Grenada
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realmIndependence 7 February 1974 (from the UK)
Grenada as the 2014 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 149 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
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 and Society
32 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2014 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2014 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups
black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.1 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.83 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
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 Keith MITCHELL (since 20 February 2013)
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
House of Representatives, 15 seats, elected 19 February 2013one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
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
Constitution
- previous 1967;
- latest presented 19 December 1973, came into operation 7 February 1974, some provisions suspended 1979;
- amended 1991 (Constitutional Judicature Act, 1991 - restored provisions suspended in 1979), 1992 (2008)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 20 February 2013)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- 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
Legislative branch
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 19 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
- election results:
- House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NNP 59%, NDC 41%; seats by party - NNP 15
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court of Grenada (consists of the High Court with 3 justices and a 2-tier Court of Appeal with NA justices);
- note - the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Grenada;
- the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is compri
- judge selection and term of office:
- justice selection and tenure NA
- subordinate courts:
- magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals
Political parties and leaders
- Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Wilfred HAYES]
- 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, 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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ethelstan A. FRIDAY (since 3 September 2013)
- 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 does not have an embassy in Grenada; 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 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
National anthem
- name:
- "Hail Grenada"
- lyrics/music:
- Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO
note: adopted 1974
Economy
Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985.
37 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2013 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
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 MITCHELL administration limited room to engage in public investments and social spending. MITCHELL in 2013 announced a structural adjustment program that includes a plan to increase tax revenue.
Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of tourism and higher education - especially in medicine - have contributed to growth in national output; however, economic growth remained stagnant in 2010-13 after a sizeable contraction in 2009, because of the global economic slowdown's effects on tourism and remittances.
Gross national saving
-3.6% of GDP (2013 est.) · -7.2% of GDP (2012 est.) · -2.1% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Agriculture - products
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables
Central bank discount rate
6.5% (31 December 2009) · 6.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 47
Commercial bank prime lending rate
9.4% (31 December 2013 est.) · 9.75% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Stock of narrow money
$131.7 million (31 December 2013 est.) · $123.3 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Stock of broad money
$697.4 million (31 December 2013 est.) · $689.7 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Stock of domestic credit
$744.9 million (31 December 2013 est.) · $729.5 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
Current account balance
-$214.4 million (2012 est.) · -$204.5 million (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Debt - external
$679 million (2013 est.) · $538 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2013 est.) · 2.7 (2012 est.) · 2.7 (2010 est.) · 2.7 (2009)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 49,700 kW(2010 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- 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 (2009)
Broadcast media
- 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)
Transportation
4 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Military
No regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2010)
4 fieldsMilitary branches
no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2010)
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 2014. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/grenada/2014.