Background: Disputed between France and Great Britain in the 18th century Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.

Geographic coordinates: 13 15 N, 61 12 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 340 km²
Land: 340 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 84 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Terrain: volcanic, mountainous

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 18%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 36%
Other: 31% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat

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

Population: 119,092 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 0.62% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
Adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Ethnic groups: black, white, East Indian, Carib Amerindian

Languages: English, French patois

Religions: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist

Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (male 19,208; female 18,571)
15-64 years: 63% (male 37,555; female 37,166)
65 years and over: 5% (male 2,719; female 3,873) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.62% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 19.07 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.35 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.52 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Environment
Current issues: pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.2 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.22 years
Male: 71.71 years
Female: 74.78 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 96%
Male: 96%
Female: 96% (1970 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Kingstown

Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Constitution: 27 October 1979

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 September 1989)
Head of government: Prime Minister James Fitz-Allen MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; members are elected by popular vote from single member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 21 February 1994 (next to be held by NA May 1999)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 12, ULP 3

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kingsley C.A. LAYNE
In the us chancery: 3,216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 364-6,730
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 364-6,736
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the Ambassador to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

Flag description: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern

Economy overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of this lower middle income economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and high unemployment rates of 35%-40% continue. The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development; tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in both 1994 and 1995. The tourism sector has considerable potential for development over the next decade.

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,190 (1996 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12%
Industry: 18%
Services: 70% (1995 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; small fish catch used locally

Industries: food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
Total: 67,000 (1984 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 26%
By occupation industry: 17%
By occupation services: 57% (1980 est.)

Unemployment rate: 35%-40% (1994 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $80 million
Expenditures: $118 million, including capital expenditures of $39 million (1996 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports
Total value: $55 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets
Partners: Caricom countries 57%, UK 29%, US 9% (1994)

Imports
Total value: $122 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels
Partners: US 35%, Caricom countries 27%, UK 12% (1994)

Debt external: $93 million (1996 est.)

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (February 1997; fixed rate since 1976)

Electricity
Capacity: 20,000 kW (1993)
Production: 61.6 million kWh (1993)
Consumption per capita: 480 kWh (1993)

Telephones: 6,189 (1983 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines
International: VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 6 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine
Total: 692 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,545,742 GRT/10,306,453 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 114, cargo 349, chemical tanker 25, combination bulk 9, combination ore/oil 6, container 36, liquefied gas tanker 4, livestock carrier 5, multi-function large load carrier 1, oil tanker 65, passenger 3, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 35, roll-on/roll-off cargo 34, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
Note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 24 countries among which are Croatia 29, Slovenia 9, China 9, Greece 5, Norway 3, Ukraine 3, UAE 3, Germany 2, Russia 2, Syria 1 (1996 est.)

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment points for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe