Roseau - the capital of Dominica
Many countries on the planet remain mysteries or an exotic dream for Europeans. And only their names sound beautiful, like a song - Dominica or Martinique. The capital of Dominica also has a pleasant name - Roseau, but the main city of the state, located in the Lesser Antilles, is very tiny - the number of inhabitants is barely close to fifteen thousand.
A point on the map
The capital of Dominica can hardly be called a city, but rather a compact settlement, which is located in a very cozy place. On the one hand, the Caribbean coast, on the other, a mountain and a river. The convenience of the area was appreciated by the ancient tribes who lived on the islands. In particular, archaeologists claim that it was here that Sairi was founded - the first Indian settlement.
Sweet and cozy Roseau
In the photo of tourists leaving the capital of Dominica, beautiful houses built in the colonial style remain as a souvenir. They were inherited from the French, who ruled the islands in the Middle Ages. Ancient French architecture is combined with the creations of modern architects.
The charm of the city is added by the Roseau River, which crosses the capital, and numerous green spaces - botanical gardens, parks, squares. Surprisingly, the capital is different from most cities: you can hardly see the usual streets here, there are houses and spaces between them. Freedom is felt even in the very center of the city.
A drop of history
The first inhabitants of these places are ancient Indian tribes, but the settlement itself was organized by French colonists in the 17th century. The city received its name in honor of the local river, the etymology of the name of the water stream is quite simple, translated Roseau means «reed». Indeed, its shores were decorated with dense thickets of aquatic plants..
The first settlement consisted of only fifty families who were engaged in forestry. At the same time, it was not the French themselves who worked hard, but African slaves, whose labor was also used on the tobacco and cotton plantations. After the French, the British ruled the islands until the territories gained independence in 1978. At the same time Roseau became the capital of Dominica, the main direction of the city's development today is tourism..
So far, there are not so many interesting offers for tourists, mainly, this is an acquaintance with the colonial architecture of Roseau, religious buildings of the 17th century. In the vicinity of the capital, the Botanical Garden is located, where representatives of the local, exotic for Europeans, fauna and flora, including those living only on these islands, are collected.
