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.

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 340 km²
Land: 340 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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 km²

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

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

Population: 94,109 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.35% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Grenadian(s)

Ethnic groups: black African

Languages: English (official), French patois

Religions: Roman Catholic, Anglican, other Protestant sects

Population growth rate: 0.35% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 30.28 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 6.19 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -20.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Infant mortality rate: 12.4 deaths/1000 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.)

Literacy: age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
Total population: 98%
Male: 98%
Female: 98%

Government 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)

Legislative branch: Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
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

International organization participation: 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
From the us chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Ollie P. ANDERSON
From the us chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
From the us telephone: (809) 444-1173 through 1178
From the us embassy: Point Salines, Saint George's
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, W.I.
From the us fax: (809) 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 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%.

Real gdp growth rate: -0.4% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture products: 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

Industries: food and beverage, textile, light assembly operations, tourism, construction

Industrial production growth rate: 1.8% (1992 est.), accounts for 9% of GDP

Labor force: 36,000
By occupation services: 31%
By occupation agriculture: 24%
By occupation construction: 8%
By occupation manufacturing: 5%
By occupation other: 32% (1985)

Unemployment rate: 25% (1992 est.)

Budget: revenues:$78 million

Fiscal year: calendar year

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)

Debt external: $109 million (1992)

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

Electricity
Capacity: 12,500 kW
Production: 26 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 310 kWh (1992)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA, NA% of GDP

Airports: 3
Usable: 3
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1

Disputes international: none