2019 Edition

Background

Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when Christopher 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. In 1979, a leftist New Jewel Movement seized power under Maurice BISHOP ushering in the Grenada Revolution. On 19 October 1983, factions within the revolutionary government overthrew and killed BISHOP and members of his party. 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. The rule of law was restored and democratic elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since then.

Area

Land

344 sq km

Total

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

Highest Point

Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

Lowest Point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment Current Issues

deforestation causing habitat destruction and species loss; coastal erosion and contamination; pollution and sedimentation; inadequate solid waste management

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

20 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

32.3% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

8.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

20.6% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

2.9% (2011 est.)

Forest

50% (2011 est.)

Other

17.7% (2011 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 Novembervolcanism: Mount Saint Catherine (840 m) lies on the island of Grenada; Kick 'em Jenny, an active submarine volcano (seamount) on the Caribbean Sea floor, lies about 8 km north of the island of Grenada; these two volcanoes are at the southern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends up to the Netherlands dependency of Saba in the north

Natural Resources

timber, tropical fruit

Population Distribution

approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast

Terrain

volcanic in origin with central mountains

Age Structure

0 14 Years

23.84% (male 13,901 /female 12,851)

15 24 Years

14.61% (male 8,196 /female 8,201)

25 54 Years

40.27% (male 23,121 /female 22,067)

55 64 Years

10.97% (male 6,284 /female 6,023)

65 Years And Over

10.31% (male 5,377 /female 6,186) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

15.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

5.2% (2016)

Death Rate

8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

10.8 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

9.3 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

50.7 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

39.9 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

95.3% of population

Improved Total

96.6% of population

Improved Urban

99% of population

Unimproved Rural

4.7% of population

Unimproved Total

3.4% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

1% of population

Education Expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

African descent 82.4%, mixed 13.3%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.5% (2018)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<100 (2018)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

<500 (2018)

Hospital Bed Density

3.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

9.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

9 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

9.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

77.6 years

Male

72.1 years

Total Population

74.8 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

98.6% (2014 est.)

Male

98.6%

Total Population

98.6%

Major Infectious Diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Major Urban Areas Population

39,000 SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

25 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

32.2 years

Male

32 years

Total

32.1 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Grenadian

Noun

Grenadian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

21.3% (2016)

Physicians Density

1.45 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

112,207 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.42% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 49.2% (includes Pentecostal 17.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 13.2%, Anglican 8.5%, Baptist 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Evangelical 1.9%, Methodist 1.6%, other 1.2%), Roman Catholic 36%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, Rastafarian 1.2%, other 5.5%, none 5.7%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

98.3% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

98% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

97.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

1.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

2.5% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

17 years (2017)

Male

16 years

Total

17 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.08 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.87 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.1 male(s)/female

Total Population

1.03 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

0.76% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

36.4% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

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

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

12 03 N, 61 45 W

Name

Saint George's

Time Difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

yes

Citizenship By Descent Only

yes

Dual Citizenship Recognized

yes

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

7 years for persons from a non-Caribbean state and 4 years for a person from a Caribbean state

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by either house of Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership in both houses and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections, such as personal rights and freedoms, the structure, authorities, and procedures of the branches of government, the delimitation of electoral constituencies, or the procedure for amending the constitution, also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended 1991, 1992 (2018)

History

previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, effective 7 February 1974, suspended 1979 following a revolution but restored in 1983

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

none

Conventional Short Form

Grenada

Etymology

derivation of the name remains obscure; some sources attribute the designation to Spanish influence (most likely named for the Spanish city of Granada), with subsequent French and English interpretations resulting in the present-day Grenada; in Spanish "granada" means "pomegranate"

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

the US does not have an official embassy in Grenada; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada

Embassy

Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's, Grenada

Fax

[1] (473) 444-4820

Mailing Address

P. O. Box 54, Saint George's

Telephone

[1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Ethelstan Angus FRIDAY (since 3 September 2013)

Consulate's General

Miami

Fax

[1] (202) 265-2468

Telephone

[1] (202) 265-2561

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Chief Of State

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013)

Elections Appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 20 February 2013)

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 a leading nutmeg producer); the seven stars stand for the seven administrative divisions, with the central star denoting the capital, St. George; yellow represents the sun and the warmth of the people, green stands for vegetation and agriculture, and red symbolizes harmony, unity, and courage

Government Type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

7 February 1974 (from the UK)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

regionally, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Grenada; appeals beyond the ECSC in civil and criminal matters are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62

Subordinate Courts

magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals

Legal System

common law based on English model

Legislative Branch

Description

bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms) House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 11, women 2 percent of women 15.4% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NNP 58.9%, NDC 40.5%; other 0.6% seats by party - NNP 15; composition - men 8, women 7, percent of women 46.7%; note - total Parliament percent of women 32.1%

Elections

Senate - last appointments on 27 April 2018 (next no later than2023) House of Representatives - last held on 13 March 2018 (next no later than 2023)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO

Name

Hail Grenada

National Holiday

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

National Symbol S

Grenada dove, bougainvillea flower; national colors: red, yellow, green

Political Parties And Leaders

National Democratic Congress or NDC [Nazim BURKE] New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, soursop, citrus, avocados, root crops, corn, vegetables, fish

Budget

Expenditures

252.3 million (2017 est.)

Revenues

288.4 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2008

6.5%

31 December 2009

6.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

8.64%

31 December 2017

8.31%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$34 million

2017

-$77 million

Debt External

2016

$682.3 million

2017

$793.5 million

Economy Overview

Grenada relies on tourism and revenue generated by St. George’s University - a private university offering degrees in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, the health sciences, nursing, arts and sciences, and business - as its main source of foreign exchange. In the past two years the country expanded its sources of revenue, including from selling passports under its citizenship by investment program. These projects produced a resurgence in the construction and manufacturing sectors of the economy.In 2017, Grenada experienced its fifth consecutive year of growth and the government successfully marked the completion of its five-year structural adjustment program that included among other things austerity measures, increased tax revenue and debt restructuring. Public debt-to-GDP was reduced from 100% of GDP in 2013 to 71.8% in 2017.

Exchange Rates

2013

2.7

2014

2.7

2015

2.7

2016

2.7

2017

2.7

Currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$44.2 million

2017

$39.9 million

Exports Commodities

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

Exports Partners

US 25.3%, Japan 10.1%, Guyana 8.7%, Dominica 6.6%, St. Lucia 6.4%, Netherlands 4.7%, Barbados 4.1%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

60% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

12% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

63% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-55% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

20% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

-0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

6.8% (2017 est.)

Industry

15.5% (2017 est.)

Services

77.7% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$1.119 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$14,000

2016

$14,500

2017

$15,100

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$1.5 billion

2016

$1.555 billion

2017

$1.634 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

6.4%

2016

3.7%

2017

5.1%

Gross National Saving

2015

13.9% of GDP

2016

17% of GDP

2017

11.7% of GDP

Imports

2016

$314.7 million

2017

$316 million

Imports Commodities

food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel

Imports Partners

US 31.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 24.9%, China 6.7% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

10% (2017 est.)

Industries

food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction, education, call-center operations

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

1.7%

2017

0.9%

Labor Force

55,270 (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

11%

Industry

20%

Services

69% (2008 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

NA

Population Below Poverty Line

38% (2008 est.)

Public Debt

2016

82% of GDP

2017

70.4% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2015

$198 million

31 December 2017

$199.1 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$214 million

31 December 2017

$223.3 million

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$566.3 million

31 December 2017

$550 million

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$214 million

31 December 2017

$223.3 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

25.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

28.2%

2017

24%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

283,600 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

92.3% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

92.3% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

92.3% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

185.1 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

96% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

4% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

51,100 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

202.1 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

1,886 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

20 (2017 est.)

Total

22,235

Broadcast Media

multiple publicly and privately owned television and radio stations; Grenada Information Service (GIS) is government-owned and provides television and radio services; the Grenada Broadcasting Network, jointly owned by the government and the Caribbean Communications Network of Trinidad and Tobago, operates a TV station and 2 radio stations; Meaningful Television (MTV) broadcasts island-wide and is part of a locally-owned media house, Moving Target Company, that also includes an FM radio station and a weekly newspaper; multi-channel cable TV subscription service is provided by Columbus Communications Grenada (FLOW GRENADA) and is available island wide; approximately 25 private radio stations also broadcast throughout the country (2019)

Internet Country Code

.gd

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

55.9% (July 2016 est.)

Total

62,123

Telephone System

Domestic

interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links; 29 per 100 for fixed-line and 101 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2018)

General Assessment

adequate, automatic, island-wide telephone system; lack of local competition but telecoms are a high contributor to overall GDP (2018)

International

country code - 1-473; landing points for the ECFS, Southern Caribbean Fiber and CARCIP submarine cables with links to 13 Caribbean islands extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad & Tobago including Puerto Rico and Barbados; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

29 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

32,491

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

101 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

113,177

Airports

3 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2017)

2 438 To 3 047 M

1 (2017)

Total

3 (2017)

Under 914 M

1 (2017)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

J3 (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type

general cargo 3, other 3 (2018)

Total

6

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

0 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

0 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

0 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

0 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Saint George's

Roadways

Paved

902 km (2017)

Total

1,127 km (2017)

Unpaved

225 km (2017)

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2019)

Disputes International

none

Illicit Drugs

small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US