SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 84 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation;
rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island
of Saint Vincent
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: arable land 38%; permanent crops 12%; meadows and
pastures 6%; forest and woodland 41%; other 3%; includes irrigated
3%
Environment: subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a
constant
threat
Note: some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by
Grenada
PEOPLE
Population: 114,221 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 31 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 72 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s);
adjectives--Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent; remainder mixed,
with some white, East Indian, Carib Indian
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day
Adventist
Language: English, some French patois
Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever
attended school (1970)
Labor force: 67,000 (1984 est.)
Organized labor: 10% of labor force
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: none
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kingstown
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines,
Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK)
Constitution: 27 October 1979
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime
minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 Septermber 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July
1984)
Political parties and leaders:
New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL;
Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent BEACH;
United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS;
Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES;
National Reform Party (NRP), Joel MIGUEL
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Assembly--last held 16 May 1989
(next to be held July 1994);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(21 total; 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators)
NDP 15
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, OAS, OECS,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double
width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a
V pattern
ECONOMY
Overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most
important sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly on
a growing tourist industry, is also important. The economy continues to
have a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on the
weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress
toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.
GDP: $146 million, per capita $1,270; real growth rate 5.9
(1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 30% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million,
including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
Exports: $74.6 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot
starch, tennis racquets, flour;
partners--UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
Imports: $127.5 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and
fertilizers, minerals and fuels;
partners--US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15%
External debt: $51.4 million (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14%
of GDP
Electricity: 16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced,
570 kWh per capita (1990)
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and 60% of labor force;
provides bulk of exports; products--bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes,
spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch
used locally
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $76 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars);
1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed
rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year (as of January 1991); previously
1 July-30 June
COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved;
300 km unimproved
Ports: Kingstown
Merchant marine: 242 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,855,061
GRT/2,919,872 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 132 cargo,
11 container, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 refrigerated cargo,
13 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker,
4 liquefied gas, 44 bulk, 6 combination bulk, 1 vehicle carrier;
note--China owns 3 ships; a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: islandwide fully automatic telephone system;
6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links to Barbados and the
Grenadines; new SHF links to Grenada and Saint Lucia;
stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable)
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force,
Coast Guard
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 28,339; NA fit for military
service
