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: 120,519 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 0.57% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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: 30% (male 18,160; female 17,524)
15-64 years: 65% (male 39,448; female 38,672)
65 years and over: 5% (male 2,762; female 3,953) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.57% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 18.34 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.23 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.43 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.16 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.8 years
Male: 72.29 years
Female: 75.36 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.94 children born/woman (1999 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 (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since NA)
Head of government: Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the 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; representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 15 June 1998 (next to be held by NA May 2003)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_NDP 8, ULP 7

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, OPCW, 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. Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $2,400 (1998 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.6%
Industry: 17.5%
Services: 71.9% (1996 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: -0.9% (1997 est.)

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

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

Population below poverty line: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $85.7 million
Expenditures: $98.6 million, including capital expenditures of $25.7 million (1997 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $47.3 million (1997)
Commodities: bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets
Partners: Caricom countries 49%, UK 16%, US 10% (1995)

Imports: $158.8 million (1997)
Commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels
Partners: US 36%, Caricom countries 28%, UK 13% (1995)

Debt external: $83.6 million (1997)

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1_2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Electricity
Production: 62 million kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 67.74%
Production by source hydro: 32.26%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 62 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

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 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine
Total: 814 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,726,930 GRT/11,835,144 DWT
Ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 138, cargo 402, chemical tanker 26, combination bulk 11, combination ore/oil 7, container 47, liquefied gas tanker 3, livestock carrier 4, multifunction large-load carrier 2, oil tanker 64, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 40, roll-on/roll-off cargo 51, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 1
Note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 20 countries among which are Croatia 17, Slovenia 7, China 5, Greece 5, UAE 3, Norway 2, Japan 2, and Ukraine 2 (1998 est.)

Disputes international: none

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