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 then.
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
12 07 N, 61 40 W
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km
twice the size of Washington, DC
0 km
121 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
volcanic in origin with central mountains
mean elevation: NA
elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m
timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
agricultural land: 32.3%
arable land 8.8%; permanent crops 20.6%; permanent pasture 2.9%
forest: 50%
other: 17.7% (2011 est.)
20 sq km (2012)
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
NA
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
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
111,219 (July 2016 est.)
noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian
African descent 89.4%, mixed 8.2%, East Indian 1.6%, other 0.9% (includes indigenous) (2001 est.)
English (official), French patois
Roman Catholic 44.6%, Protestant 43.5% (includes Anglican 11.5%, Pentecostal 11.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 10.5%, Baptist 2.9%, Church of God 2.6%, Methodist 1.8%, Evangelical 1.6%, other 1.3%), Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 6.2%, none 3.6%
0-14 years: 24.15% (male 13,935/female 12,928)
15-24 years: 15.55% (male 8,609/female 8,684)
25-54 years: 40.36% (male 23,001/female 21,891)
55-64 years: 10.1% (male 5,753/female 5,476)
65 years and over: 9.84% (male 5,041/female 5,901) (2016 est.)
total dependency ratio: 50.7%
youth dependency ratio: 39.9%
elderly dependency ratio: 10.8%
potential support ratio: 9.3% (2015 est.)
total: 30.9 years
male: 30.9 years
female: 31 years (2016 est.)
0.46% (2016 est.)
15.8 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
-3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast
urban population: 35.6% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 0.33% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) 38,000 (2014)
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
27 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
total: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
total population: 74.3 years
male: 71.7 years
female: 77.1 years (2016 est.)
2.04 children born/woman (2016 est.)
6.1% of GDP (2014)
0.66 physicians/1,000 population (2006)
3.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)
improved:
urban: 99% of population
rural: 95.3% of population
total: 96.6% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1% of population
rural: 4.7% of population
total: 3.4% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 97.5% of population
rural: 98.3% of population
total: 98% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2.5% of population
rural: 1.7% of population
total: 2% of population (2015 est.)
NA
NA
NA
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 (2016)
24.6% (2014)
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2009)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada
etymology: probably named for the Spanish city of Granada; in Spanish "granada" means "pomegranate"
parliamentary democracy (Parliament); a Commonwealth realm
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)
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)
previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, effective 7 February 1974, suspended 1979 following a revolution, but restored in 1983; amended 1991 (Constitutional Judicature Act, 1991); note - in late 2015, as part of constitutional reform, Parliament completed its first reading of a package of amendments (2016)
common law based on English model
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: 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
18 years of age; universal
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
description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the opposition party leader; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-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
highest court(s): 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 comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 19 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states
judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the 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
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
Grenada dove, Bougainvillea flower; national colors: red, yellow, green
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
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: Miami
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 1176
FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820
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
name: "Hail Grenada"
lyrics/music: Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO
note: adopted 1974
Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of tourism and higher education -
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
$1.511 billion (2016 est.)
$1.467 billion (2015 est.)
$1.381 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
$1.028 billion (2015 est.)
3% (2016 est.)
6.2% (2015 est.)
7.3% (2014 est.)
$14,100 (2016 est.)
$13,700 (2015 est.)
$13,000 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
0.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
2.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
household consumption: 80.3%
government consumption: 15.1%
investment in fixed capital: 17%
investment in inventories: -0.1%
exports of goods and services: 23.8%
imports of goods and services: -36.1% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 9.6%
industry: 13.8%
services: 76.6% (2016 est.)
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
2% (2016 est.)
59,900 (2013 est.)
agriculture: 11%
industry: 20%
services: 69% (2008 est.)
33.5% (2013)
25% (2008)
38% (2008 est.)
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $274.6 million
expenditures: $308.9 million (2016 est.)
26.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
-3.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
110% of GDP (2012 est.)
calendar year
0.5% (2016 est.)
-1.4% (2015 est.)
6.5% (31 December 2009)
6.5% (31 December 2008)
9% (31 December 2016 est.)
8.96% (31 December 2015 est.)
$209.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$201.1 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$797 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$786.1 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$575.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$567.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$NA
-$130 million (2016 est.)
-$157 million (2015 est.)
$44.2 million (2016 est.)
$43.8 million (2015 est.)
nutmeg, bananas, cocoa, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace
Nigeria 44.7%, St. Lucia 10.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.3%, St. Kitts and Nevis 6.6%, Dominica 6.6%, US 5.8% (2015)
$313.7 million (2016 est.)
$310.4 million (2015 est.)
food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel
Trinidad and Tobago 49.6%, US 16.4% (2015)
$679 million (2013 est.)
$538 million (2010 est.)
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2016 est.)
2.7 (2015 est.)
2.7 (2014 est.)
2.7 (2013 est.)
2.7 (2012 est.)
population without electricity: 11,121
electrification - total population: 91%
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)
200 million kWh (2014 est.)
200 million kWh (2014 est.)
0 kWh (2013 est.)
0 kWh (2013 est.)
50,000 kW (2014 est.)
98.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
1.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
2,300 bbl/day (2014 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
2,259 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
500,000 Mt (2013 est.)
total subscriptions: 27,034
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (July 2015 est.)
total: 120,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 108 (July 2015 est.)
general assessment: adequate, automatic, island-wide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber 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 a (2015)
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 (2007)
.gd
total: 60,000
percent of population: 53.8% (July 2015 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 0
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 0
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 0
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
J3 (2016)
3 (2013)
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
total: 1,127 km
paved: 687 km
unpaved: 440 km (2001)
major seaport(s): Saint George's
no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2010)
none
small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US
