Grenada
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realmIndependence 7 February 1974 (from the UK)
Grenada as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 123 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
19 fieldsLand useshare of 344 sq km
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Environment - international agreements
- 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
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.12 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.08 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Ethnic groups
black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian
Literacy
- definition:
- age 15 and over can read and write
- total population:
- 96%
- male:
- NA
- female:
- NA (2003 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Prime Minister Tillman THOMAS (since 9 July 2008)
18 fieldsHouse of Representatives, 15 seats, elected 8 July 2008one dot, one seat
Capital
- 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
6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Executive branch
- 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
- elections:
- 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
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 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
Judicial branch
- 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)
Political parties and leaders
- 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
- Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG;
- New Jewel Movement Support Group;
- The British Grenada Friendship Society;
- The New Jewel 19 Committee
International organization participation
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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- 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
Diplomatic representation from the US
- 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
- 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 relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985.
44 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2003)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
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 slow in 2009 because of the global economic slowdown's effects on tourism and remittances.
Central bank discount rate
6.5% (31 December 2008) · 6.5% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 67
Commercial bank prime lending rate
9.53% (31 December 2008) · 9.76% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 88
Stock of money
$141.4 million (31 December 2008) · $151.2 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 109
Stock of quasi money
$578.1 million (31 December 2008) · $533.4 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 106
Stock of domestic credit
$658 million (31 December 2008) · $575.8 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 114
Agriculture - products
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- 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
Transportation
4 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Military
No regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2008)
5 fieldsMilitary branches
no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2008)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Grenada.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/grenada/2009.