2019 Edition

CIA World Factbook 2019 Archive (Wayback Machine)

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Countries

267

Data Records

66,981

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

2019 Edition · 259 data fields

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Introduction

Background

Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the UK for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783. The British prized Saint Vincent due to its fertile soil, which allowed for thriving slave-run plantations of sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton, and cocoa. In 1834, the British abolished slavery. Immigration of indentured servants eased the ensuing labor shortage, as did subsequent Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and East Indian laborers. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, however, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the early 1900s. The economy then went into a period of decline with many landowners abandoning their estates and leaving the land to be cultivated by liberated slaves. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.

Geography

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

Highest Point: La 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; poor land use planning; deforestation; watershed management and squatter settlement control

Environment International Agreements

Party To: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
Signed But Not Ratified: none of the selected agreements

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; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

Irrigated Land

10 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land: 25.6% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Arable Land: 12.8% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Permanent Crops: 7.7% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture: 5.1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 68.7% (2011 est.)
Other: 5.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, 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; La Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threatvolcanism: La Soufriere (1,234 m) on the island of Saint Vincent last erupted in 1979; the island of Saint Vincent is part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

Natural Resources

hydropower, arable land

Population Distribution

most of the population is concentrated in and around the capital of Kingstown

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

People and Society

Age Structure

0 14 Years: 20.87% (male 10,725 /female 10,534)
15 24 Years: 15.58% (male 8,003 /female 7,865)
25 54 Years: 42.7% (male 22,567 /female 20,924)
55 64 Years: 11.03% (male 5,792 /female 5,437)
65 Years And Over: 9.82% (male 4,715 /female 5,282) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

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

Current Health Expenditure

3.6% (2016)

Death Rate

7.4 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: 46.8 (2015 est.)
Youth Dependency Ratio: 36 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural: 95.1% of population
Improved Total: 95.1% of population
Improved Urban: 95.1% of population
Unimproved Rural: 4.9% of population
Unimproved Total: 4.9% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Urban: 4.9% of population

Education Expenditures

5.8% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

African descent 71.2%, mixed 23%, indigenous 3%, East Indian/Indian 1.1%, European 1.5%, other .2% (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

1.5% (2018)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<100 (2018)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

1,200 (2018)

Hospital Bed Density

2.6 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female: 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English, Vincentian Creole English, French patois

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female: 77.9 years
Male: 73.7 years
Total Population: 75.8 years (2018 est.)

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

27,000 KINGSTOWN (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

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

Median Age

Female: 34 years
Male: 34.3 years
Total: 34.2 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

23.7% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.66 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

101,844 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

-0.23% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 75% (Pentecostal 27.6%, Anglican 13.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.6%, Baptist 8.9%, Methodist 8.7%, Evangelical 3.8%, Salvation Army .3%, Presbyterian/Congregational .3%), Roman Catholic 6.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other 4.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 4.7% (2012 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural: 76.1% of population (2007 est.)
Improved Total: 76.1% of population (2007 est.)
Improved Urban: 76.1% of population (2007 est.)
Unimproved Rural: 23.9% of population (2007 est.)
Unimproved Total: 23.9% of population (2007 est.)
Unimproved Urban: 23.9% of population (2007 est.)

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15 24 Years: 1.02 male(s)/female
25 54 Years: 1.08 male(s)/female
55 64 Years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 Years And Over: 0.89 male(s)/female
At Birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Total Population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.78 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization: 1.03% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Urban Population: 52.6% of total population (2019)

Government

Administrative Divisions

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

Capital

Geographic Coordinates: 13 08 N, 61 13 W
Name: Kingstown
Time Difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth: yes
Citizenship By Descent Only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Dual Citizenship Recognized: yes
Residency Requirement For Naturalization: 7 years

Constitution

Amendments: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections on fundamental rights and freedoms, citizen protections, various government functions and authorities, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum of at least two thirds of the votes cast, and assent of the governor general (2018)
History: previous 1969, 1975; latest drafted 26 July 1979, effective 27 October 1979 (The Saint Vincent Constitution Order 1979)

Country Name

Conventional Long Form: none
Conventional Short Form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Etymology: Saint Vincent was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS after Saint VINCENT of Saragossa because the 22 January 1498 day of discovery was the saint's feast day

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

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

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery: 1627 K Street, NW, Suite 1202, Washington, DC 20006
Chief Of Mission: Ambassador Lou-Anne Gaylene GILCHRIST (since 18 January 2017)
Consulate's General: New York
Fax: [1] (202) 364-6730
Telephone: [1] (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 Susan DOUGAN (since 1 August 2019)
Elections Appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party 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 Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001)

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, which stands for Vincent; the diamonds recall the islands as "the Gems of the Antilles" and are set slightly lowered in the gold band to reflect the nation's position in the Antilles; blue conveys the colors of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation

Government Type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

27 October 1979 (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, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts: 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 assigned to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; note - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
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, an 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

Legal System

English common law

Legislative Branch

Description: unicameral House of Assembly (23 seats; 15 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 6 senators appointed by the governor general, and 2 ex officio members - the speaker of the house and the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - ULP 52.3%, NDP 47.4%, other 0.3%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7; composition - men 20, women 3, percent of women 13%
Elections: last held on 9 December 2015 (next to be held in 2020)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music: Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUEL
Name: St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful!

National Holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

National Symbol S

Saint Vincent parrot; national colors: blue, gold, green

Political Parties And Leaders

Democratic Republican Party or DRP [Anesia BAPTISTE] New Democratic Party or NDP [Godwin L. FRIDAY] Unity Labor Party or ULP [Dr. Ralph GONSALVES] (formed in 1994 by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU) SVG Green Party or SVGP [Ivan O'NEAL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Economy

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures: 230 million (2017 est.)
Revenues: 225.2 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2009: 6.5%
31 December 2010: 6.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016: 9.12%
31 December 2017: 8.75%

Current Account Balance

2016: -$122 million
2017: -$116 million

Debt External

31 December 2016: $330.8 million
31 December 2017: $362.2 million

Economy Overview

Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity, as well as remittances. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is home to a small offshore banking sector and continues to fully adopt international regulatory standards.This lower-middle-income country remains vulnerable to natural and external shocks. The economy has shown some signs of recovery due to increased tourist arrivals, falling oil prices and renewed growth in the construction sector. The much anticipated international airport opened in early 2017 with hopes for increased airlift and tourism activity. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high public debt burden, which was 67% of GDP at the end of 2013.

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: $47.3 million
2017: $48.6 million

Exports Commodities

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

Exports Partners

Jordan 40.7%, France 12.5%, Barbados 7%, St. Lucia 6.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 5.7%, US 5.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services: 37.1% (2017 est.)
Government Consumption: 16.6% (2017 est.)
Household Consumption: 87.3% (2017 est.)
Imports Of Goods And Services: -51.7% (2017 est.)
Investment In Fixed Capital: 10.8% (2017 est.)
Investment In Inventories: -0.2% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture: 7.1% (2017 est.)
Industry: 17.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 75.5% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$785 million (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015: $11,300
2016: $11,400
2017: $11,500

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015: $1.246 billion
2016: $1.256 billion
2017: $1.265 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015: 0.8%
2016: 0.8%
2017: 0.7%

Gross National Saving

2015: 10.4% of GDP
2016: 10.3% of GDP
2017: 12.1% of GDP

Imports

2016: $294.6 million
2017: $295.9 million

Imports Commodities

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

Imports Partners

US 36.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.1%, UK 7%, China 5.8% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016: -0.2%
2017: 2.2%

Labor Force

57,520 (2007 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture: 26%
Industry: 17%
Services: 57% (1980 est.)

Public Debt

2016: 82.8% of GDP
2017: 73.8% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016: $192.3 million
31 December 2017: $182.1 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016: $177.7 million
31 December 2017: $190.6 million

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016: $424.6 million
31 December 2017: $443 million

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016: $177.7 million
31 December 2017: $190.6 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

28.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2008: 18.8%

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 24 (2017 est.)
Total: 24,507

Broadcast Media

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio service broadcasts on 1 station and has 2 repeater stations; about a dozen privately owned radio stations and repeater stations

Internet Country Code

.vc

Internet Users

Percent Of Population: 51.8% (July 2016 est.)
Total: 53,000

Telephone System

Domestic: fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 114 per 100 persons (2018)
General Assessment: adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; broadband access; expand FttP (Fiber to the Home) markets; LTE launches; regulatory development (2018)
International: country code - 1-784; landing points for the ECFS, CARCIP and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing connectivity to US and Caribbean Islands; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 20 (2017 est.)
Total Subscriptions: 20,111

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 114 (2017 est.)
Total Subscriptions: 116,161

Transportation

Airports

6 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M: 1 (2017)
914 To 1 523 M: 3 (2017)
Total: 5 (2017)
Under 914 M: 1 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

Total: 1 (2013)
Under 914 M: 1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

J8 (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type: bulk carrier 22, container ship 14, general cargo 184, oil tanker 17, other 652 (2018)
Total: 889

National Air Transport System

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers: 11 (2015)
Number Of Registered Air Carriers: 2 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Kingstown

Military and Security

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces; the Special Services Unit (SSU) is the paramilitary arm of the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2019)

Transnational Issues

Disputes International

joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit Drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation

Trafficking In Persons

Current Situation: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; some children under 18 are pressured to engage in sex acts in exchange for money or gifts; foreign workers may experience forced labor and are particularly vulnerable when employed by small, foreign-owned companies; adults and children are vulnerable to forced labor domestically, especially in the agriculture sector
Tier Rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government for the first time acknowledged a trafficking problem, launched an anti-trafficking public awareness campaign, and conducted anti-trafficking training for law enforcement, immigration, and labor officials; in 2014, authorities initiated three trafficking investigations, two of which were ultimately determined not to be trafficking cases, and did not prosecute or convict any trafficking offenders; the government did not identify or refer any potential trafficking victims to care (2015)