Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Internet country code

.vc

Internet hosts

94 (2006)

Internet users

8,000 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)

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: country code - 1-784; 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 - main lines in use

22,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

70,600 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus three repeaters) (2004)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $94.6 million expenditures: $85.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Currency (code)

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Debt - external

$223 million (2004)

Economic aid - recipient

$10.5 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (2004)

Economy - overview

Economic growth in this lower-middle-income country hinges upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following 11 September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. Saint Vincent is also a producer of marijuana and is being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.

Electricity - consumption

88.35 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

95 million kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Exports

$37 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets

Exports - partners

France 50.3%, Italy 21%, Greece 11%, US 4.2% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$428 million

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$342 million (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 10% industry: 26% services: 64% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.9% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$225 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels

Imports - partners

France 36.1%, Singapore 12.5%, Italy 11.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.9%, US 7.2% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.9% (1997 est.)

Industries

food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (2005 est.)

Labor force

41,680 (1991 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 26% industry: 17% services: 57% (1980 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,300 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

15% (2001 est.)

Area

total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) land: 389 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: La 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, 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

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; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 17.95% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 64.1% (2005)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

hydropower, cropland

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

name: Kingstown geographic coordinates: 13 09 N, 61 14 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

27 October 1979

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

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 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

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

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

parliamentary democracy

Independence

27 October 1979 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on English common law

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) elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 55.26%, NDP 44.68%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Political parties and leaders

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

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 31,489 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 25,787 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 1,204 (2005 est.)

Military branches

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.7% (male 16,007/female 15,426) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 40,676/female 38,155) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,315/female 4,269) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

16.18 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

5.98 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

English, French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.85 years male: 71.99 years female: 75.77 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

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

Median age

total: 26.9 years male: 26.7 years female: 27.1 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-7.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

117,848 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

0.26% (2006 est.)

Religions

Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

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 Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation

Airports

6 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine

total: 589 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,449,699 GRT/8,051,250 DWT by type: bulk carrier 106, cargo 351, chemical tanker 5, container 20, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 38, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 529 (Bangladesh 1, Barbados 1, Belgium 3, Bulgaria 17, Canada 6, China 103, Croatia 9, Cyprus 1, Czech Republic registered in other countries: 1 (Comoros 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals

Kingstown

Roadways

total: 829 km paved: 580 km unpaved: 249 km (2003)