Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Population: 103,869
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| Background | |
| Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint 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. |
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| Geography | |
| 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 | |
| Location: | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
| Geographic coordinates: | 13 15 N, 61 12 W |
| Area: | total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) land: 389 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: twice the size of Washington, DC |
| Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 84 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 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: La Soufriere 1,234 m |
| Natural resources: | hydropower, cropland |
| Land use: | arable land: 17.95% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 64.1% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 10 sq km (2008) |
| Natural hazards: | hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat |
| Current Environment 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 |
| International Environment 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 103,869 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 24.5% (male 12,842/female 12,638) 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 36,042/female 33,985) 65 years and over: 8.1% (male 3,807/female 4,555) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 30.1 years male: 30.2 years female: 30 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | -0.327% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 14.62 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.98 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -10.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.031 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 74.15 years male: 72.26 years female: 76.09 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.92 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| 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%, European 4%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 3% |
| Religions: | Protestant 75% (Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%), Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12% |
| Languages: | English, French patois |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm |
| Capital: | name: Kingstown geographic coordinates: 13 09 N, 61 14 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick |
| Independence: | 27 October 1979 (from the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 27 October (1979) |
| Constitution: | 27 October 1979 |
| Legal system: | 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 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 (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 13 December 2010 (next to be held in 2015) election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 51.6%, NDP 47.8%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7 |
| Judicial branch: | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (consisting of a High Court and Court of Appeals; based on Saint Lucia; two judges of the Supreme Court reside in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) |
| 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 |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador La Celia A. PRINCE chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 consulate(s) general: New York |
| 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 |
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| Economy | |
| Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity as well as remittance inflows. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 2008, the islands had more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines, a drop of nearly 20% from 2007. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high public debt burden, which was over 90% of GDP at the end of 2010. Following the global downturn, St. Vincent and the Grenadines saw an economic decline in 2009, after slowing since 2006, when GDP growth reached a 10-year high of nearly 7%. The GONSALVES administration is directing government resources to infrastructure projects, including a new international airport that is expected to be completed in 2011. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.069 billion (2010 est.) $1.093 billion (2009 est.) $1.105 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $561 million (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | -2.3% (2010 est.) -1.1% (2009 est.) -0.6% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $10,300 (2010 est.) $10,500 (2009 est.) $10,500 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 7.9% industry: 25.2% services: 66.9% (2010 est.) |
| Labor force: | 57,520 (2007 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 26% industry: 17% services: 57% (1980 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 15% (2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2010 est.) 0.4% (2009 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $192.2 million expenditures: $218.1 million (2010 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish |
| Industries: | food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch |
| Industrial production growth rate: | |
| Electricity - production: | 132 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 122.7 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 2,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 1,252 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$213.7 million (2010 est.) -$198.1 million (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $56 million (2010 est.) $54.76 million (2009 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets |
| Exports - partners: | France 43.6%, Greece 9.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.4%, St. Lucia 6.6%, Barbados 5.4%, Dominica 4.3%, Grenada 4.1% (2010) |
| Imports: | $320.8 million (2010 est.) $293.9 million (2009 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels |
| Imports - partners: | Singapore 23.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, US 14.5%, China 12.4%, France 5.2% (2010) |
| Debt - external: | $290.9 million (31 December 2010 est.) $273.9 million (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2010) 2.7 (2009) 2.7 (2005) 2.7 (2004) 2.7 (2003) |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 23,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 188 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 121,100 (2009) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system domestic: fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 100 per 100 persons international: country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .vc |
| Internet hosts: | 211 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 76,000 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 6 (2010) country comparison to the world: 176 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 829 km paved: 580 km unpaved: 249 km (2003) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 444 by type: bulk carrier 76, cargo 274, carrier 16, chemical tanker 4, container 21, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: 382 (Austria 2, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 6, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 10, China 82, Croatia 8, Cyprus 2, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 19, Dominica 1, Egypt 4, Estonia 10, France 2, Germany 2, Greece 63, Guyana 2, Hong Kong 4, Israel 3, Italy 5, Japan 3, Kenya 2, Latvia 15, Lebanon 4, Lithuania 10, Monaco 3, Netherlands 2, Nigeria 1, Norway 12, Oman 1, Pakistan 1, Poland 1, Romania 1, Russia 15, Slovenia 2, Sweden 2, Switzerland 5, Syria 13, Turkey 18, UAE 4, UK 7, Ukraine 12, US 19, Venezuela 1) note: this country allows large numbers of ships owned by foreign entities to be registered in its national shipping registry and to fly its flag; these ships operate under the laws of the flag state (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Kingstown |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard; for national defense, Saint Vincent relies on the Regional Security System, headquartered in Barbados (2010) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 27,809 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 22,875 females age 16-49: 22,015 (2010 est.) |
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