2000 Edition

Background

Disputed between France and Great Britain in the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969, and independence in 1979.

Area

land

389 sq km

total

389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

84 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Soufriere 1,234 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geographic coordinates

13 15 N, 61 12 W

Geography - note

the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

10%

forests and woodland

36%

other

31% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

18%

permanent pastures

5%

Location

Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat

Natural resources

hydropower, cropland

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

Age structure

0-14 years: 30% (male 17,868; female 17,263) 15-64 years: 63% (male 37,377; female 35,623) 65 years and over: 7% (male 3,144; female 4,186) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

18.25 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%

Infant mortality rate

17.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English, French patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.06 years (2000 est.)

male

70.6 years

total population

72.3 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

96% (1970 est.)

male

96%

total population

96%

Nationality

adjective

Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

noun

Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)

Net migration rate

-7.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

115,461 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.43% (2000 est.)

Religions

Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Hindu, other Protestant

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.11 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

Capital

Kingstown

Constitution

27 October 1979

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Data code

VC

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Kingsley C. A. LAYNE

telephone

(202) 364-6730

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 Sir Charles ANTROBUS (since NA)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984)

FAX

(202) 364-6736

Flag description

three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern

Government type

parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth

Independence

27 October 1979 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia), one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 8, ULP 7

elections

last held 15 June 1998 (next to be held by NA May 2003)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Political parties and leaders

National Reform Party or NRP [Joel MIGUEL]; New Democratic Party or NDP ; Progressive Labor Party or PLP ; United People's Movement or UPM ; Unity Labor Party or ULP (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish

Budget

expenditures

$98.6 million, including capital expenditures of $25.7 million (1997 est.)

revenues

$85.7 million

Currency

1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$83.6 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient

$47.5 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (1998)

Economy - overview

Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of this lower-middle-income economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and a high unemployment rate of 22% continues. The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development; tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in both 1994 and 1995. The tourism sector has considerable potential for development over the next decade. Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism. There is a small manufacturing sector and a small offshore financial sector whose particularly restrictive secrecy laws have caused some international concern.

Electricity - consumption

60 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

64 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

67.19%

hydro

32.81%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$47.8 million (1998 est.)

Exports - commodities

bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets

Exports - partners

Caricom countries 49%, UK 16%, US 10% (1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $309 million (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

10.6%

industry

17.5%

services

71.9% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,600 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$180 million (1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels

Imports - partners

US 36%, Caricom countries 28%, UK 13% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.9% (1997 est.)

Industries

food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (1999 est.)

Labor force

67,000 (1984 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 26%, industry 17%, services 57% (1980 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

22% (1997 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

77,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic

islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines

international

VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia

Telephones - main lines in use

20,500 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

83 (1993)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

18,000 (1997)

Airports

6 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

320 km

total

1,040 km

unpaved

720 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

note

a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 20 countries among which are Croatia 17, Slovenia 7, China 5, Greece 5, UAE 3, Norway 2, Japan 2, and Ukraine 2 (1998 est.)

ships by type

barge carrier 1, bulk 142, cargo 400, chemical tanker 31, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 5, container 47, liquified gas 5, livestock carrier 5, multi-functional large load carrier 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 60, refrigerated cargo 41, roll-on/roll-off 51, short-sea passenger 12, specialized tanker 8, vehicle carrier 1 (1999 est.)

total

825 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,253,092 GRT/10,894,566 DWT

Ports and harbors

Kingstown

Railways

0 km

Military branches

Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

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