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 5.5% during the
period 1986-91, unemployment remains high at about 25%.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $238 million, per capita $2,800 (1989); real
growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.)
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:
$26.0 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
nutmeg 36%, cocoa beans 9%, bananas 14%, mace 8%, textiles 5%
partners:
US 12%, UK, FRG, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago (1989)
Imports:
$105.0 million (f.o.b., 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 (1991)
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 (1970-89), $70 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
:Grenada 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 radio
links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to
Trinidad and Carriacou; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
:Grenada Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
NA
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
:Guadeloupe Geography
Total area:
1,780 km2
Land area:
1,760 km2
Comparative area:
10 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
306 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high humidity
Terrain:
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grand-Terre is
low limestone formation
Natural resources:
cultivable land, beaches, and climate that foster tourism
Land use:
arable land 18%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and
woodland 40%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano
Note:
located 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
:Guadeloupe People
Population:
409,132 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
19 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
8 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
10 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
74 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Guadeloupian(s); adjective - Guadeloupe
Ethnic divisions:
black or mulatto 90%; white 5%; East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Languages:
French, creole patois
Literacy:
90% (male 90%, female 91%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
Labor force:
120,000; 53.0% services, government, and commerce, 25.8% industry, 21.2%
agriculture
Organized labor:
11% of labor force
:Guadeloupe Government