Map of Grenada | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Caribbean island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates: 12 07 N 61 40 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 207
Land: 344 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: twice the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

Natural resources: timber tropical fruit deepwater harbors

Land use
Permanent crops: 20.59%
Other: 70.59% (2011)

Irrigated land: 2.19 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: NA

Natural hazards: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November

Geography
Note: the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada


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Population: 110,152 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 191
Growth rate: 0.5% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 155
Below poverty line: 38% (2008)

Nationality
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%

Demographic profile

Age structure
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
Youth dependency ratio: 40.2 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.7 %
Potential support ratio: 9.3 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 29.8 years
Female: 29.9 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.5% (2014 est.)
Rank: 155

Birth rate: 16.3 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 120

Death rate: 8.04 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 98

Net migration rate: -3.24 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 181

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.24% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) 41,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
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.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 137
Male: 9.82 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.26 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 120
Male: 71.24 years
Female: 76.62 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 109

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 54.3%

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.66 physicians/1000 population (2006)

Hospital bed density: 3.5 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.5% (2008)
Rank: 78

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 3.9% of GDP (2003)
Rank: 112

Literacy
Total population: 96%
Male: NA
Female: NA (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2009)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Grenada

Government type: parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital
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

Dependent areas

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

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
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: 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:

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 chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-2,561
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 265-2,468
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch Saint George's
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 54 Saint George's
From the us telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1177
From the us FAX: [1] (473) 444-4,820

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 symbols

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 198

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 179

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 97

Gross national saving:
Rank: 152

Gdp composition by end use
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
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.)
Rank: 182

Labor force: 59,900 (2013 est.)
Rank: 187
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 69% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate: 25% (2008)
Rank: 186

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 38% (2008)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $196.3 million (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 148

Taxes and other revenues: 20.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 166

Public debt: 110% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 12

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 87

Central bank discount rate: 6.5% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 47

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.75% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 87

Stock of narrow money: $123.3 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 181

Stock of broad money: $689.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 174

Stock of domestic credit: $729.5 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 159

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$204.5 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 88

Exports: $34.9 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 200
Commodities: nutmeg bananas cocoa fruit and vegetables clothing mace
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: $290.4 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 201
Commodities: food manufactured goods machinery chemicals fuel
Partners: Trinidad and Tobago 44.3% US 16.4% China 4.6% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $538 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 169

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 201.4 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 181
Consumption: 178.4 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 189
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 142
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 150
Installed generating capacity: 49,700 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 190
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 54
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 96
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 172
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 81

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 174
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 119
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 192
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 137

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 149
Products consumption: 2,803 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 183
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 181
Products imports: 2004 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 179

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 136
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 150
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 108
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 198
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 143

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 269,000 Mt (2011 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 28,500 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 178
Mobile cellular: 128,000 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 189

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
Hosts: 80 (2012)
Hosts rank: 212
Users: 25,000 (2009)
Users rank: 186

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3 (2013)
Rank: 195
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 183
Paved: 687 km
Unpaved: 440 km (2001)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US