General information: The smallest independent state in the Western Hemisphere. On October 19, 1983, power in Grenada was usurped by a Marxist military council. Six days later, US and six other Caribbean nations landed on the island, capturing the ringleaders and hundreds of their Cuban accomplices in a short time. Free elections were again held the following year. Geography
Geography
Location: Caribbean Sea, an island between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.
Geographic coordinates: 12° 07′ N. latitude, 61° 40’W e.
Reference map: Central America and the Caribbean.
Area: total: 340 sq. km.; land surface area: 340 km2; water surface area: 0 km2
Comparative area: twice the size of Washington DC.
Land borders: 0 km.
Coastline: 121 km.
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; territorial waters: 12 nautical miles.
Climate: tropical; moderated by the northeast trade winds.
Relief: volcanic origin, mountains in the center of the island.
Maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: Mount St. Catherine 840 m.
Natural resources: timber, tropical fruits, deep water harbours.
Land use: arable land: 15%; cultivated land: 18%; pastures: 3%; forests and plantations: 9%; others: 55% (1993 est.).
Irrigated land: no data.
Natural Hazards: Located on the edge of the hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November.
Current environmental issues: no data available.
International agreements on environmental protection: member: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed but not ratified: no.
Geography note: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada share control of the Grenadines.
Population
Population: 89,227 (July 2001 est.).
Age structure: under 14: 37.05% (male 16,739; female 16,318); 15 to 64 years old: 59.03% (male 27,850; female 24,820); over 65: 3.92% (male 1,592; female 1,908) (2001 est.).
Population growth: -0.06% (2001 est.).
Birth rate: 23.12 newborns / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Mortality: 7.82 deaths / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Migration: -15.86 people /1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male/female; up to 15 years: 1.03 male/female; from 15 to 64 years old: 1.12 male/female; over 65: 0.83 male/female; for the general population: 1.07 male/female (2001 est.);
Child mortality: 14.63 deaths/1000 births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 64.52 years; men: 62.74 years; women: 66.31 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 2.54 children/wives. (2001 est.).
Proportion of the adult population infected with HIV: no data available.
Number of people infected with HIV: no data.
Mortality due to AIDS: no data available.
Nationality: noun: inhabitant of the island of Grenada; adjective: Grenadian.
Ethnic groups: black 82%, some peoples of South Asia (natives of the East Indies) and Europeans, remnants of the Arawak and Carib Indians.
Believers: Catholics 53%, Anglicans 13.8%, other Protestants 33.2%.
Language(s): English (official), local dialect of French.
Literacy: definition: persons aged 15 and over who can read and write; for the general population: 98%; men: 98%; women: 98% (1970 est.). State Name:
Politics
Common long form: no;
conventional short form: Grenada
Government: constitutional monarchy with a British-style parliament.
Capital: St. George’s. See a2zgov.com to know more about Grenada government and politics.
Administrative division: 6 districts and 1 possession*: Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Sainte-An-dru, Saint-David, Saint-John, Saint-George, Saint-Marc, Saint-Patrick.
Independence: from February 7, 1974 (until 1974 – a colonial possession of Great Britain).
National holiday: Independence Day, February 7 (1974).
Constitution: adopted December 19, 1973
Legal system: based on English common law.
Suffrage: from 18 years old; universal.
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996);
head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June 1995)
Government: cabinet appointed by the governor-general on the nomination of the prime minister; elections: no; hereditary monarchy; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; The Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor General from among the members of the House of Representatives.
Legislature: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 members, 10 appointed by the governor and three by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote for five years); elections: last held 18 January 1999 (next to be held in October 2004); election results: House of Representatives, distribution of votes between parties: no data; seat distribution among parties: NNP 14, GULP 1.
Judiciary: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (one of the judges resides in Grenada).
Political parties and leaders: Grenada United Labor Party (GULP) (Herbert PREUDHOMME); National Democratic Congress (NDC) (leadership vacant); New National Party (NNP) (George McGUIRE).
Political influence groups and their leaders:
Participation in international organizations: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO.
US Diplomatic Mission: Head of Mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE; office: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; phone: [1] (202) 265-2561; consulates general: New York.
US Diplomatic Mission: head of mission: Ambassador to Barbados accredited to Grenada; embassy: Point Salines, St. George’s; mailing address: R. O. Box 54, St. George’s, Grenada, West Indies; phone: [1] (473) 444-1173 (1174, 1175, 1176); fax: [\] (473) 444-4820.
Description of the flag: the rectangle is divided by diagonal lines into four triangles (yellow on top and bottom and green on the right and left) with a red edge around the entire perimeter of the flag; the flag has seven yellow five-pointed stars, three of which are located at the top of the red stripe, three at the bottom of the red stripe and one on a red disk in the center of the flag; on the left triangle is a symbolic image of nutmeg peel (Grenada is the world’s second largest producer of nutmeg after Indonesia); the seven stars symbolize the seven administrative divisions.
