1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 340 sq km land: 340 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative
twice the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Coastline
121 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m
Environment-current issues
NA
Environment-international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
12 07 N, 61 40 W
Geography-note
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 15% permanent crops: 18% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 9% other: 55% (1993 est.)
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
Natural resources
timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
Terrain
volcanic in origin with central mountains
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 43% (male 21,077; female 20,378) 15-64 years: 52% (male 26,959; female 23,403) 65 years and over: 5% (male 2,061; female 2,339) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
28.1 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
5.33 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
black
Infant mortality rate
11.37 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
English (official), French patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.36 years male: 68.77 years female: 74 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.)
Nationality
noun: Grenadian(s) adjective: Grenadian
Net migration rate
-15.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
96,217 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
0.77% (1998 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant sects 33.2%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.64 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Constitution
19 December 1973
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Grenada
Data code
GJ
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; prime minister appointed by the governor general from among the members of the House of Assembly
FAX
[1] (473) 444-4820
Flag description
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
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Independence
7 February 1974 (from UK)
International organization participation
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: the ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada embassy: Point Salines, Saint George's mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, West Indies telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1178
Judicial branch
West Indies Associate States Supreme Court, an associate judge resides in Grenada Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress or NDC [George BRIZAN]; Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Jerry SEALES]; The National Party or TNP [Ben JONES]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement or MBPM [Terrence MARRYSHOW]; The Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Francis ALEXIS]
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and three by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 20 June 1995 (next to be held by NA October 2000) election results: House of Representatives-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 5, GULP 2
National capital
Saint George's
National holiday
Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture-products
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables
Budget
revenues: $75.7 million (1996 est.) expenditures: $126.7 million, including capital expenditures of $51 million (1996 est.)
Currency
1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Debt-external
$97 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA
Economy-overview
The agriculturally based economy was hurt in 1996 by the emergence of the pink mealy bug, which destroyed much of the cocoa harvest. Bananas, a major foreign exchange earner, also suffered due to falling prices, low production, and poor quality. Tourism, the leading foreign exchange earner, continued to do well, as did manufacturing. Construction boomed in 1996 due to concessions for low and middle income mortgages. The government introduced a 5% tax on electricity and telephones and doubled the general consumption tax, which caused a small rise in the inflation rate. The tourist industry faces stiff competition over the next few years.
Electricity-capacity
9,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
741 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
70 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1-2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
total value: $24 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace partners: Caricom 32.3%, UK 20%, US 13%, Netherlands 8.8% (1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$300 million (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 10.2% industry: 40.3% services: 49.5% (1994 est.)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$3,200 (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
3.1% (1996 est.)
Imports
total value: $128 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%, chemicals 10%, fuel 6% (1989) partners: US 31.2%, Caricom 23.6%, UK 13.8%, Japan 7.1% (1991)
Industrial production growth rate
1.8% (1992 est.)
Industries
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
Inflation rate-consumer price index
3.2% (1996 est.)
Labor force
total: 36,000 by occupation: services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%, manufacturing 5%, other 32% (1985)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios
80,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system
automatic, islandwide telephone system domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links international: new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad
Telephones
5,650 (1988 est.)
Television broadcast stations
1 (1988 est.)
Televisions
30,000 (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
20% (1 October 1996)
Transportation
Airports
3 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 1,040 km paved: 638 km unpaved: 402 km (1996 est.) Ports and harbors: Grenville, Saint George's
Merchant marine
none
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military branches
Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes-international
none
Illicit drugs
small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US (overseas department of France)