Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when Columbus discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada full autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974 making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since that time. On 7 September 2004, Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada directly causing damage to over 85% of the structures on the island and at least 39 deaths.

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

12 07 N, 61 40 W

total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km

0 km

121 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

volcanic in origin with central mountains

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

arable land: 5.88%
permanent crops: 29.41%
other: 64.71% (2005)

lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November

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

89,703 (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 33.4% (male 15,097/female 14,820)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 30,106/female 26,764)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 1,394/female 1,522) (2006 est.)

total: 21.7 years
male: 22.1 years
female: 21.2 years (2006 est.)

0.26% (2006 est.)

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

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

-12.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 64.87 years
male: 63.06 years
female: 66.68 years (2006 est.)

2.34 children born/woman (2006 est.)

noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian

black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian

Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%

English (official), French patois

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2003 est.)

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada

constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

Saint George's

6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick

7 February 1974 (from UK)

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

19 December 1973

based on English common law

18 years of age; universal

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 November 2003 (next to be held by November 2008)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NNP 46.65%, NDC 44.12%; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 7

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned to and resides in Grenada)

Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange, especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of an offshore financial industry, have also contributed to growth in national output.

$440 million (2002 est.)

2.5% (2002 est.)

$5,000 (2002 est.)

agriculture: 7.7%
industry: 23.9%
services: 68.4% (2000)

42,300 (1996)

agriculture: 24%
industry: 14%
services: 62% (1999 est.)

12.5% (2000)

32% (2000)

2.8% (2001 est.)

revenues: $85.8 million
expenditures: $102.1 million; including capital expenditures of $28 million (1997)

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables

food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction

0.7% (1997 est.)

159.8 million kWh (2003)

148.6 million kWh (2003)

1,800 bbl/day (2003 est.)

$40 million (2004 est.)

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace

Saint Lucia 12.7%, US 12.2%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.7%, Netherlands 7.9%, Saint Kitts and Nevis 7.8%, Dominica 7.8%, Germany 7.1%, France 4.6% (2004)

$276 million (2004 est.)

food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel

Trinidad and Tobago 29.6%, US 27.8%, UK 4.8% (2004)

$196 million (2000)

$8.3 million (1995)

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

calendar year

32,700 (2004)

43,300 (2004)

general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: country code - 1-473; new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

2 (1997)

.gd

18 (2005)

8,000 (2005)

3 (2005)

total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2005)

total: 1,127 km
paved: 687 km
unpaved: 440 km (1999)

Saint George's

no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force

none

small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US