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Grenada
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Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II
(1952)
Governor-General: Sir Daniel Williams
(1996)
Prime Minister: Tillman Thomas
(2008)
Current government officials
Land area: 131 sq mi (339 sq km)
Population (2008 est.): 90,303 (growth
rate 0.4%); birth rate: 21.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 13.5/1000;
life expectancy: 65.5; density per sq km: 262
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
St. George's, 4,300
Monetary unit: East Caribbean
dollar
Languages:
English (official), French patois
Ethnicity/race:
black 82%, mixed black and European 13%,
European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib
Amerindian
Religions:
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 14%, other
Protestant 33%
National Holiday:
Independence Day, February 7
Literacy rate: 96% (2003 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007
est.): $1.108 million; per capita $10,500. Real growth rate:
3.1%. Inflation: 3.7%. Unemployment: 12.5% (2000).
Arable land: 6%. Agriculture: bananas, cocoa, nutmeg,
mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables.
Labor force: 42,300 (1996); services 62%, agriculture 24%,
industry 14% (1999 est.). Industries: food and beverages,
textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction.
Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors.
Exports: $38 million (2006 est.): bananas, cocoa, nutmeg,
fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace. Imports: $343 million
(2006): food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel.
Major trading partners: Saint Lucia, U.S., Antigua and
Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, UK
(2006).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations
Communications: Telephones: main lines
in use: 27,700 (2006); mobile cellular: 46,200 (2006). Radio
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998).
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997). Internet
hosts: 7 (2007). Internet users: 19,000 (2003).
Transportation: Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 1,127 km; paved: 687 km; unpaved: 440 km
(1999 est.). Ports and harbors: Saint George's.
Airports: 3 (2007).
International disputes: none.
Major sources and definitions
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Geography
Grenada (the first “a” is a long
vowel) is the most southerly of the Windward Islands, about 100 mi (161
km) from the Venezuelan coast. It is a volcanic island traversed by a
mountain range, the highest peak of which is Mount St. Catherine (2,756
ft; 840 m).
Government
Constitutional monarchy. A governor-general
represents the sovereign, Elizabeth II.
History
The Arawak Indians were the first to inhabit
Grenada, but they were all eventually massacred by the Carib Indians. When
Columbus arrived in 1498, he encountered the Caribs, who continued to rule
over the island for another 150 years. The French gained control of the
island in 1672 and held on to it until 1762, when the British invaded.
Black slaves were granted freedom in 1833. After more than 200 years of
British rule, most recently as part of the West Indies Associated States,
Grenada became independent on Feb. 7, 1974, with Eric M. Gairy as prime
minister.
In 1979, the Marxist New Jewel Movement staged a
coup, and its leader, Maurice Bishop, became prime minister. Bishop, a
protégé of Cuba's President Castro, was killed in a military
coup on Oct. 19, 1983.
In an effort to establish order on the island
and eliminate the Cuban military presence, U.S. president Ronald Reagan
ordered an invasion of Grenada on Oct. 25, 1983, involving over 1,900 U.S.
troops and a small military force from Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, St.
Lucia, and St. Vincent. The troops met strong resistance from Cuban
military personnel on the island but soon occupied it. After a gradual
withdrawal of peacekeeping forces, a centrist coalition led by Herbert A.
Blaize won a parliamentary majority in 1984. The New National Party (NNP),
led by Keith C. Mitchell, won a majority in the 1995 parliamentary
elections. He won reelection again in 1999 and 2003.
In Sept. 2004, Grenada suffered the most damage
of any country from Hurricane Ivan, which killed 39 and left thousands
homeless. In July 2005, Hurricane Emily wreaked further destruction.
On July 8, 2008, the National Democratic
Congress won 11 of 15 seats in parliamentary elections. Tillman Thomas was
sworn in as prime minister on July 9.
See also Encyclopedia: Grenada.
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes:
Grenada
Information Please® Database, © 2008 Pearson
Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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