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.

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

12 07 N, 61 40 W

Central America and the Caribbean

twice the size of Washington, DC

0 km

121 km

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

volcanic in origin with central mountains

timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

NA

NA

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

NA

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

107,818 (July 2010 est.)

0.563% (2010 est.)

17.2 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-3.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

2.21 children born/woman (2010 est.)

NA

NA

NA

black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian

Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%

English (official), French patois

5.2% of GDP (2003)

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick

7 February 1974 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

19 December 1973

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats, 10 members appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (two High Court judges are assigned to and reside in Grenada); Itinerant Court of Appeal three judges; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]

Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG; New Jewel Movement Support Group; The British Grenada Friendship Society; The New Jewel 19 Committee

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

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

Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005) severely damaged the agricultural sector - particularly nutmeg and cocoa cultivation - which had been a key driver of economic growth. Grenada has rebounded from the devastating effects of the hurricanes but is now saddled with the debt burden from the rebuilding process. Public debt-to-GDP is nearly 110%, leaving the THOMAS administration limited room to engage in public investments and social spending. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of tourism and an offshore financial industry, have also contributed to growth in national output; however, economic growth will likely be stagnant in 2010 after a sizeable contraction in 2009, because of the global economic slowdown's effects on tourism and remittances.

$1.156 billion (2009 est.)

$1.204 billion (2008 est.)

$1.178 billion (2007 est.)

$691 million (2009 est.)

-4% (2009 est.)

2.2% (2008 est.)

4.9% (2007 est.)

$10,800 (2009 est.)

$11,300 (2008 est.)

$11,100 (2007 est.)

42,300 (1996)

12.5% (2000)

32% (2000)

3.7% (2007 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2008)

6.5% (31 December 2007)

9.53% (31 December 2008)

9.76% (31 December 2007)

$141.4 million (31 December 2008)

$151.2 million (31 December 2007)

$578.1 million (31 December 2008)

$533.4 million (31 December 2007)

$658 million (31 December 2008)

$575.8 million (31 December 2007)

$NA

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables

food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction

178.7 million kWh (2007 est.)

155.7 million kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

3,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

1,923 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$138 million (2007 est.)

$38 million (2006)

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace

Saint Lucia 16.4%, US 11.3%, UK 11.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 11.1%, Saint Kitts a & Nevis 10%, Dominican Republic 10%, France 6.4% (2008)

$343 million (2006)

food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel

Trinidad and Tobago 43.1%, US 24.5%, Barbados 3.6% (2008)

$347 million (2004)

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)

28,600 (2008)

60,000 (2008)

AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (2009)

2 (2009)

.gd

42 (2009)

24,000 (2008)

3 (2009)

Saint George's

no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2008)

NA

none

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