White Dominicans or European Dominicans, are Dominicans whose ancestry lies within the continent of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
.
As of 2013, people of solely European descent are a small minority in the Commonwealth of
Dominica, comprising only 0.8% of the population.
Most White Dominicans are descendants of European settlers of French and English stock.
History
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
landed in Dominica in November 1493. Spanish ships frequently landed on Dominica during the 16th century, but fierce resistance by the indigenous
Caribs discouraged
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
’s efforts at settlement in the island. In 1635,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
officially claimed Dominica. Dominica was colonized by the Spanish, French and English. The first Europeans colonists in Dominica were the French.
Notable people
*
Henry Alfred Alford Nicholls
Sir Henry Alfred Alford Nicholls (27 September 1851 – 9 February 1926) was a physician, disease specialist, horticulturist, zoologist and legislator in, and publicist for Dominica for over 50 years. He published on a wide variety of topics and ...
(1851–1926), physician
*
Jean Rhys
Jean Rhys, ( ; born Ella Gwendolyn Rees Williams; 24 August 1890 – 14 May 1979) was a British novelist who was born and grew up in the Caribbean island of Dominica. From the age of 16, she mainly resided in England, where she was sent for he ...
(1890–1970), novelist
*
Elma Napier
Elma Napier (née Gordon-Cumming; 23 March 1892 – 12 November 1973), also known as Elma Gibbs and by the pen-name Elizabeth Garner, (1892–1973), writer and politician
*
Phyllis Shand Allfrey (1908–1986), writer and social activist
*
Gary di Silvestri (born 1967), cross-country skier
*
Angelica di Silvestri
Angelica Morrone di Silvestri (born 25 November 1965) is a cross-country skier who competed for Dominica at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the cross-country skiing race.
She and her husband Gary di Silvestri earned points by competing in qualifyin ...
(born 1965), cross-country skier
*
Steve Agar (born 1968), track and field athlete
See also
*
Afro-Dominican (Dominica)
Afro-Dominicans are Dominicans of African descent and the majority of the Commonwealth of Dominica's population.
Origins
Africans were initially brought to Dominica through the slave trade. Colonial records indicate multiple countries of origin ...
References and footnotes
Dominica
Ethnic groups in Dominica
White Caribbean
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