: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
Disputes:
none
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
:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines People
Population:
115,339 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
23 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
71 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (1992)
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
Religions:
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages:
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
:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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 September 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 BEACHE; 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 NA 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:
Ambassador Kingsley LAYNE; 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 102,
Washington, DC 20036; telephone NA
US:
no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
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
*** No entry for this item ***
:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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:
exchange rate conversion - $146 million, per capita $1,300; real growth rate
5.9% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.0% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
30% (1989 est.)
Budget:
revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital
expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
Exports:
$75 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets, flour
partners:
UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
Imports:
$130 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and
fuels
partners:
US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15%
External debt:
$50.9 million (1989)
Industrial production:
growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
16,594 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 560 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture, clothing, starch, sheet
metal, beverage
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 (1970-89), $81 million
Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 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
:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Communications
Highways:
about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved
Ports:
Kingstown
Merchant marine:
407 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,388,427 GRT/5,511,325 DWT; includes
3 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 222 cargo, 22 container, 19 roll-on/roll-off
cargo, 14 refrigerated cargo, 24 petroleum tanker, 7 chemical tanker, 4
liquefied gas, 73 bulk, 13 combination bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock
carrier, 1 specialized tanker; 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 from Saint Vincent to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF
links to Grenada and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV
(cable)