a volcanic landscape of bubbling mud pools and sulfur vents. Dominica has no fast-food chains — no McDonald's, no KFC, nothing.

Dominica's climate resilience ambition is admirable but the economics are brutal — one hurricane can erase everything. The CBI program keeps the lights on, but it's not a development strategy.