Grenada Population: 109,590
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| 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. Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage. |
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| Geography | |
| The administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada | |
| Location: | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
| Geographic coordinates: | 12 07 N, 61 40 W |
| Area: | total: 344 sq km land: 344 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: 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: 5.88% permanent crops: 29.41% other: 64.71% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 15 sq km |
| Natural hazards: | lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November |
| Current Environment Issues: | NA |
| International Environment 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 109,590 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 24.7% (male 13,962/female 13,101) 15-24 years: 17.1% (male 9,310/female 9,474) 25-54 years: 40.2% (male 22,624/female 21,421) 55-64 years: 8.7% (male 4,935/female 4,642) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 4,601/female 5,520) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 29 years male: 29 years female: 29 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.538% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 16.81 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 7.98 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -3.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 11.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 73.3 years male: 70.76 years female: 76.09 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.12 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| 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 |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2% |
| Languages: | English (official), French patois |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: NA female: NA (2003 est.) |
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| 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: | 19 December 1973 |
| Legal system: | common law based on English model |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Carlyle Arnold GLEAN (since 27 November 2008) 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 (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) 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: | local Magistrate's Courts handle limited criminal and civil matters; Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (two High Court judges are assigned to and reside in Grenada); Itinerant Court of Appeal three judges; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) |
| 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 Gillian M.S. BRISTOL 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 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 |
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| Economy | |
| 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 THOMAS administration limited room to engage in public investments and social spending. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of tourism and an offshore financial industry, have also contributed to growth in national output; however, economic growth remained stagnant in 2010-12 after a sizeable contraction in 2009, because of the global economic slowdown's effects on tourism and remittances. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.471 billion (2012 est.) $1.463 billion (2011 est.) $1.457 billion (2010 est.) note: datum is in 2011 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $851 million (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 0.5% (2012 est.) 0.4% (2011 est.) -1.3% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $14,100 (2012 est.) $14,000 (2011 est.) $14,000 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 5.4% industry: 12.6% services: 81.9% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 47,580 (2008) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 11% industry: 20% services: 69% (2008 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 25% (2008) 12.5% (2000) |
| Population below poverty line: | 38% (2008) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2% (2012 est.) 3% (2011 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $175.3 million expenditures: $215.9 million (2009 est.) |
| Public debt: | 110% of GDP (2012 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: | |
| Electricity - production: | 201.4 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 180 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 177.4 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$217.2 million (2011 est.) -$221 million (2010 est.) |
| Exports: | $36.36 million (2011 est.) $30.31 million (2010 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | nutmeg, bananas, cocoa, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace |
| Exports - partners: | St. Lucia 19.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 13.5%, St. Kitts and Nevis 12.1%, Dominica 12.1%, US 10.2% (2011) |
| Imports: | $296.3 million (2011 est.) $284.4 million (2010 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel |
| Imports - partners: | Trinidad and Tobago 43.2%, US 19% (2011) |
| Debt - external: | $538 million (2010 est.) $542 million (2009 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2012 est.) 2.7 (2011 est.) 2.7 (2010 est.) 2.7 (2009) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 28,400 (2010) country comparison to the world: 179 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 121,900 (2010) |
| 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .gd |
| Internet hosts: | 80 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 25,000 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 3 (2012) country comparison to the world: 196 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2012) |
| Roadways: | total: 1,127 km paved: 687 km unpaved: 440 km (2000) |
| Ports and terminals: | Saint George's |
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| 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.) |
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