The World Factbook CIA Home CIA Home About CIA Careers Offices of CIA News & Information Library Kid’s Page Contact CIA CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

         
  Grenada  
Flag of Grenada
Click to enlarge
Categories Banner
 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


Map of Grenada



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Grenada Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when 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. Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage.
   Geography    Grenada Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
12 07 N, 61 40 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
121 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
volcanic in origin with central mountains
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 5.88%
permanent crops: 29.41%
other: 64.71% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
   People    Grenada Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
89,971 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 32.8% (male 14,876/female 14,641)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 30,522/female 27,137)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,353/female 1,442) (2007 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 22.1 years
male: 22.6 years
female: 21.6 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.336% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
21.87 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-11.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.016 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.125 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.938 male(s)/female
total population: 1.082 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 65.21 years
male: 63.38 years
female: 67.05 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.3 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), French patois
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2003 est.)
   Government    Grenada Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Saint George's
geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
7 February 1974 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
19 December 1973
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch 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:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats, 10 appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 November 2003 (next to be held by early 2009)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NNP 46.6%, NDC 44.1%, other 9.3%; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 7
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned to and resides in Grenada)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE
chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561
FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada
embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's
mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's
telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1177
FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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    Grenada Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange, especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of an offshore financial industry, have also contributed to growth in national output. Grenada has rebounded from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005), but is now saddled with the debt burden from the rebuilding process. The agricultural sector, particularly nutmeg and cocoa cultivation, has gradually recovered, and the tourism sector has seen substantial increases in foreign direct investment as the regional share of the tourism market increases.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$982 million (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$553 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 18%
services: 76.6% (2003)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
42,300 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 24%
industry: 14%
services: 62% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12.5% (2000)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
32% (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3% (2005 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $85.8 million
expenditures: $102.1 million (1997)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.7% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
150 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
139.5 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,800 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,776 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$38 million (2006)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Lucia 18.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 12.8%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 11.5%, Dominica 11.4%, US 11.4% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$343 million (2006)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Trinidad and Tobago 33.7%, US 24.2%, UK 4.3% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$44.87 million (2005)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$347 million (2004)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Grenada Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
27,700 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
46,200 (2006)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: automatic, islandwide 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
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
2 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.gd
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
19,000 (2003)
   Transportation    Grenada Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 1,127 km
paved: 687 km
unpaved: 440 km (1999)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Saint George's
   Military    Grenada Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 24,031 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 17,483 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 1,274 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transnational Issues    Grenada Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


Bottom Banner