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. In 1979, a leftist New Jewel Movement seized power under Maurice BISHOP ushering in the Grenada Revolution. On 19 October 1983, factions within the revolutionary government overthrew and killed BISHOP and members of his party. 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. The rule of law was restored and democratic elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since then.

Geographic coordinates: 12 07 N, 61 40 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 344 km²
Land: 344 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 208
Comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 121 km

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

Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains

Elevation: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Caribbean Sea

Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit

Land use
Agricultural land: 32.3% (2011 est.)
Forest: 50% (2011 est.)
Other: 17.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to Novembervolcanism: Mount Saint Catherine (840 m) lies on the island of Grenada; Kick 'em Jenny, an active submarine volcano (seamount) on the Caribbean Sea floor, lies about 8 km north of the island of Grenada; these two volcanoes are at the southern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends up to the Netherlands dependency of Saba in the north

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

Population
Distribution: approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast: 112,207 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 190
Growth rate: 0.42% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 161
Below poverty line: 38% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Grenadian(s)
Adjective: Grenadian

Ethnic groups: African descent 82.4%, mixed 13.3%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

Languages: English (official), French patois

Religions: Protestant 49.2% (includes Pentecostal 17.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 13.2%, Anglican 8.5%, Baptist 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Evangelical 1.9%, Methodist 1.6%, other 1.2%), Roman Catholic 36%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, Rastafarian 1.2%, other 5.5%, none 5.7%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.84% (male 13,901 /female 12,851)
15-24 years: 14.61% (male 8,196 /female 8,201)
25-54 years: 40.27% (male 23,121 /female 22,067)
55-64 years: 10.97% (male 6,284 /female 6,023)
65 years and over: 10.31% (male 5,377 /female 6,186) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 50.7 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 39.9 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.8 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 9.3 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.1 years
Male: 32 years
Female: 32.2 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 105

Population growth rate: 0.42% (2018 est.)
Rank: 161

Birth rate: 15.2 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 122

Death rate: 8.2 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 83

Net migration rate: -2.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 173

Population distribution: approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast

Urbanization
Urban population: 36.3% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.76% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 39,000 SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation causing habitat destruction and species loss; coastal erosion and contamination; pollution and sedimentation; inadequate solid waste management
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 9.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 140

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.8 years (2018 est.)
Male: 72.1 years (2018 est.)
Female: 77.6 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 120

Total fertility rate: 2 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 117

Drinking water source
Urban: 1% of population
Rural: 4.7% of population
Total: 3.4% of population (2015 est.)

Hospital bed density: 3.7 beds/1000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 2% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Major infectious diseases: note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.3% (2016)
Rank: 90

Education expenditures: 10.3% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 4

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years (2015)
Male: 17 years (2015)
Female: 17 years (2015)

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Grenada
Etymology: derivation of the name remains obscure; some sources attribute the designation to Spanish influence (most likely named for the Spanish city of Granada), with subsequent French and English interpretations resulting in the present-day Grenada; in Spanish granada means pomegranate

Government type: parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Name: Saint Georges
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

Independence: 7 February 1974 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

Constitution
History: previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, effective 7 February 1974, suspended 1979 following a revolution, but restored in 1983 (2018)
Amendments: proposed by either house of Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership in both houses and assent to by the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as personal rights and freedoms, the structure, authorities, and procedures of the branches of government, the delimitation of electoral constituencies, or the procedure for amending the constitution also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended 1991, 1992 (2018)

Legal system: common law based on English model

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years for persons from a non-Caribbean state and 4 years for a person from a Caribbean state

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013)
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
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Judicial branch
Highest courts: regionally, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside at the member states with 2 in Grenada; appeals beyond the ECSC in civil and criminal matters are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the UK
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Subordinate courts: magistrates courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals

Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress or NDC [Nazim BURKE]New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]

International organization participation: ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Ethelstan Angus FRIDAY (since 3 September 2013)
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: Miami
From the us chief of mission: the US does not have an embassy in Grenada; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada
From the us embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint Georges
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint Georges
From the us telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176
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 a leading nutmeg producer); 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: Grenada dove, bougainvillea flower; national colors: red, yellow, green

National anthem
Name: Hail Grenada
Lyricsmusic: Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO: note: adopted 1974

Economy overview: Grenada relies on tourism and revenue generated by St. George’s University - a private university offering degrees in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, the health sciences, nursing, arts and sciences, and business - as its main source of foreign exchange. In the past two years the country expanded its sources of revenue, including from selling passports under its citizenship by investment program. These projects produced a resurgence in the construction and manufacturing sectors of the economy.In 2017, Grenada experienced its fifth consecutive year of growth and the government successfully marked the completion of its five-year structural adjustment program that included among other things austerity measures, increased tax revenue and debt restructuring. Public debt-to-GDP was reduced from 100% of GDP in 2013 to 71.8% in 2017.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 198

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 46

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 110

Gross national saving:
Rank: 153

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 63% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 20% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 60% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -55% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 15.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 77.7% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, soursop, citrus, avocados, root crops, corn, vegetables, fish

Industries: food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction, education, call-center operations

Industrial production growth rate: 10% (2017 est.)
Rank: 16

Labor force: 55,270 (2017 est.)
Rank: 189
By occupation agriculture: 11%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 69% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 195

Population below poverty line: 38% (2008 est.)

Budget
Revenues: 288.4 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 252.3 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 12

Taxes and other revenues: 25.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 116

Public debt:
Rank: 50

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 45

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 59

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 101

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 182

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 185

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 176

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 83

Exports:
Rank: 205
Partners: US 25.3%, Japan 10.1%, Guyana 8.7%, Dominica 6.6%, St. Lucia 6.4%, Netherlands 4.7%, Barbados 4.1%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4% (2017)
Commodities: nutmeg, bananas, cocoa, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace, chocolate, fish

Imports:
Rank: 202
Commodities: food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel
Partners: US 31.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 24.9%, China 6.7% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 175

Debt external:
Rank: 169

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 11,121 (2012)
Access electrification total population: 91% (2012)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2012)
Access electrification rural areas: 80% (2012)
Production: 202.1 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 192
Consumption: 185.1 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 194
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 142
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 154
Installed generating capacity: 51,100 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 191
Generation sources fossil fuels: 96% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 39
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 100
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 174
Generation sources other renewable sources: 4% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 112

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 142
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 131
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 134
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 139

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 151
Products consumption: 2000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 194
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 160
Products imports: 1886 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 191

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 139
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 152
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 114
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 132
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 141

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 283,600 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 193

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 32,491 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 169
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 113,177 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 101 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 191

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate, automatic, island-wide telephone system; lack of local competition but telecoms are a high contibutor to overall GDP (2018)
Domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links; 29 per 100 for fixed-line and 101 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2018)
International: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; also a landing point for the Southern Caribbean Fiber (SCF) submarine cable with links to 10 other islands in the Caribbean extending from Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis to Trinidad and Tobago; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad (2018)

Broadcast media: multiple publicly and privately owned television and radio stations; Grenada Information Service (GIS) is government-owned and provides television and radio services; 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; Meaningful Television (MTV) broadcasts island-wide and is part of a locally-owned media house, Moving Target Company, that also includes an FM radio station and a weekly newspaper; multi-channel cable TV subscription service is provided by Columbus Communications Grenada (FLOW GRENADA) and is available island wide; approximately 25 private radio stations also broadcast throughout the country (2018)

Internet
Country code: .gd
Users total: 62,123 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 55.9% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 186

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 22,235 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2017 est.)
Rank: 148

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 0 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 0 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 0 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J3 (2016)

Airports: 3 (2013)
Rank: 195
With paved runways total: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2017)

Roadways
Total: 1127 km (2017)
Paved: 902 km (2017)
Unpaved: 225 km (2017)
Rank: 184

Merchant marine
Total: 6 (2017)
By type: general cargo 3, other 3 (2017)
Rank: 160

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Saint Georges

Disputes international: none

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