GRENADA GEOGRAPHY Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 121 km Maritime claims: Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors Land use: arable land 15%; permanent crops 26%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 9%; other 47% Environment: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November Note: islands of the Grenadines group are divided politically with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines PEOPLE Population: 83,812 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.4% (1991) Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 32 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Grenadian(s); adjective--Grenadian Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent Religion: largely Roman Catholic; Anglican; other Protestant sects Language: English (official); some French patois Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970) Labor force: 36,000; services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%, manufacturing 5%, other 32% (1985) Organized labor: 20% of labor force GOVERNMENT Long-form name: none Type: parliamentary democracy Capital: Saint George's Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Little Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick Independence: 7 February 1974 (from UK) Constitution: 19 December 1973 Legal system: based on English common law National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974) Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Ministers of Government (cabinet) Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Paul SCOON (since 30 September 1978); Head of Government--Prime Minister Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since 13 March 1990) Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nicholas BRATHWAITE; Grenada United Labor Party (GULP), Sir Eric GAIRY; The National Party (TNP), Ben JONES; New National Party (NNP), Keith MITCHELL; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM), Terrence MERRYSHOW; New Jewel Movement (NJM), Bernard COARD Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: House of Representatives--last held on 13 March 1990 (next to be held by March 1996); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(15 total) NDC 8, GULP 3, TNP 2, NNP 2 Communists: about 450 members of the New Jewel Movement (pro-Soviet) and the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (pro-Cuban) Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Denneth MODESTE; Chancery at 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 265-2561; there is a Grenadian Consulate General in New York; US--Charge d'Affaires Annette VELER; Embassy at Ross Point Inn, Saint George's (mailing address is P. O. Box 54, Saint George's); telephone (809) 444-1173 through 1178 Flag: 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 Overview: The economy is essentially agricultural and centers on the traditional production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture accounts for about 16% of GDP and 80% of exports and employs 24% of the labor force. Tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner, followed by agricultural exports. Manufacturing remains relatively undeveloped, but is expected to grow, given a more favorable private investment climate since 1983. Despite an impressive average annual growth rate for the economy of 5.6% during the period 1986-90, unemployment remains high at about 25%. GDP: $200.7 million, per capita $2,390 (1989); real growth rate 5.4% (1990) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.0% (1990) Unemployment rate: 25% (1990 est.) Budget: revenues $54.9 million; expenditures $77.6 million, including capital expenditures of $16.6 million (1990 est.) Exports: $27.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--nutmeg 36%, cocoa beans 9%, bananas 14%, mace 8%, textiles 5; partners--US 12%, UK, FRG, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago (1989) Imports: $115.6 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%, chemicals 10%, fuel 6% (1989); partners--US 29%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1989) External debt: $90 million (1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 6% of GDP Electricity: 12,500 kW capacity; 26 million kWh produced, 310 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: food and beverage, textile, light assembly operations, tourism, construction Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and 80% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, and mace account for two-thirds of total crop production; world's second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of nutmeg and mace; small-size farms predominate, growing a variety of citrus fruits, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, and vegetables Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY84-89), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $67 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $32 million Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 1,000 km total; 600 km paved, 300 km otherwise improved; 100 km unimproved Ports: Saint George's Civil air: no major transport aircraft Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: automatic, islandwide telephone system with 5,650 telephones; new SHF links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF links to Trinidad and Carriacou; stations--1 AM, no FM, 1 TV DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard Manpower availability: NA Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP