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  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
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 Economy
 Communications
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 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on St. Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.
   Geography    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
13 15 N, 61 12 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
land: 389 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
84 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
volcanic, mountainous
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
hydropower, cropland
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 17.95%
permanent crops: 17.95%
other: 64.1% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
10 sq km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Definition Field Listing
Total: 0.01
Per capita: 83 cu m/yr (1995)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays
   People    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
118,149 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 15,596/female 15,027)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 41,259/female 38,620)
65 years and over: 6.5% (male 3,358/female 4,289) (2007 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 27.4 years
male: 27.3 years
female: 27.6 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.248% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
16.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.97 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-7.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.038 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.068 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.783 male(s)/female
total population: 1.039 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 14.01 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.25 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 74.09 years
male: 72.21 years
female: 76.04 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.81 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English, French patois
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 96%
male: 96%
female: 96% (1970 est.)
   Government    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Kingstown
geographic coordinates: 13 09 N, 61 14 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
27 October 1979 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
27 October 1979
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and six appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 55.3%, NDP 44.7%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Ellsworth I. A. JOHN
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Economic growth slowed slightly in 2007 after reaching a 10 year high of nearly 7% in 2006, but is expected to remain robust, hinging upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors and a recent increase in construction activity. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 2005, the islands had more than 160,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high debt burden - 25 percent of current revenues are directed towards debt servicing.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$902 million (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$428 million (2005)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3,600 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 10%
industry: 26%
services: 64% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
41,680 (1991 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 26%
industry: 17%
services: 57% (1980 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1% (2005 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $94.6 million
expenditures: $85.8 million (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-0.9% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
115 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
107 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,468 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$193 million (2006)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
France 26.2%, Greece 21.3%, Italy 18.9%, Russia 7.2%, UK 6.8% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$578 million (2006)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Singapore 17.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.1%, US 11.1%, Italy 11%, Spain 9.5%, Turkey 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$4.89 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (2005)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$223 million (2004)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
22,600 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
87,600 (2006)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines; mobile-cellular teledensity about 75 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2004)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.vc
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
97 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10,000 (2005)
   Transportation    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 829 km
paved: 580 km
unpaved: 249 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 582 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,598,917 GRT/8,255,014 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 92, cargo 353, carrier 19, chemical tanker 4, container 17, liquefied gas 6, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 11, petroleum tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 31, roll on/roll off 21, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: 536 (Austria 2, Bangladesh 1, Barbados 1, Belgium 9, Bulgaria 13, Canada 6, China 106, Croatia 7, Cyprus 3, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 16, Egypt 4, Estonia 20, France 7, Germany 3, Greece 81, Guyana 2, Hong Kong 7, Iceland 15, India 5, Iran 1, Israel 4, Italy 19, Kenya 2, Latvia 20, Lebanon 7, Lithuania 7, Malta 1, Monaco 6, Montenegro 1, Netherlands 5, Norway 19, Pakistan 1, Philippines 1, Poland 1, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 1, Romania 1, Russia 19, Singapore 6, Slovenia 5, Sweden 2, Switzerland 12, Syria 11, Turkey 20, Ukraine 12, UAE 12, UK 9, US 21) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Kingstown
   Military    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 31,489 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 25,787 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 1,204 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transnational Issues    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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