Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Airports

total: 6 usable: 6 with permanent-surface runways: 5 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Highways

total: 1,000 km paved: 300 km unpaved: improved earth 400 km; unimproved earth 300 km

Merchant marine

555 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,575,652 GRT/9,262,250 DWT, bulk 96, cargo 280, chemical tanker 13, combination bulk 12, combination ore/oil 2, container 31, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, multi-function large load carrier 1, oil tanker 56, passenger 2, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 19, roll-on/roll-off cargo 26, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 note: China owns 5 ships, Croatia owns 58, Russia owns 16; a flag of convenience registry

Ports

Kingstown

Telecommunications

islandwide fully automatic telephone system; 6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines and Barbados; new SHF links to Grenada and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable)

Branches

Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

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 (1990 est.)

Currency

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $81 million

Electricity

capacity: 16,600 kW production: 64 million kWh consumption per capita: 555 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$77.5 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets partners: UK 54%, CARICOM 34%, US 10%

External debt

$62.6 million (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$118.6 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels partners: US 36%, CARICOM 21%, UK 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%

Industrial production

growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 8% of GDP

Industries

food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.3% (1993 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $215 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$2,000 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

6.5% (1992 est.)

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 government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and high unemployment rates of 35%-40% continue.

Unemployment rate

35%-40% (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; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

84 km

Environment

current issues: pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents natural hazards: subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat international agreements: party to - Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution, Whaling

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 38% permanent crops: 12% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 41% other: 3%

Location

Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea about three-fourths of the way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

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

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Kingstown

Constitution

27 October 1979

Digraph

VC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Kingsley C.A. LAYNE chancery: 1717 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 102, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 462-7806 or 7846

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 September 1989) head of government: Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Allan C. CRUICKSHANK (since NA); note - governor general appoints leader of the majority party to position of prime minister cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

FAX

(202) 462-7807

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

House of Assembly

elections last held 21 February 1994 (next to be held NA July 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total; 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators) NDP 10, MNU 2, SVLP 3

Independence

27 October 1979 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Political parties and leaders

New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL; Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Stanley JOHN; United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS; Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES; National Reform Party (NRP), Joel MIGUEL

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Ethnic divisions

black African descent, white, East Indian, Carib Indian

Infant mortality rate

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

Labor force

67,000 (1984 est.) by occupation: NA

Languages

English, French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.28 years male: 70.77 years female: 73.84 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970) total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96%

Nationality

noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Net migration rate

-7.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

115,437 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.77% (1994 est.)

Religions

Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist

Total fertility rate

2.08 children born/woman (1994 est.)