Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces

SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Geography

 Location: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad
 and Tobago

 Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
SAINT VINCENT - MAJOR CITIES 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                        Latitude,      Internat'l     Time   
                        Population      Longitude      Phone Code     Zone   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
KINGSTOWN                   19,000    13.12N, 61.14W     809-        GMT-4   
Georgetown                   1,000    13.19N, 61.09W     809-        GMT-4   
Chateaubelair                  N/A    13.17N, 61.15W     809-        GMT-4   
Fancy                          N/A    13.22N, 61.11W     809-        GMT-4   
Layou                          N/A    13.12N, 61.17W     809-        GMT-4   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Area:
 total area: 340 sq km
 land area: 340 sq km
 comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

 Land boundaries: 0 km

 Coastline: 84 km

 Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone: 24 nm
 continental shelf: 200 nm
 exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
 territorial sea: 12 nm

 International 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%

 Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

 Environment:
 current issues: 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
 natural hazards: hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
 international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the
 Sea, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
 Desertification

 Note: the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
 divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:People

 Population: 117,344 (July 1995 est.)

 Age structure:
 0-14 years: 34% (female 19,551; male 20,185)
 15-64 years: 61% (female 35,565; male 35,573)
 65 years and over: 5% (female 3,793; male 2,677) (July 1995 est.)

 Population growth rate: 0.65% (1995 est.)

 Birth rate: 19.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Death rate: 5.46 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Net migration rate: -7.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Infant mortality rate: 17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

 Life expectancy at birth:
 total population: 72.66 years
 male: 71.15 years
 female: 74.21 years (1995 est.)

 Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (1995 est.)

 Nationality:
 noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
 adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

 Ethnic divisions: African descent, Caucasian, East Indian, Carib
 Indian

 Religions: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist

 Languages: English, French patois

 Literacy: age 15 and over has 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)

 National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

 Constitution: 27 October 1979

 Legal system: based on English common law

 Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

 Executive branch:
 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); Deputy Prime Minister Parnel CAMPBELL (since NA February 1994);
 note - governor general appoints leader of the majority party to
 position of prime minister
 cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on the advice of
 the prime minister

 Legislative branch: unicameral
 House of Assembly: elections last held 21 February 1994 (next to be
 held NA July 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21
 total, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators) NDP 12,
 ULP 3

 Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint
 Lucia)

 Political parties and leaders: New Democratic Party (NDP), James
 MITCHELL (son of Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL); United People's
 Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS; National Reform Party (NRP), Joel
 MIGUEL; Unity Labor Party (ULP),Vincent BEACHE - formed by the
 coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP) and the Movement for
 National Unity (MNU)

 Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
 ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user),
 INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
 WCL, WFTU, WHO

 Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission: Ambassador Kingsley C.A. LAYNE
 chancery: 1717 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 102, Washington, DC
 20036
 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7806, 7846
 FAX: [1] (202) 462-7807

 US diplomatic representation: 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

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. In 1993, economic
 growth slowed to 1.4%, reflecting a sharp decline in agricultural
 production caused by drought. The government has been relatively
 unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and high unemployment
 rates of 35%-40% continue.

 National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $235 million (1994
 est.)

 National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)

 National product per capita: $2,000 (1994 est.)

 Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1993 est.)

 Unemployment rate: 35%-40% (1994 est.)

 Budget:
 revenues: $66.2
 expenditures: $77.3 million, including capital expenditures of $23
 million (1993 est.)

 Exports: $57.1 million (f.o.b., 1993)
 commodities: bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch,
 tennis racquets
 partners: UK 54%, CARICOM 34%, US 10%

 Imports: $134.6 million (f.o.b., 1993)
 commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and
 fertilizers, minerals and fuels
 partners: US 36%, CARICOM 21%, UK 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%

 External debt: $74.9 million (1993)

 Industrial production: NA

 Electricity:
 capacity: 16,600 kW
 production: 50 million kWh
 consumption per capita: 436 kWh (1993)

 Industries: food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

 Agriculture: accounts for 14% 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

 Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined
 for the US and Europe

 Economic aid:
 recipient: 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:Transportation

 Railroads: 0 km

 Highways:
 total: 1,000 km
 paved: 300 km
 unpaved: improved earth 400 km; unimproved earth 300 km

 Ports: Kingstown

 Merchant marine:
 total: 580 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,212,812 GRT/8,530,725
 DWT
 ships by type: bulk 106, cargo 289, chemical tanker 15, combination
 bulk 10, combination ore/oil 3, container 36, liquefied gas tanker 5,
 livestock carrier 2, oil tanker 53, passenger 2, passenger-cargo 1,
 refrigerated cargo 30, roll-on/roll-off cargo 25, short-sea passenger
 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 16 countries among
 which are Croatia 49 ships, Russia 23, Slovenia 11, China 8, Germany
 3, Serbia 2, Latvia 1, Montenegro 1, Georgia 1, UAR 1

 Airports:
 total: 6
 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
 with paved runways under 914 m: 4

@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Communications

 Telephone system: 6,500 telephones; islandwide fully automatic
 telephone system
 local: NA
 intercity: VHF/UHF interisland links from Saint Vincent to the other
 islands of the Grenadines
 international: VHF/UHF interisland links from Saint Vincent to
 Barbados; new SHF links to Grenada and to Saint Lucia

 Radio:
 broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
 radios: NA

 Television:
 broadcast stations: 1 cable
 televisions: NA

@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Defense Forces

 Branches: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast
 Guard

 Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP


________________________________________________________________________