Central America and Caribbean :: GRENADA

  • Introduction :: GRENADA

  • 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 then.

  • Geography :: GRENADA

  • Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
    12 07 N, 61 40 W
    Central America and the Caribbean
    total: 344 sq km
    land: 344 sq km
    water: 0 sq km
    country comparison to the world: 208
    twice the size of Washington, DC
    0 km
    121 km
    territorial sea: 12 nm
    exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
    tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
    volcanic in origin with central mountains
    mean elevation: NA
    elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
    highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m
    timber, tropical fruit
    agricultural land: 32.3%
    arable land 8.8%; permanent crops 20.6%; permanent pasture 2.9%
    forest: 50%
    other: 17.7% (2011 est.)
    20 sq km (2012)
    approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast
    lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
    volcanism: Mount Saint Catherine (840 m) lies on the island of Grenada; Kick 'em Jenny, an active submarine volcano (seamount) on the Caribbean Sea floor, lies about 8 km north of the island of Grenada; these two volcanoes are at the southern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends up to the Netherlands dependency of Saba in the north
    deforestation causing habitat destruction and species loss; coastal erosion and contamination; pollution and sedimentation; inadequate solid waste management
    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
    the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

  • People and Society :: GRENADA

  • 111,724 (July 2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 190
    noun: Grenadian(s)
    adjective: Grenadian
    African descent 82.4%, mixed 13.3%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)
    English (official), French patois
    Protestant 49.2% (includes Pentecostal 17.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 13.2%, Anglican 8.5%, Baptist 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Evangelical 1.9%, Methodist 1.6%, other 1.2%), Roman Catholic 36%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, Rastafarian 1.2%, other 5.5%, none 5.7%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.)
    0-14 years: 23.99% (male 13,914/female 12,893)
    15-24 years: 15.03% (male 8,377/female 8,414)
    25-54 years: 40.38% (male 23,099/female 22,013)
    55-64 years: 10.52% (male 6,016/female 5,740)
    65 years and over: 10.08% (male 5,210/female 6,048) (2017 est.)
    total dependency ratio: 50.7
    youth dependency ratio: 39.9
    elderly dependency ratio: 10.8
    potential support ratio: 9.3 (2015 est.)
    total: 31.5 years
    male: 31.5 years
    female: 31.6 years (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 109
    0.44% (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 164
    15.5 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 121
    8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 84
    -2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 173
    approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast
    urban population: 35.7% of total population (2017)
    rate of urbanization: 0.44% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
    SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) 38,000 (2014)
    at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
    0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
    15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
    25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
    55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
    65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
    total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
    27 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 118
    total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
    male: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
    female: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 141
    total population: 74.5 years
    male: 71.9 years
    female: 77.4 years (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 123
    2.02 children born/woman (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 117
    6.1% of GDP (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 103
    3.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)
    improved:
    urban: 99% of population
    rural: 95.3% of population
    total: 96.6% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 1% of population
    rural: 4.7% of population
    total: 3.4% of population (2015 est.)
    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 (2015 est.)
    NA
    NA
    NA
    note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
    21.3% (2016)
    country comparison to the world: 90
    total: 17 years
    male: 17 years
    female: 17 years (2015)

  • Government :: GRENADA

  • conventional long form: none
    conventional short form: Grenada
    etymology: probably named for the Spanish city of Granada; in Spanish "granada" means "pomegranate"
    parliamentary democracy (Parliament); a Commonwealth realm
    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)
    6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
    7 February 1974 (from the UK)
    Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
    previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, effective 7 February 1974, suspended 1979 following a revolution, but restored in 1983; amended 1991 (Constitutional Judicature Act, 1991) (2017)
    common law based on English model
    has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
    citizenship by birth: yes
    citizenship by descent: yes
    dual citizenship recognized: yes
    residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years for persons from a non-Caribbean state and 4 years for a person from a Caribbean state
    18 years of age; universal
    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/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
    description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the opposition party leader; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-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 58.8%, NDC 40.7%; other 0.5% seats by party - NNP 15
    highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside at the member states with 2 in Grenada
    judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
    subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals
    Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Wilfred HAYES]
    National Democratic Congress or NDC [Nazim BURKE]
    New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]
    Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG
    New Jewel Movement Support Group
    The British Grenada Friendship Society
    The New Jewel 19 Committee
    ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), 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
    chief of mission: Ambassador Ethelstan Angus 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: Miami
    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 1176
    FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820
    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
    Grenada dove, Bougainvillea flower; national colors: red, yellow, green
    name: "Hail Grenada"
    lyrics/music: Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO
    note: adopted 1974

  • Economy :: GRENADA

  • Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Strong performance in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of tourism and higher education - especially in medicine - contributed to growth in national output; however, economic growth remained stagnant in the 2010-14 period, after a sizable contraction in 2009, because of the global economic slowdown's effects on tourism and remittances. Gross national saving – and wealth – has been declining since 2010.
    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 about 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.
    $1.524 billion (2016 est.)
    $1.451 billion (2015 est.)
    $1.349 billion (2014 est.)
    note: data are in 2016 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 198
    $1.056 billion (2016 est.)
    3.7% (2016 est.)
    6.4% (2015 est.)
    7.3% (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 94
    $14,200 (2016 est.)
    $13,700 (2015 est.)
    $13,000 (2014 est.)
    note: data are in 2016 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 113
    17% of GDP (2016 est.)
    13.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
    13.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 179
    household consumption: 83.9%
    government consumption: 14.3%
    investment in fixed capital: 16.1%
    investment in inventories: -0.1%
    exports of goods and services: 19.6%
    imports of goods and services: -33.9% (2016 est.)
    agriculture: 9%
    industry: 14.6%
    services: 76.5% (2016 est.)
    bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables
    food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
    2% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 109
    59,900 (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 188
    agriculture: 11%
    industry: 20%
    services: 69% (2008 est.)
    33.5% (2013)
    25% (2008)
    country comparison to the world: 205
    38% (2008 est.)
    lowest 10%: NA%
    highest 10%: NA%
    revenues: $263.4 million
    expenditures: $271.1 million (2016 est.)
    25.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 115
    -0.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 62
    84.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
    91.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 30
    calendar year
    1.7% (2016 est.)
    -0.6% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 113
    6.5% (31 December 2009)
    6.5% (31 December 2008)
    country comparison to the world: 58
    8.66% (31 December 2016 est.)
    8.96% (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 96
    $214 million (31 December 2016 est.)
    $201.1 million (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 182
    $796.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)
    $786.1 million (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 175
    $566.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
    $567.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 173
    $NA
    $-34 million (2016 est.)
    $-203.4 million (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 84
    $44.2 million (2016 est.)
    $43.8 million (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 206
    nutmeg, bananas, cocoa, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace
    US 28.4%, Japan 11%, Dominica 7.9%, St. Lucia 7.6%, Netherlands 5.2%, Barbados 4.9%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4.8% (2016)
    $313.7 million (2016 est.)
    $310.4 million (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 199
    food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel
    US 32.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 23.5%, China 6%, Japan 4.6% (2016)
    $207.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)
    $198 million (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 158
    $679 million (2013 est.)
    $538 million (2010 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 174
    East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
    2.7 (2016 est.)
    2.7 (2015 est.)
    2.7 (2014 est.)
    2.7 (2013 est.)
    2.7 (2012 est.)

  • Energy :: GRENADA

  • population without electricity: 11,121
    electrification - total population: 91%
    electrification - urban areas: 100%
    electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)
    200 million kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 189
    185 million kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 192
    0 kWh (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 142
    0 kWh (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 155
    50,000 kW (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 191
    98% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 38
    0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 99
    0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 178
    2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 121
    0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 142
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 130
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 134
    0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
    country comparison to the world: 141
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 150
    2,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 192
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 160
    2,259 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 186
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 141
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 186
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 112
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 131
    0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
    country comparison to the world: 145
    500,000 Mt (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 185

  • Communications :: GRENADA

  • total subscriptions: 26,776
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 174
    total: 118,973
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 186
    general assessment: adequate, automatic, island-wide telephone system
    domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
    international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber 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 (2015)
    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)
    .gd
    total: 62,123
    percent of population: 55.9% (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 183

  • Transportation :: GRENADA

  • number of registered air carriers: 0
    inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 0
    annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 0
    annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
    J3 (2016)
    3 (2013)
    country comparison to the world: 195
    total: 3
    2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
    1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
    under 914 m: 1 (2017)
    total: 1,127 km
    paved: 687 km
    unpaved: 440 km (2001)
    country comparison to the world: 184
    major seaport(s): Saint George's

  • Military and Security :: GRENADA

  • no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2010)

  • Transnational Issues :: GRENADA

  • none
    small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US