page last updated on April 26, 2010
Flag of Grenada
Location of Grenada
 
Map of Grenada
Introduction ::Grenada
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
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
12 07 N, 61 40 W
total: 344 sq km
country comparison to the world: 206
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km
twice the size of Washington, DC
0 km
121 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Current Weather
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
volcanic in origin with central mountains
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m
timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
arable land: 5.88%
permanent crops: 29.41%
other: 64.71% (2005)
NA
NA
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
NA
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
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
People ::Grenada
107,818 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
0-14 years: 25.8% (male 14,293/female 13,562)
15-64 years: 65.4% (male 35,851/female 34,611)
65 years and over: 8.8% (male 4,281/female 5,220) (2010 est.)
total: 28.2 years
male: 28.2 years
female: 28.2 years (2010 est.)
0.563% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
17.2 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
7.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
-3.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
urban population: 31% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
at birth: 1.097 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
total: 11.76 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 144
male: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
total population: 72.79 years
country comparison to the world: 120
male: 70.27 years
female: 75.55 years (2010 est.)
2.21 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
NA
NA
NA
noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian
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
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: NA
female: NA (2003 est.)
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)
5.2% of GDP (2003)
country comparison to the world: 59
Government ::Grenada
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
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)
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
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Carlyle Arnold GLEAN (since 27 November 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Tillman THOMAS (since 9 July 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: the monarchy 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
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)
elections: last held on 8 July 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 11, NNP 4
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian M.S. BRISTOL
chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561
FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468
consulate(s) general: New York
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
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
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.)
country comparison to the world: 195
$1.204 billion (2008 est.)
$1.178 billion (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
$691 million (2009 est.)
-4% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
2.2% (2008 est.)
4.9% (2007 est.)
$10,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
$11,300 (2008 est.)
$11,100 (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 18%
services: 76.6% (2003)
42,300 (1996)
country comparison to the world: 192
agriculture: 24%
industry: 14%
services: 62% (1999 est.)
12.5% (2000)
country comparison to the world: 136
32% (2000)
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $85.8 million
expenditures: $102.1 million (1997)
3.7% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
6.5% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 68
6.5% (31 December 2007)
9.53% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 95
9.76% (31 December 2007)
$141.4 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 119
$151.2 million (31 December 2007)
$578.1 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 114
$533.4 million (31 December 2007)
$658 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 120
$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.)
country comparison to the world: 179
155.7 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
0 kWh (2008 est.)
0 kWh (2008 est.)
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
3,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
1,923 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
-$138 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
$38 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 201
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)
country comparison to the world: 190
food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel
Trinidad and Tobago 43.1%, US 24.5%, Barbados 3.6% (2008)
$347 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 163
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Communications ::Grenada
28,600 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 180
60,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 190
general assessment: automatic, island-wide 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
AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (2009)
2 (2009)
.gd
42 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 211
24,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 185
Transportation ::Grenada
3 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 193
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
total: 1,127 km
country comparison to the world: 182
paved: 687 km
unpaved: 440 km (2000)
Saint George's
Military ::Grenada
no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2008)
males age 16-49: 27,453 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 22,487
females age 16-49: 22,535 (2010 est.)
male: 987
female: 1,026 (2010 est.)
NA
Transnational Issues ::Grenada
none
small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US