WATCH: Dominica celebrates Independence Day

Last updated: November 3, 2017 at 15:13 pm

Watch coverage of the Independence Day celebrations in Roseau, Dominica.

The day began at 9am AST, with a ceremony at Windsor Park stadium.

On 3 November 1978, the Commonwealth of Dominica was granted independence, becoming a republic. The British Crown was no longer the head of state.

In a message ahead of the occasion, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said that September's devastation from Hurricane Maria means the country has been "knocked down by nature... but by no means knocked out."

"I mourn with the families, friends and associates who lost loved ones during that horrific night of September 18th into the wee hours of the 19th," he added.

"The best tribute we can lay down in their memories is to create a built environment that mitigates the factors and circumstances that contributed to this tragic loss of life."