1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Coastline
84 km
Comparative area
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Contiguous zone
24 nm
Disputes
none
Environment
subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
340 km2
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 38%; permanent crops 12%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 41%; other 3%; includes irrigated 3%
Natural resources
negligible
Note
some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by Grenada
Terrain
volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
340 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
23 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
mainly of black African descent; remainder mixed, with some white, East Indian, Carib Indian
Infant mortality rate
19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
67,000 (1984 est.)
Languages
English, some French patois
Life expectancy at birth
71 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Literacy
96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
Nationality
noun - Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjectives - Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Net migration rate
-7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
10% of labor force
Population
115,339 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Religions
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Total fertility rate
2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Capital
Kingstown
Chief of State
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 September 1989)
Constitution
27 October 1979
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Kingsley LAYNE; 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 102, Washington, DC 20036; telephone NA US: no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern
Head of Government
Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984)
House of Assembly
last held 16 May 1989 (next to be held NA July 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total; 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators) NDP 15
Independence
27 October 1979 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Assembly
Long-form name
none
Member of
ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Political parties and leaders
New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL; Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent BEACHE; United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS; Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES; National Reform Party (NRP), Joel MIGUEL
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 15% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk of exports; products - bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch used locally
Budget
revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
Currency
East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $81 million
Electricity
16,594 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 560 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
$75 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets, flour partners: UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
External debt
$50.9 million (1989)
Fiscal year
calendar year (as of January 1991); previously 1 July - 30 June
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $146 million, per capita $1,300; real growth rate 5.9% (1989)
Imports
$130 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels partners: US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15%
Industrial production
growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14% of GDP
Industries
food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture, clothing, starch, sheet metal, beverage
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.0% (1990)
Overview
Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The economy continues to have a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on the weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.
Unemployment rate
30% (1989 est.)
Communications
Airports
6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved
Merchant marine
407 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,388,427 GRT/5,511,325 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 222 cargo, 22 container, 19 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 14 refrigerated cargo, 24 petroleum tanker, 7 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 73 bulk, 13 combination bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock carrier, 1 specialized tanker; note - China owns 3 ships; a flag of convenience registry
Ports
Kingstown
Telecommunications
islandwide fully automatic telephone system; 6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links from Saint Vincent to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF links to Grenada and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable)
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
NA