Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

15 (2000)

Internet country code

.vc

Internet users

3,500 (2001)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

77,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: adequate 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

NA

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

18,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $94.6 million expenditures: $85.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.)

Currency

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code

XCD

Debt - external

$167.2 million (2000) (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

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

Economy - overview

Bananas and other agricultural products remain the staple of this lower-middle income country's economy. Although tourism and other services have been growing moderately in recent years, the government has been ineffective at introducing new industries. Unemployment remains high, and economic growth hinges upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994 and 1995, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following September 11. St. Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector, but its restrictive secrecy laws have come under international review. As of June 2001, it remained on the Financial Action Task Force's list of noncooperative jurisdictions.

Electricity - consumption

76.3 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

82 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 73% hydro: 27% other: 0% (1999) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$53.7 million (2000 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 - $339 million (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 10% industry: 26% services: 64% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-0.8% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$185.6 million (2000 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)

-0.4% (2001 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.) (1997 est.)

Area

total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) water: 0 sq km land: 389 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

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,234 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; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 10.26% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 71.79% (1998 est.)

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 territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM continental shelf: 200 NM

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

hydropower, cropland

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

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

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Ellsworth I. A. JOHN chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002) 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 cabinet: Cabinet 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

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, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), 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 and the Grenadines)

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 - ULP 12, NDP 3 elections: last held 28 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Political parties and leaders

National Reform Party or NRP [Joel MIGUEL]; New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Ken BOYEA]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [leader NA]; United People's Movement or UPM [Adrian SAUNDERS]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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

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%

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.9% (male 17,093; female 16,497) 15-64 years: 64.8% (male 38,718; female 36,689) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 3,188; female 4,209) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

17.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

6.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

16.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

English, French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.82 years female: 74.63 years (2002 est.) male: 71.07 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-7.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

116,394 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

0.37% (2002 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.01 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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

Airports

6 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Highways

total: 1,040 km paved: 320 km unpaved: 720 km (1996)

Merchant marine

total: 788 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,000,660 GRT/10,702,776 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 142, cargo 382, chemical tanker 24, combination bulk 11, combination ore/oil 3, container 47, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 39, roll on/roll off 52, short-sea passenger 13, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 1, Anguilla 1, Argentina 1, Australia 2, Bahamas, The 1, Bangladesh 1, Barbados 2, Belgium 4, Bulgaria 14, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 1, China 135, Colombia 1, Croatia 12, Cyprus 6, Denmark 16, Egypt 7, Estonia 6, France 27, Germany 12, Greece 156, Guyana 7, Hong Kong 23, Iceland 1, India 11, Indonesia 3, Israel 2, Italy 19, Japan 1, Kenya 4, Latvia 5, Lebanon 9, Liberia 5, Lithuania 1, Malta 1, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Monaco 6, Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, Nigeria 3, Norway 33, Pakistan 5, Panama 2, Poland 2, Portugal 2, Puerto Rico 2, Russia 8, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 4, Slovenia 7, South Korea 4, Spain 1, Sweden 6, Switzerland 10, Syria 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tunisia 1, Turkey 15, Ukraine 8, United Arab Emirates 45, United Kingdom 16, United States 25, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)

Ports and harbors

Kingstown

Railways

0 km

Waterways

none