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. 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

twice the size of Washington, DC

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

volcanic in origin with central mountains

timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

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

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

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

English (official), French patois

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

109,011 (July 2012 est.)

16.81 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

7.98 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-3.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) 40,000 (2009)

24 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

2.15 children born/woman (2012 est.)

2.4 beds/1,000 population (2009)

urban: 96% of population

rural: 97% of population

total: 97% of population

urban: 4% of population

rural: 3% of population

total: 3% of population

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)

common law based on English model

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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)

local Magistrate's Courts handle limited criminal and civil matters; 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 [Wilfred HAYES]; 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, CELAC, 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, 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 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

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 remained stagnant in 2010-12 after a sizeable contraction in 2009, because of the global economic slowdown's effects on tourism and remittances.

$1.471 billion (2012 est.)

$1.463 billion (2011 est.)

$1.457 billion (2010 est.)

$851 million (2012 est.)

20.6% of GDP (2009 est.)

-4.8% of GDP (2009 est.)

110% of GDP (2012 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

6.5% (31 December 2008)

10.4% (31 December 2012 est.)

10.68% (31 December 2011 est.)

$137.8 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$123.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$715.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$687.9 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$793.2 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$744.9 million (31 December 2011 est.)

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

-$217.2 million (2011 est.)

-$221 million (2010 est.)

$36.36 million (2011 est.)

$30.31 million (2010 est.)

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

St. Lucia 19.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 13.5%, St. Kitts and Nevis 12.1%, Dominica 12.1%, US 10.2% (2011)

$296.3 million (2011 est.)

$284.4 million (2010 est.)

food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel

Trinidad and Tobago 43.2%, US 19% (2011)

$538 million (2010 est.)

$542 million (2009 est.)

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

201.4 million kWh (2010 est.)

177.4 million kWh (2009 est.)

33,000 kW (2009 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

2,803 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

1,976 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

429,300 Mt (2010 est.)

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; multi-channel cable TV subscription service is available; a dozen private radio stations also broadcast (2007)

no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2010)

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