Grenada

Airports

total: 3 usable: 3 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Highways

total: 1,000 km paved: 600 km unpaved: otherwise improved 300 km; unimproved earth 100 km

Ports

Saint George's

Telecommunications

automatic, islandwide telephone system with 5,650 telephones; new SHF radio links to the islands of Trinidad, Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to the islands of Trinidad and Carriacou; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV

Affiliation

(overseas department of France)

Branches

Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Agriculture

accounts for 15% of GDP and 80% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, and mace account for two-thirds of total crop production; world's second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of nutmeg and mace; small-size farms predominate, growing a variety of citrus fruits, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, and vegetables

Budget

revenues: $78 million expenditures: $51 million, including capital expenditures of $22 million (1991 est.)

Currency

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY84-89), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $70 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $32 million

Electricity

capacity: 12,500 kW production: 26 million kWh consumption per capita: 310 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$19.9 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace partners: Netherlands, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, United States

External debt

$109 million (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$103.2 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%, chemicals 10%, fuel 6% (1989) partners: US 29%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1989)

Industrial production

growth rate 1.8% (1992 est.); accounts for 9% of GDP

Industries

food and beverage, textile, light assembly operations, tourism, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.6% (1992 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $250 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$3,000 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

-0.4% (1992 est.)

Overview

The economy is essentially agricultural and centers on the traditional production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture accounts for about 15% of GDP and 80% of exports and employs 24% of the labor force. Tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner, followed by agricultural exports. Manufacturing remains relatively undeveloped, but is expected to grow, given a more favorable private investment climate since 1983. The economy achieved an impressive average annual growth rate of 5.5% in 1986-91 but stalled in 1992. Unemployment remains high at about 25%.

Unemployment rate

25% (1992 est.)

Area

total area: 340 sq km land area: 340 sq km comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Coastline

121 km

Environment

current issues: NA natural hazards: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November international agreements: party to - Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 15% permanent crops: 26% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 9% other: 47%

Location

Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 150 im north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

Note

islands of the Grenadines group are divided politically with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Terrain

volcanic in origin with central mountains

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Saint George's

Constitution

19 December 1973

Digraph

GJ

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Denneth MODESTE chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (202) 265-2561

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Reginald Oswald PALMER (since 6 August 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since 13 March 1990) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister

FAX

(809) 444-4820

Flag

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

House of Representatives

elections last held on 13 March 1990 (next to be held by NA March 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) NDC 7, GULP 4, TNP 2, NNP 2

Independence

7 February 1974 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

Member of

ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WTO

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Grenada

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

Political parties and leaders

National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nicholas BRATHWAITE; Grenada United Labor Party (GULP), Sir Eric GAIRY; The National Party (TNP), Ben JONES; New National Party (NNP), Keith MITCHELL; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM), Terrence MARRYSHOW

Senate

consists of a 13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and 3 by the Leader of the Opposition

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Ollie P. ANDERSON embassy: Point Salines, Saint George's mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, W.I. telephone: (809) 444-1173 through 1178

Birth rate

30.28 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

6.19 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

black African

Infant mortality rate

12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

36,000 by occupation: services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%, manufacturing 5%, other 32% (1985)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.4 years male: 68 years female: 72.85 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970) total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98%

Nationality

noun: Grenadian(s) adjective: Grenadian

Net migration rate

-20.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

94,109 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.35% (1994 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Anglican, other Protestant sects

Total fertility rate

3.93 children born/woman (1994 est.)