Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

76,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone 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

Telephones

6,189 (1983 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 cable

Televisions

20,600 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; small fish catch used locally

Budget

revenues: $80 million expenditures: $118 million, including capital expenditures of $39 million (1996 est.)

Currency

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$93 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy - overview

Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of this lower middle income economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and high unemployment rates of 35%-40% continue. The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development; tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in both 1994 and 1995. The tourism sector has considerable potential for development over the next decade.

Electricity - capacity

20,000 kW (1993)

Electricity - consumption per capita

480 kWh (1993)

Electricity - production

61.6 million kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (February 1997; fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

total value: $55 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities : bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets partners: Caricom countries 57%, UK 29%, US 9% (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $259 million (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 12% industry: 18% services: 70% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,190 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value : $122 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels partners: US 35%, Caricom countries 27%, UK 12% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Inflation rate - consumer price index

3% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 67,000 (1984 est.) by occupation: agriculture 26%, industry 17%, services 57% (1980 est.)

Unemployment rate

35%-40% (1994 est.)

Area

total : 340 sq km land: 340 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

84 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m

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 agreements

party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Desertification

Geographic coordinates

13 15 N, 61 12 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 10% permanent crops: 18% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 36% other: 31% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

Administrative divisions

6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

Constitution

27 October 1979

Country name

conventional long form : none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Data code

VC

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the Ambassador to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Kingsley C.A. LAYNE chancery : 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 September 1989) head of government: Prime Minister James Fitz-Allen MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the queen is a hereditary 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

FAX

[1] (202) 364-6736

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

27 October 1979 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia); one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; members are elected by popular vote from single member constituencies to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 21 February 1994 (next to be held by NA May 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 12, ULP 3

National capital

Kingstown

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Political parties and leaders

New Democratic Party (NDP), 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)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: NA

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: NA

Age structure

0-14 years: 32% (male 19,208; female 18,571) 15-64 years: 63% (male 37,555; female 37,166) 65 years and over: 5% (male 2,719; female 3,873) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

19.07 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

5.35 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

black, white, East Indian, Carib Amerindian

Infant mortality rate

16.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English, French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.22 years male: 71.71 years female: 74.78 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population : 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-7.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

119,092 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

0.62% (1997 est.)

Religions

Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.01 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment points for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe SAN MARINO

Airports

6 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 800 km paved : 450 km unpaved: 350 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 692 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,545,742 GRT/10,306,453 DWT ships by type: bulk 114, cargo 349, chemical tanker 25, combination bulk 9, combination ore/oil 6, container 36, liquefied gas tanker 4, livestock carrier 5, multi-function large load carrier 1, oil tanker 65, passenger 3, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 35, roll-on/roll-off cargo 34, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 24 countries among which are Croatia 29, Slovenia 9, China 9, Greece 5, Norway 3, Ukraine 3, UAE 3, Germany 2, Russia 2, Syria 1 (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Kingstown

Railways

0 km