Grenada

Branches

Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

80,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

automatic, islandwide telephone system domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links international: new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

Telephones

5,650 (1988 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1988 est.)

Televisions

30,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables

Budget

revenues: $75.7 million (1996 est.) expenditures: $126.7 million, including capital expenditures of $51 million (1996 est.)

Currency

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview

The economy is essentially agricultural and centers on the traditional production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture accounts for about 10% 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 growing due to a favorable private investment climate since 1983. The economy achieved an impressive average annual growth rate of 5.5% in 1986-91 but has slowed since 1992. The new MITCHELL government has moved forward with a plan to eliminate personal income tax in the hope of spurring domestic consumption.

Electricity

capacity: 12,500 kW production: 60 million kWh consumption per capita: 639 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$24.2 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace partners: Caricom 32.3%, UK 20%, US 13%, Netherlands 8.8% (1991)

External debt

$89.1 million (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $284 million (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 10.2% industry: 40.3% services: 49.5% (1994 est.)

GDP per capita

$3,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

3% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

produces and exports marijuana for US markets

Imports

$162.2 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%, chemicals 10%, fuel 6% (1989) partners: US 31.2%, Caricom 23.6%, UK 13.8%, Japan 7.1% (1991)

Industrial production growth rate

1.8% (1992 est.)

Industries

food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (1995 est.)

Labor force

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

Unemployment rate

14% (1995 est.)

Area

total area: 340 sq km land area: 340 sq km comparative area: 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 - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

Geographic coordinates

12 07 N, 61 40 W

Geographic note

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

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

Terrain

volcanic in origin with central mountains lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

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

Data code

GJ

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Denneth MODESTE chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), a hereditary monarch, is represented by Governor General Reginald Oswald PALMER (since 6 August 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June 1995) was appointed from members of the House of Assembly by the governor general cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister

FAX

[1] (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 20 June 1995 (next to be held by NA October 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) NDC 5, GULP 2, NNP 8

Independence

7 February 1974 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WToO

Judicial branch

West Indies Associate States Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

Name of country

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Grenada

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

Political parties and leaders

National Democratic Congress (NDC), George BRIZAN; 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; New Democratic Party (NDP), James MITCHELL; Unity Labor Party (ULP), Vincent BEACHE

Senate

consists of a 13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and three by the leader of the opposition

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: the ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada; Charge d'Affaires Dennis CARTER embassy: Point Salines, Saint George's mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, W.I. telephone: [1] (809) 444-1173 through 1178

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 20,975; female 20,246) 15-64 years: 52% (male 26,089; female 23,068) 65 years and over: 5% (male 2,112; female 2,471) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

29.13 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.74 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

black African

Infant mortality rate

11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.89 years male: 68.39 years female: 73.44 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.) total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98%

Nationality

noun: Grenadian(s) adjective: Grenadian

Net migration rate

-17.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

94,961 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.55% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Anglican, other Protestant sects

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female all ages: 1.07 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.78 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 3 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 994 km paved: 597 km unpaved: 397 km (1988 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Grenville, Saint George's

Railways

0 km