a series of travel images from the Caribbean, Dominica. An island of the Lesser Antilles, situated between Martinique (south) and Guadeloupe (north). It became an independant nation in 1978, a republic within the Commonwealth after Britsih rule since 1763. It is known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, protected by an extensive natural park system. Dominica is the most mountainous island of the Lesser Antilles with volcanic peaks and cones of lava craters in the inland. A trek to Boiling Lake, the second-largest thermally active lake in the world, in Trois Pitons National Park is quite an experience.