Grenada
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchyIndependence 7 February 1974 (from the UK)
Grenada as the 2022 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 142 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when Christopher COLUMBUS landed on 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
17 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
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 · (2020 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2022 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2011 est.)
Religions(2011 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:
- 1.09 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.69 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.03 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Drinking water source
- improved:
- total: 96.8% of population
- unimproved:
- total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 8.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 3.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 0.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 4.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Environment
11 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 21.56 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 0.27 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 2.04 megatons (2020 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 37.1% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.86% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 12 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- industrial:
- 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
- agricultural:
- 2.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); 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
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:
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); 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 than 2023); 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 court(s):
- 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 [Dickon MITCHELL]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]
International organization participation
ACP, AOSIS, CARIFORUM, CARIBCAN, Caricom, CBI, CDB, CELAC, CSME, ECCU, EPA, 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
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Yolande Yvonne SMITH (since 8 April 2019)
- chancery:
- 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 265-2561
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 265-2468
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://grenadaembassyusa.org/
- consulate(s) general:
- Miami, New York
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
- embassy:
- Lance-aux-Epines, Saint George's
- mailing address:
- 3180 Grenada Place, Washington DC 20521-3180
- telephone:
- [1] (473) 444-1173
- FAX:
- [1] (473) 444-4820
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://bb.usembassy.gov/embassy/grenada/
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's;
- 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.
32 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 est.)
Economic 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.
Credit ratings
Standard & Poors rating: SD (2013) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agricultural products
bananas, watermelons, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, tomatoes, plantains, coconuts, melons, cucumbers, cabbages
Industries
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction, education, call-center operations
Imports - commodities
aircraft, poultry meat, cars, refined petroleum, food preparation materials (2019)
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
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2018)
Installed generating capacity, 55,000 kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 2,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate exports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate imports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- consumption:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- exports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- imports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
316,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 316,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue;
- fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home;
- one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile;
- governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time;
- network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)
- domestic:
- 14 per 100 for fixed-line and 108 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2020)
- 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)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production;
progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
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)
Transportation
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 6 ships by typeone square, one ship · (2021)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Military and Security
No regular military forces; the Royal Grenada Police Force (under the Ministry of National Security) includes a Coast Guard and a paramilitary Special Services Unit (2022)
2 fieldsMilitary and security forces
no regular military forces; the Royal Grenada Police Force (under the Ministry of National Security) includes a Coast Guard and a paramilitary Special Services Unit (2022)
Military - note
Grenada joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 1985; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2022)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Grenada.” The World Factbook 2022. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/grenada/2022.