2008 Edition

Background

Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when COLUMBUS discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since that time. Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage.

Area

total: 344 sq km land: 344 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, 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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 5.88% permanent crops: 29.41% other: 64.71% (2005)

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 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

Total renewable water resources

NA

Age structure

0-14 years: 32.4% (male 14,725/female 14,524) 15-64 years: 64.7% (male 30,911/female 27,502) 65 years and over: 3% (male 1,310/female 1,371) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

21.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

6.31 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2003)

Ethnic groups

black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 13.58 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 65.6 years male: 63.74 years female: 67.47 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: NA female: NA (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 22.4 years male: 22.9 years female: 21.9 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Grenadian(s) adjective: Grenadian

Net migration rate

-11.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

90,343 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

0.406% (2008 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2005)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.27 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick

Capital

name: Saint George's geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

19 December 1973

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Grenada

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1177

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

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Carlyle Arnold GLEAN (since 27 November 2008) head of government: Prime Minister Tillman THOMAS (since 9 July 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

FAX

[1] (202) 265-2468 consulate(s) general: New York

[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, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned to and resides in Grenada)

Legal system

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats, 10 appointed by the government and 3 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 8 July 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 11, NNP 4

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

Political parties and leaders

Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG; New Jewel Movement Support Group; The British Grenada Friendship Society; The New Jewel 19 Committee

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables

Budget

revenues: $85.8 million expenditures: $102.1 million (1997)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.76% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code

XCD

Current account balance

-$138 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$347 million (2004)

Economic aid - recipient

$44.87 million (2005)

Economy - overview

Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange, especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of an offshore financial industry, have also contributed to growth in national output. Grenada has rebounded from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005), but is now saddled with the debt burden from the rebuilding process. The agricultural sector, particularly nutmeg and cocoa cultivation, has gradually recovered, and the tourism sector has seen substantial increases in foreign direct investment as the regional share of the tourism market increases.

Electricity - consumption

144.2 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

167.2 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)

Exports

$38 million (2006)

Exports - commodities

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace

Exports - partners

Jamaica 92.8%, Saint Lucia 1.3%, US 1.2% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 5.4% industry: 18% services: 76.6% (2003)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$10,500 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.1% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$590 million (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.108 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$343 million (2006)

Imports - commodities

food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel

Imports - partners

Trinidad and Tobago 36.5%, US 23.3%, Italy 4.1% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

0.7% (1997 est.)

Industries

food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force

42,300 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 24% industry: 14% services: 62% (1999 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

2,043 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

1,844 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

32% (2000)

Stock of domestic credit

$575.8 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$151.2 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$533.4 million (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

12.5% (2000)

Internet country code

.gd

Internet hosts

9 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

14 (2000)

Internet users

23,000 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

57,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

Telephones - main lines in use

27,700 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

46,200 (2006)

Television broadcast stations

2 (1997)

Televisions

33,000 (1997)

Airports

3 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals

Saint George's

Roadways

total: 1,127 km paved: 687 km unpaved: 440 km (2000)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 27,309 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 20,249 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 1,034 female: 970 (2008 est.)

Military branches

no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2007)

Military expenditures

NA

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008