Grenada




                                 Geography


Location:
     Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 150 im north of
     Trinidad and Tobago
Map references:
     Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones
     of the World
Area:
total area:
     340 sq km
land area:
     340 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     121 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Terrain:
     volcanic in origin with central mountains
Natural resources:
     timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
Land use:
arable land:
     15%
permanent crops:
     26%
meadows and pastures:
     3%
forest and woodland:
     9%
other:
     47%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to
     November
international agreements:
     party to - Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not
     ratified - Climate Change




Note:
     islands of the Grenadines group are divided politically with Saint
     Vincent and the Grenadines


                                  People


Population:
     94,109 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.35% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     30.28 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     6.19 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -20.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     70.4 years
male:
     68 years
female:
     72.85 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     3.93 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Grenadian(s)
adjective:
     Grenadian
Ethnic divisions:
     black African
Religions:
     Roman Catholic, Anglican, other Protestant sects
Languages:
     English (official), French patois
Literacy:
     age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
total population:
     98%
male:
     98%
female:
     98%
Labor force:
     36,000
by occupation:
     services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%, manufacturing 5%,
     other 32% (1985)


                                Government




Names:
conventional long form:
     none
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     GJ
Type:
     parliamentary democracy
Capital:
     Saint George's
Administrative divisions:
     6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique*, Saint
     Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint
     Patrick
Independence:
     7 February 1974 (from UK)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
Constitution:
     19 December 1973
Legal system:
     based on English common law
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor
     General Reginald Oswald PALMER (since 6 August 1992)
head of government:
     Prime Minister Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since 13 March 1990)
cabinet:
     Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime
     minister
Legislative branch:
     bicameral Parliament
Senate:
     consists of a 13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and 3 by
     the Leader of the Opposition
House of Representatives:
     elections last held on 13 March 1990 (next to be held by NA March
     1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) NDC
     7, GULP 4, TNP 2, NNP 2
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
     National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nicholas BRATHWAITE; Grenada
     United Labor Party (GULP), Sir Eric GAIRY; The National Party (TNP),
     Ben JONES; New National Party (NNP), Keith MITCHELL; Maurice Bishop
     Patriotic Movement (MBPM), Terrence MARRYSHOW
Member of:
     ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
     IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS,
     OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WTO




Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Denneth MODESTE
chancery:
     1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
     (202) 265-2561
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Charge d'Affaires Ollie P. ANDERSON
embassy:
     Point Salines, Saint George's
mailing address:
     P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, W.I.
telephone:
     (809) 444-1173 through 1178
FAX:
     (809) 444-4820
Flag:
     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 represent the seven administrative
     divisions


                                  Economy


Overview:
     The economy is essentially agricultural and centers on the traditional
     production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture accounts for
     about 15% of GDP and 80% of exports and employs 24% of the labor
     force. Tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner, followed by
     agricultural exports. Manufacturing remains relatively undeveloped,
     but is expected to grow, given a more favorable private investment
     climate since 1983. The economy achieved an impressive average annual
     growth rate of 5.5% in 1986-91 but stalled in 1992. Unemployment
     remains high at about 25%.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $250 million (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     -0.4% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
     $3,000 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     3.6% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     25% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
     $78 million




expenditures:
     $51 million, including capital expenditures of $22 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
     $19.9 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
     bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace
partners:
     Netherlands, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, United States
Imports:
     $103.2 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
     food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%, chemicals 10%, fuel
     6% (1989)
partners:
     US 29%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1989)
External debt:
     $109 million (1992)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 1.8% (1992 est.); accounts for 9% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     12,500 kW
production:
     26 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     310 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     food and beverage, textile, light assembly operations, tourism,
     construction
Agriculture:
     accounts for 15% of GDP and 80% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg,
     and mace account for two-thirds of total crop production; world's
     second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of nutmeg and
     mace; small-size farms predominate, growing a variety of citrus
     fruits, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, and vegetables
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY84-89), $60 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $70
     million; Communist countries (1970-89), $32 million
Currency:
     1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
     East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     1,000 km
paved:
     600 km




unpaved:
     otherwise improved 300 km; unimproved earth 100 km
Ports:
     Saint George's
Airports:
total:
     3
usable:
     3
with permanent-surface runways:
     2
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     1
Telecommunications:
     automatic, islandwide telephone system with 5,650 telephones; new SHF
     radio links to the islands of Trinidad, Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF
     and UHF radio links to the islands of Trinidad and Carriacou;
     broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP