Grenada

Introduction Geography People and Society Government Economy Energy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Introduction

Background: Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when Christopher COLUMBUS discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974 making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since that time.

Geography

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 12 07 N, 61 40 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 121 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m
Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
Land use: arable land: 8.82%
permanent crops: 20.59%
other: 70.59% (2011)
Irrigated land: 2.19 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: NA
Natural hazards: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

People and Society

Nationality: noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian
Ethnic groups: black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian
Languages: English (official), French patois
Religions: Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%
Population: 110,152 (July 2014 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.5% (male 13,954/female 13,057)
15-24 years: 16.5% (male 9,075/female 9,155)
25-54 years: 40.3% (male 22,765/female 21,628)
55-64 years: 9.2% (male 5,214/female 4,927)
65 years and over: 9.2% (male 4,739/female 5,638) (2014 est.)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 50.9 %
youth dependency ratio: 40.2 %
elderly dependency ratio: 10.7 %
potential support ratio: 9.3 (2014 est.)
Median age: total: 29.9 years
male: 29.8 years
female: 29.9 years (2014 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.5% (2014 est.)
Birth rate: 16.3 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Death rate: 8.04 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 39.1% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 1.24% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population: SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) 41,000 (2011)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Maternal mortality rate: 24 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
Infant mortality rate: total: 10.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.8 years
male: 71.24 years
female: 76.62 years (2014 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 54.3%
note: percent of women aged 15-44 (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Health expenditures: 6.2% of GDP (2011)
Physicians density: 0.66 physicians/1,000 population (2006)
Hospital bed density: 3.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 99% of population
rural: 95.3% of population
total: 96.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 1% of population
rural: 4.7% of population
total: 3.2% of population (2012 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 97.5% of population
rural: 98.3% of population
total: 98% of population
unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population
rural: 1.7% of population
total: 2% of population (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 22.5% (2008)
Education expenditures: 3.9% of GDP (2003)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: NA
female: NA (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2009)

Government

Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada
Government type: parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital: name: Saint George's
geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Independence: 7 February 1974 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
Constitution: previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, came into operation 7 February 1974, some provisions suspended 1979; amended 1991 (Constitutional Judicature Act, 1991 - restored provisions suspended in 1979), 1992 (2008)
Legal system: common law based on English model
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013)
head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 20 February 2013)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats, 10 members appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 19 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NNP 59%, NDC 41%; seats by party - NNP 15
Judicial branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Grenada (consists of the High Court with 3 justices and a 2-tier Court of Appeal with NA justices)
note - the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Grenada; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is compri
judge selection and term of office: justice selection and tenure NA
subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals
Political parties and leaders: Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Wilfred HAYES]
National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]
New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG
New Jewel Movement Support Group
The British Grenada Friendship Society
The New Jewel 19 Committee
International organization participation: ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ethelstan A. FRIDAY (since 3 September 2013)
chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561
FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: the US does not have an embassy in Grenada; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada
embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's
mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's
telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1177
FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820
Flag description: 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 stand for the seven administrative divisions, with the central star denoting the capital, St. George; yellow represents the sun and the warmth of the people, green stands for vegetation and agriculture, and red symbolizes harmony, unity, and courage
National anthem: name: "Hail Grenada"
lyrics/music: Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO
note: adopted 1974

Economy

Economy - overview: Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005) severely damaged the agricultural sector - particularly nutmeg and cocoa cultivation - which had been a key driver of economic growth. Grenada has rebounded from the devastating effects of the hurricanes but is now saddled with the debt burden from the rebuilding process. Public debt-to-GDP is nearly 110%, leaving the MITCHELL administration limited room to engage in public investments and social spending. MITCHELL in 2013 announced a structural adjustment program that includes a plan to increase tax revenue. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of tourism and higher education - especially in medicine - have contributed to growth in national output; however, economic growth remained stagnant in 2010-13 after a sizeable contraction in 2009, because of the global economic slowdown's effects on tourism and remittances.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.458 billion (2013 est.)
$1.447 billion (2012 est.)
$1.458 billion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $811 million (2013 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.8% (2013 est.)
-0.8% (` est.)
1% (2011 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $13,800 (2013 est.)
$13,700 (2012 est.)
$13,900 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
Gross national saving: -3.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
-7.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
-2.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 91.6%
government consumption: 15.8%
investment in fixed capital: 16.8%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 21.9%
imports of goods and services: -46.1%
(2013 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 5.6%
industry: 15.8%
services: 78.5% (2013 est.)
Agriculture - products: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables
Industries: food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
Industrial production growth rate: -2% (2013 est.)
Labor force: 59,900 (2013 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 11%
industry: 20%
services: 69% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate: 33.5% (2013)
25% (2008)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Population below poverty line: 38% (2008)
Budget: revenues: $163 million
expenditures: $196.3 million (2012 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 20.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Public debt: 110% of GDP (2012 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (2013 est.)
2.4% (2012 est.)
Central bank discount rate: 6.5% (31 December 2009)
6.5% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.4% (31 December 2013 est.)
9.75% (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of narrow money: $131.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)
$123.3 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of broad money: $697.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)
$689.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of domestic credit: $744.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)
$729.5 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA
Current account balance: -$214.4 million (2012 est.)
-$204.5 million (2011 est.)
Exports: $40.5 million (2012 est.)
$34.9 million (2011 est.)
Exports - commodities: nutmeg, bananas, cocoa, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace
Exports - partners: Nigeria 40.2%, St. Lucia 10.7%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.3%, US 6.6%, St. Kitts and Nevis 6.5%, Dominica 6.5%, Switzerland 4.3% (2012)
Imports: $297 million (2012 est.)
$290.4 million (2011 est.)
Imports - commodities: food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel
Imports - partners: Trinidad and Tobago 44.3%, US 16.4%, China 4.6% (2012)
Debt - external: $679 million (2013 est.)
$538 million (2010 est.)
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2013 est.)
2.7 (2012 est.)
2.7 (2010 est.)
2.7 (2009)

Energy

Electricity - production: 201.4 million kWh (2010 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 178.4 million kWh (2010 est.)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 49,700 kW (2010 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 98.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Crude oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 2,803 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 2,004 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2010 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: 269,000 Mt (2011 est.)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 28,500 (2012)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 128,000 (2012)
Telephone system: general assessment: automatic, island-wide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad (2009)
Broadcast media: the Grenada Broadcasting Network, jointly owned by the government and the Caribbean Communications Network of Trinidad and Tobago, operates a TV station and 2 radio stations; multi-channel cable TV subscription service is available; a dozen private radio stations also broadcast (2007)
Internet country code: .gd
Internet hosts: 80 (2012)
Internet users: 25,000 (2009)

Transportation

Airports: 3 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
Roadways: total: 1,127 km
paved: 687 km
unpaved: 440 km (2001)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Saint George's

Military

Military branches: no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2010)
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 27,468 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 22,596
females age 16-49: 22,588 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: male: 995
female: 1,002 (2010 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US

This country information was last updated on January 01, 1970.