1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Coastline
121 km
Comparative area
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Disputes
none
Environment
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
340 km2
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 15%; permanent crops 26%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 9%; other 47%
Natural resources
timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
Note
islands of the Grenadines group are divided politically with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Terrain
volcanic in origin with central mountains
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
340 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
34 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
mainly of black African descent
Infant mortality rate
28 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
36,000; services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%, manufacturing 5%, other 32% (1985)
Languages
English (official); some French patois
Life expectancy at birth
69 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Literacy
98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
Nationality
noun - Grenadian(s); adjective - Grenadian
Net migration rate
- 30 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
20% of labor force
Population
83,556 (July 1992), growth rate - 0.3% (1992)
Religions
largely Roman Catholic; Anglican; other Protestant sects
Total fertility rate
4.6 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Little Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Capital
Saint George's
Chief of State
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Paul SCOON (since 30 September 1978)
Constitution
19 December 1973
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Denneth MODESTE; Chancery at 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 265-2561; there is a Grenadian Consulate General in New York US: Charge d'Affaires Annette VELER; Embassy at Ross Point Inn, Saint George's (mailing address is P. O. Box 54, Saint George's); telephone (809) 444-1173 through 1178
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Ministers of Government (cabinet)
Flag
a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side) with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions
Head of Government
Prime Minister Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since 13 March 1990)
House of Representatives
last held on 13 March 1990 (next to be held by NA March 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) NDC 8, GULP 3, TNP 2, NNP 2
Independence
7 February 1974 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Long-form name
none
Member of
ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
Political parties and leaders
National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nicholas BRATHWAITE; Grenada United Labor Party (GULP), Sir Eric GAIRY; The National Party (TNP), Ben JONES; New National Party (NNP), Keith MITCHELL; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM), Terrence MARRYSHOW; New Jewel Movement (NJM), Bernard COARD
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
parliamentary democracy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 16% of GDP and 80% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, and mace account for two-thirds of total crop production; world's second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of nutmeg and mace; small-size farms predominate, growing a variety of citrus fruits, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, and vegetables
Budget
revenues $54.9 million; expenditures $77.6 million, including capital expenditures of $16.6 million (1990 est.)
Currency
East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY84-89), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $70 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $32 million
Electricity
12,500 kW capacity; 26 million kWh produced, 310 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
$26.0 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: nutmeg 36%, cocoa beans 9%, bananas 14%, mace 8%, textiles 5% partners: US 12%, UK, FRG, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago (1989)
External debt
$90 million (1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power equivalent - $238 million, per capita $2,800 (1989); real growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.)
Imports
$105.0 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.) commodities: food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%, chemicals 10%, fuel 6% (1989) partners: US 29%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1989)
Industrial production
growth rate 5.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 6% of GDP
Industries
food and beverage, textile, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.0% (1990)
Overview
The economy is essentially agricultural and centers on the traditional production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture accounts for about 16% of GDP and 80% of exports and employs 24% of the labor force. Tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner, followed by agricultural exports. Manufacturing remains relatively undeveloped, but is expected to grow, given a more favorable private investment climate since 1983. Despite an impressive average annual growth rate for the economy of 5.5% during the period 1986-91, unemployment remains high at about 25%.
Unemployment rate
25% (1990 est.)
Communications
Airports
3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
1,000 km total; 600 km paved, 300 km otherwise improved; 100 km unimproved
Ports
Saint George's
Telecommunications
automatic, islandwide telephone system with 5,650 telephones; new SHF radio links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad and Carriacou; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
NA