*Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, People
Population:
114,562 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.76% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
20.86 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
5.39 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-7.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
18.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.72 years
male:
70.21 years
female:
73.28 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.16 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
adjective:
Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Ethnic divisions:
black African descent, white, East Indian, Carib Indian
Religions:
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages:
English, French patois
Literacy:
age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
total population:
96%
male:
96%
female:
96%
Labor force:
67,000 (1984 est.)
by occupation:
NA
*Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Digraph:
VC
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)
Political parties and leaders:
New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL; Saint Vincent Labor Party
(SVLP), Stanley JOHN; United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS;
Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES; National Reform Party
(NRP), Joel MIGUEL
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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
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)
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 in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Kingsley LAYNE
chancery:
1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 102, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
NA
US diplomatic representation:
no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
*Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Government
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
*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 35%-40% 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.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $171 million (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
3% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,500 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
35%-40% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital
expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
Exports:
$65.7 million (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets
partners:
UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
Imports:
$110.7 million (f.o.b., 1991)
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:
16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 555 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch
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), $81 million
Currency:
1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Communications
Highways:
1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved (est.)
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 oil 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
Airports:
total:
6
usable:
6
with permanent-surface runways:
5
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
1
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)