1.
[syn: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Vincent and the Grenadines]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
n 1: an island country in the central Windward Islands; achieved
independence from the United Kingdom in 1979 [syn: Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Introduction Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
---------------------------------------------
Background: Disputed between France and the
United Kingdom in the 18th century,
Saint Vincent was ceded to the
latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted
in 1969, and independence in 1979.
Geography Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
------------------------------------------
Location: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean
Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 13 15 N, 61 12 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344
sq km)
water: 0 sq km
land: 389 sq km
Area - comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 84 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM
Climate: tropical; little seasonal
temperature variation; rainy season
(May to November)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m
Natural resources: hydropower, cropland
Land use: arable land: 10.26%
permanent crops: 17.95%
other: 71.79% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the
island of Saint Vincent is a
constant threat
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
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - 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 is
comprised of 32 islands and cays
People Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
---------------------------------------
Population: 116,394 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.9% (male 17,093;
female 16,497)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 38,718;
female 36,689)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 3,188;
female 4,209) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.37% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 17.54 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -7.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.82 years
female: 74.63 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.07 years
Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or
Vincentian(s)
adjective: Saint Vincentian or
Vincentian
Ethnic groups: black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian
6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%
Religions: Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman
Catholic 13%, Hindu Seventh-Day
Adventist, other Protestant
Languages: English, French patois
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever
attended school
total population: 96%
male: 96%
female: 96% (1970 est.)
Government Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
-------------------------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines
Government type: parliamentary democracy; independent
sovereign state within the
Commonwealth
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 Sir Charles
ANTROBUS (since NA)
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
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister
Ralph GONSALVES (since 29 March
2001)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (21
seats, 15 elected representatives
and 6 appointed senators;
representatives are elected by
popular vote from single-member
constituencies to serve five-year
terms)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - ULP
12, NDP 3
elections: last held 28 March 2001
(next to be held by March 2006)
Judicial branch: 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: National Reform Party or NRP [Joel
MIGUEL]; New Democratic Party or NDP
[Arnhim EUSTACE]; People's
Progressive Movement or PPM [Ken
BOYEA]; Progressive Labor Party or
PLP [leader NA]; United People's
Movement or UPM [Adrian SAUNDERS];
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 NA
leaders:
International organization ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-
participation: 77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS,
OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: 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
Diplomatic representation from the the US does not have an embassy in
US: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
the US Ambassador in Barbados is
accredited to Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines
Flag description: 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
----------------------------------------
Economy - overview: Bananas and other agricultural
products remain the staple of this
lower-middle income country's
economy. Although tourism and other
services have been growing
moderately in recent years, the
government has been ineffective at
introducing new industries.
Unemployment remains high, and
economic growth hinges upon seasonal
variations in the agricultural and
tourism sectors. Tropical storms
wiped out substantial portions of
crops in 1994 and 1995, and tourism
in the Eastern Caribbean has
suffered low arrivals following
September 11. St. Vincent is home to
a small offshore banking sector, but
its restrictive secrecy laws have
come under international review. As
of June 2001, it remained on the
Financial Action Task Force's list
of noncooperative jurisdictions.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $339
million (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -0.8% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,900
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10%
industry: 26%
services: 64% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.4% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 67,000 (1984 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 26%, industry 17%,
services 57% (1980 est.)
Unemployment rate: 22% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $94.6 million
expenditures: $85.8 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.)
Industries: food processing, cement, furniture,
clothing, starch
Industrial production growth rate: -0.9% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 82 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 73.17%
hydro: 26.83%
other: 0% (1999)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 76.3 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes,
spices; small numbers of cattle,
sheep, pigs, goats; fish
Exports: $53.7 million (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen
(taro), arrowroot starch, tennis
racquets
Exports - partners: Caricom countries 49%, UK 16%, US
10% (1995)
Imports: $185.6 million (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment,
chemicals and fertilizers, minerals
and fuels
Imports - partners: US 36%, Caricom countries 28%, UK
13% (1995)
Debt - external: $167.2 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $47.5 million (1995); note - EU
$34.5 million (1998)
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code: XCD
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar
- 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
-----------------------------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 20,500 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islandwide, fully
automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF
radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to
the other islands of the Grenadines
international: VHF/UHF
radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to
Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to
Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access
to Intelsat earth station in
Martinique through Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 77,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 18,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .vc
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 15 (2000)
Internet users: 3,500 (2001)
Transportation Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
-----------------------------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,040 km
paved: 320 km
unpaved: 720 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Kingstown
Merchant marine: total: 788 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 7,000,660 GRT/10,702,776
DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk
142, cargo 382, chemical tanker 24,
combination bulk 11, combination
ore/oil 3, container 47, liquefied
gas 7, livestock carrier 3, multi-
functional large-load carrier 2,
passenger 3, petroleum tanker 48,
refrigerated cargo 39, roll on/roll
off 52, short-sea passenger 13,
specialized tanker 10, vehicle
carrier 1
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Albania 1, Anguilla 1,
Argentina 1, Australia 2, Bahamas,
The 1, Bangladesh 1, Barbados 2,
Belgium 4, Bulgaria 14, Canada 1,
Cayman Islands 1, China 135,
Colombia 1, Croatia 12, Cyprus 6,
Denmark 16, Egypt 7, Estonia 6,
France 27, Germany 12, Greece 156,
Guyana 7, Hong Kong 23, Iceland 1,
India 11, Indonesia 3, Israel 2,
Italy 19, Japan 1, Kenya 4, Latvia
5, Lebanon 9, Liberia 5, Lithuania
1, Malta 1, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall
Islands 3, Mexico 1, Monaco 6,
Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles
1, Nigeria 3, Norway 33, Pakistan 5,
Panama 2, Poland 2, Portugal 2,
Puerto Rico 2, Russia 8, Saint Kitts
and Nevis 1, Saudi Arabia 3,
Singapore 4, Slovenia 7, South Korea
4, Spain 1, Sweden 6, Switzerland
10, Syria 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1,
Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tunisia 1,
Turkey 15, Ukraine 8, United Arab
Emirates 45, United Kingdom 16,
United States 25, Vietnam 1 (2002
est.)
Airports: 6 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Military Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
-----------------------------------------
Military branches: Royal Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines Police Force (includes
Special Service Unit), Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar $NA
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of NA%
GDP:
Transnational Issues Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
-----------------------------------------------------
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South
American drugs destined for the US
and Europe