Grenada
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchyIndependence 7 February 1974 (from the UK)
Grenada as the 2019 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 153 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. In 1979, a leftist New Jewel Movement seized power under Maurice BISHOP ushering in the Grenada Revolution. On 19 October 1983, factions within the revolutionary government overthrew and killed BISHOP and members of his party. 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. The rule of law was restored and democratic elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since then.
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
Population distribution
approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast
Natural hazards
- lies on edge of hurricane belt;
- hurricane season lasts from June to November volcanism: Mount Saint Catherine (840 m) lies on the island of Grenada;
- Kick 'em Jenny, an active submarine volcano (seamount) on the Caribbean Sea floor, lies about 8 km north of the island of Grenada;
- these two volcanoes are at the southern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends up to the Netherlands dependency of Saba in the north
Environment - current issues
- deforestation causing habitat destruction and species loss;
- coastal erosion and contamination;
- pollution and sedimentation;
- inadequate solid waste management
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
33 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2018 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2011 est.)
Religions(2011 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 23.84% (male 13,901 /female 12,851)
- 15-24 years:
- 14.61% (male 8,196 /female 8,201)
- 25-54 years:
- 40.27% (male 23,121 /female 22,067)
- 55-64 years:
- 10.97% (male 6,284 /female 6,023)
- 65 years and over:
- 10.31% (male 5,377 /female 6,186) (2018 est.)
Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio:
- 50.7 (2015 est.)
- youth dependency ratio:
- 39.9 (2015 est.)
- elderly dependency ratio:
- 10.8 (2015 est.)
- potential support ratio:
- 9.3 (2015 est.)
Population distribution
approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.1 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.87 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.03 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 9.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
- male:
- 9 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Major infectious diseases
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito;
other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus
Government
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 20 February 2013)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
House of Representativespercent of vote
Composition: men 8, women 7, percent of women 46.7%
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Grenada
- etymology:
- derivation of the name remains obscure;
- some sources attribute the designation to Spanish influence (most likely named for the Spanish city of Granada), with subsequent French and English interpretations resulting in the present-day Grenada;
- in Spanish "granada" means "pomegranate"
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)
- etymology:
- the 1763 Treaty of Paris transferred possession of Grenada from France to Great Britain;
- the new administration renamed Ville de Fort Royal (Fort Royal Town) to Saint George's Town, after the patron saint of England;
- eventually the name became simply Saint George's
Administrative divisions
6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Constitution
- history:
- previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, effective 7 February 1974, suspended 1979 following a revolution but restored in 1983
- amendments:
- proposed by either house of Parliament;
- passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership in both houses and assent of the governor general;
- passage of amendments to constitutional sections, such as personal rights and freedoms, the structure, authorities, and procedures of the branches of government, the delimitation of electoral constituencies, or the procedure for amending the constitution, also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum;
- amended 1991, 1992 (2018)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- yes
- citizenship by descent only:
- yes
- dual citizenship recognized:
- yes
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 7 years for persons from a non-Caribbean state and 4 years for a person from a Caribbean state
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
- elections/appointments:
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- governor general appointed by the monarch;
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch
- description:
- bicameral Parliament consists of:; Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms); House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
- elections:
- Senate - last appointments on 27 April 2018 (next no later than2023); House of Representatives - last held on 13 March 2018 (next no later than 2023)
- election results:
- ;
- Senate - percent by party - NA;
- seats by party - NA;
- composition - men 11, women 2 percent of women 15.4%
- House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NNP 58.9%, NDC 40.5%;
- other 0.6% seats by party - NNP 15;
- composition - men 8, women 7, percent of women 46.7%;
- note - total Parliament percent of women 32.1%
Judicial branch
- highest courts:
- regionally, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States;
- the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges;
- the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts;
- High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Grenada;
- appeals beyond the ECSC in civil and criminal matters are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
- judge selection and term of office:
- chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II;
- other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and independent body of judicial officials;
- Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65;
- High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
- subordinate courts:
- magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals
Political parties and leaders
National Democratic Congress or NDC [Nazim BURKE]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]
International organization participation
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), 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
Ambassador Ethelstan Angus 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:
- Miami
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- the US does not have an official embassy in Grenada; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada
- telephone:
- [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176
- embassy:
- Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's, Grenada
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 54, Saint George's
- 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 a leading nutmeg producer);
- 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 and revenue generated by St.
38 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 est.)
Economy - overview
Grenada relies on tourism and revenue generated by St. George’s University - a private university offering degrees in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, the health sciences, nursing, arts and sciences, and business - as its main source of foreign exchange. In the past two years the country expanded its sources of revenue, including from selling passports under its citizenship by investment program.
These projects produced a resurgence in the construction and manufacturing sectors of the economy. In 2017, Grenada experienced its fifth consecutive year of growth and the government successfully marked the completion of its five-year structural adjustment program that included among other things austerity measures, increased tax revenue and debt restructuring. Public debt-to-GDP was reduced from 100% of GDP in 2013 to 71.8% in 2017.
Agriculture - products
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, soursop, citrus, avocados, root crops, corn, vegetables, fish
Industries
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction, education, call-center operations
Stock of domestic credit
$550 million (31 December 2017 est.) · $566.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$199.1 million (31 December 2017 est.) · $198 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2017 est.) · 2.7 (2016 est.) · 2.7 (2015 est.) · 2.7 (2014 est.) · 2.7 (2013 est.)
Energy
24 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2016)
Installed generating capacity, 51,100 kW(2016 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2016–17 est.)
Telephone system
- general assessment:
- adequate, automatic, island-wide telephone system; lack of local competition but telecoms are a high contributor to overall GDP (2018)
- domestic:
- interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links; 29 per 100 for fixed-line and 101 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2018)
- international:
- country code - 1-473;
- landing points for the ECFS, Southern Caribbean Fiber and CARCIP submarine cables with links to 13 Caribbean islands extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad & Tobago including Puerto Rico and Barbados;
- SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent;
- VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad (2019)
Broadcast media
- multiple publicly and privately owned television and radio stations;
- Grenada Information Service (GIS) is government-owned and provides television and radio services;
- 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;
- Meaningful Television (MTV) broadcasts island-wide and is part of a locally-owned media house, Moving Target Company, that also includes an FM radio station and a weekly newspaper;
- multi-channel cable TV subscription service is provided by Columbus Communications Grenada (FLOW GRENADA) and is available island wide;
- approximately 25 private radio stations also broadcast throughout the country (2019)
Military and Security
No regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2019)
1 fieldMilitary and security forces
no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2019)
Transportation
7 fieldsMerchant marine, 6 ships by typeone square, one ship · (2018)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 0 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 0 (2015)
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 0 (2015)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 0 mt-km (2015)
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 2019. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/grenada/2019.