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)
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.)
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
