Background: The smallest independent country 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.
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique* Saint Andrew Saint David Saint George Saint John Saint Mark Saint Patrick
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member body 10 appointed by the government and three by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Judicial branch: West Indies Associate States Supreme Court (an associate judge resides in Grenada)
Political parties and leaders: Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Herbert PREUDHOMME]; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement or MBPM [Terrence MARRYSHOW]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [George BRIZAN]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]; The Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Francis ALEXIS]; The National Party or TNP [Ben JONES]
International organization participation: ACP C Caricom CDB ECLAC FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO (subscriber) ITU LAES NAM OAS OECS OPANAL OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WHO WIPO WToO WTrO
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 represent the seven administrative divisions
Economy overview: In this island economy progress in fiscal reforms and prudent macroeconomic management have boosted annual growth to 5%-6% in 1998-99. The increase in economic activity has been led by construction and trade. Tourist facilities are being expanded; tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner. Major short-term concerns are the rising fiscal deficit and the deterioration in the external account balance. Grenada shares a common central bank and a common currency with seven other members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Exports: $26.8 million (1998) Commodities: bananas cocoa nutmeg fruit and vegetables clothing mace Partners: Caricom 32.3% UK 20% US 13% Netherlands 8.8% (1991)
Imports: $200 million (1998) Commodities: food manufactured goods machinery chemicals fuel (1989) Partners: US 31.2% Caricom 23.6% UK 13.8% Japan 7.1% (1991)