T h e C o m m o n w e a l T h Y e a r b o o k 2 0 1 5

KEY FACTS

Joined Commonwealth: 1974

Population: 106,000 (2013)

GDP p.c. growth: 1.8% p.a. 1990–2013

UN HDI 2014: World ranking 79

Official language: English

Time: GMT minus 4 hrs

Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$)

Geography

Area: 344.5 sq km

Coastline: 121 km

Capital: St George’s

Grenada is an archipelago comprising the

island of Grenada, the most southerly of the

Windwards in the Eastern Caribbean, and

some of the southern Grenadine islands, the

largest of which is Carriacou (33 sq km). Its

Caribbean neighbours include St Vincent and

the Grenadines (which includes the more

northern Grenadines) and Trinidad and Tobago.

Topography: Mountains, chiefly of volcanic

origin, form a backbone stretching the 33 km

length of the island and rise to 840 metres at

Mount St Catherine. The terrain slopes down

to the coast on the east and south-east. The

island is watered by its many streams and

springs, and a small lake, Grand Etang,

occupies an old crater at 530 metres.

Climate: The tropical climate is especiallypleasant in the dry season (February–May)

when the trade winds prevail. The rainyseason runs from June–December, whenhurricanes may occur and in some years – forexample, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 – causeextensive damage. The temperature andrainfall vary with altitude, with much heavierrainfall in the mountains.

Vegetation: The natural vegetation istropical rainforest (about 75 per cent ofsurviving natural forest is state-owned) andbrushwood. Species include the gommier,bois canot and blue mahoe. There are alsomangrove swamps and stunted woods.Forest covers 50 per cent of the land areaand there was no significant loss of forestcover during 1990–2012.

Wildlife: Mainly smaller species, such as themona monkey, agouti, armadillo andmongoose. There is a large variety of birds;the Grenada dove and hookbilled kite (anendangered species) are unique to the island.

Main towns: St George’s (capital, pop.5,200 in 2010), Gouyave (3,000), Grenville(2,400), Victoria (2,300), St David’s andSauteurs on Grenada; and Hillsborough (800)on Carriacou.

Transport: There are 1,127 km of roads, 61per cent paved. In the mountainous terrainroads are often narrow and winding.

St George’s is a deep-water port. Anchorageand facilities for yachts are offered at StGeorge’s (at the Lagoon), Prickly Bay on thesouth-east coast and Secret Harbour, south ofSt George’s. The port for the Grenadineisland of Carriacou is at Hillsborough andferry services run between Grenada and otherislands. Maurice Bishop International Airportis 11 km south-west of St George’s in thesouth-west of Grenada and there is a smallairport at Lauriston on Carriacou.

Society

KEY FACTS 2013

Population per sq km: 307

Life expectancy: 73 years

Net primary enrolment: 87% (2009)

Population: 106,000 (2013); 36 per cent ofpeople live in urban areas; growth 0.4 percent p.a. 1990–2013, depressed over thisperiod by emigration; birth rate 19 per 1,000people (28 in 1970); life expectancy 73 years(64 in 1970).

Most of the population is of African (82 percent in 1991 census) or mixedAfrican/European descent (13 per cent). Theremainder is made up of small European andAsian groups.

Language: English is spoken by almosteveryone. A French-based Creole is alsospoken.

Religion: According to the most recentcensus available (2001) the population ismade up of mainly Christians (RomanCatholics 45 per cent, Anglicans 14 per cent,Seventh Day Adventists, Methodists).

Health: Public spending on health was threeper cent of GDP in 2012. There are threehospitals: General Hospital (St George’s),Princess Alice Hospital (St Andrew’s) andPrincess Royal Hospital (Carriacou). There arehomes for handicapped children and geriatricpatients. Health centres and district medicalstations undertake maternity and child welfarework under the charge of a nurse/midwife.Government hospitals and clinics provide freemedical and dental treatment. There is apiped-water supply to all the towns and tomany of the villages. Infant mortality was 11per 1,000 live births in 2013.

Education: There are 12 years of compulsoryeducation starting at the age of five. Primaryschool comprises seven years and secondaryfive. The school year starts in September.

Tertiary education centres on the T. A.Marryshow Community College, which hostsan open campus of the regional University ofthe West Indies. T. A. Marryshow CommunityCollege was established in 1988 whenGrenada National College merged with severalother tertiary institutions including GrenadaTeachers College, Grenada Technical andVocational Institute, and Institute for FurtherEducation. The University of the West Indieshas its main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica,and Trinidad and Tobago. St George’sUniversity – founded in 1977 – is an offshoreAmerican university specialising in medicine.The female–male ratio for gross enrolment intertiary education is 1.40:1 (2009).

Media: There are no daily newspapers, butThe Grenada Guardian (Grenada UnitedLabour Party), Grenada Informer, TheGrenada Times and The Grenadian Voice areweeklies; all in English.

A public–private partnership, the GrenadaBroadcasting Network, provides radio and

Grenada

television stations. MTV is privately ownedand there are several privately-owned radiostations.

Communications: Country code 1 473;internet domain ‘.gd’. Coin- and card-operated payphones are widely available.There are internet cafes in St George’s. Themain post office is in St George’s.

For every 1,000 people there are 270landlines, 1,256 mobile phone subscriptionsand 350 internet users (2013).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day,Independence Day (7 February), Labour Day(1 May), Emancipation Day (first Monday inAugust), Carnival (second Monday andTuesday in August), Thanksgiving Day (25October), Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Religious festivals whose dates vary from yearto year include Good Friday, Easter Monday,Whit Monday and Corpus Christi.

Economy

KEY FACTS 2013

GNI: US$806m

GNI p.c.: US$7,460

GDP growth: -1.1% p.a. 2009–13

Inflation: 1.7% p.a. 2009–13

The economy of Grenada (the ‘spice island’)is based on agriculture, notably nutmeg andmace, and tourism. Consequently it has anoutward-looking and open economy, and

enjoyed strong growth during the 1990s,even though the world market for spices wassluggish during most of the decade andtourism became increasingly competitive.Grenada is nonetheless vulnerable, itseconomy being so small, and high publicexpenditure has brought fiscal difficulties.

An IMF-backed economic adjustmentprogramme was put in place in the 1990s,with fiscal reform, privatisation and staffreductions in the public sector to reduce thedeficit, and improve the debt position. Thegovernment has encouraged development ofindustry to broaden the country’s economicbase, but Grenada’s small scale and highcosts hinder progress.

A small offshore sector was established in the1990s, including internet gaming companies,but it failed to flourish in the 2000s. A USuniversity, St George’s University, with 800mainly North American students, also bringsin substantial foreign exchange.

After three years of strong growth, theeconomy stalled in 2001, reflecting the USeconomic downturn and fall in tourism, onlypicking up again in 2003. In September 2004Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Ivan andthe economy stalled again. Growth of morethan ten per cent in 2005 was followed byshrinkage of 1.9 per cent in 2006, resumingstrongly positive in 2007–08. However, globalrecession then caused a sharp fall in tourismand the economy shrank by 6.6 per cent in2009, recovering weakly in 2010–15.

History

Before the 14th century, Grenada was settledby Caribs, who displaced the earlierpopulation of Arawaks. ChristopherColumbus visited the island in 1498 and

named it ‘Concepcion’ (later being named bythe Spaniards after their own city, Granada).European settlement was slow to follow, dueto the fierce resistance of the warlike Caribs,although Britain and France in particularcompeted for control. A company of Londonmerchants tried and failed to form asettlement in 1605. The French launchedmore concerted attacks until, by 1674, theyhad subdued the Caribs and gained controlof the island. By 1753, Grenada was aflourishing French possession, with 100 sugarmills and 12,000 enslaved Africans workingthe industry. The Caribs had beenexterminated.

Britain took over from France in 1763 underthe Treaty of Paris and again (havingmeanwhile lost control) in 1783 under theTreaty of Versailles. Britain introduced thecultivation of cacao, cotton and nutmeg; bythe time of the emancipation of slaves(1833), the slave population had reached24,000.

National political consciousness developedthrough the labour movement, with theformation of the Grenada Manual andMental Workers Union. In the newenvironment, a union organiser, Eric MatthewGairy, formed the first political party, the pro-union, pro-independence Grenada UnitedLabour Party (GULP). In 1951, GULP won theelections and Gairy became leader of theassembly. The Grenada National Party (GNP),led by Herbert Blaize held power between1957–61 and 1962–67.

Grenada joined the Federation of the WestIndies in 1958. When that was dissolved in1962, it evolved first into an associated statewith full internal self-government (1967), andthen towards independence, the core of theGULP platform.

Independence was achieved in 1974;Grenada became a constitutional monarchy,with Gairy as Prime Minister, and QueenElizabeth II as head of state, represented bya Governor-General. Strikes during theindependence preparations, which almostprevented the transition, were suppressedby, it was claimed, ‘Mongoose Gangs’operating in the manner of Haiti’s ‘Tonton-Macoutes’.

Grenada

T h e C o m m o n w e a l T h Y e a r b o o k 2 0 1 5

Inflation

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

%

%

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

GDP by sector (2013)

Agriculture5.6%

Industry14.4%

Services79.9%

Real growth in GDP

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

g

%

-8

-7

-6

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

Grenada is the world’s second largest producer of nutmeg after Indonesia – a symbol of aclove of nutmeg is on the national flag.

Kirani James, born in 1992 in Gouyave, brought the country its first ever Olympic goldmedal in the 2012 games when he won the 400 Metres.

Current Prime Minister Keith Mitchell captained the national cricket team in his 20s. Whenit comes to present day cricket, Devon Smith, born in 1981 in Hermitage, plays for theWest Indies.

Grenada on the international stage

T h e C o m m o n w e a l T h Y e a r b o o k 2 0 1 5

Grenada

In 1979, while absent in the USA, Gairy wasdeposed in a coup by opposition leaderMaurice Bishop, who took the New JewelMovement (NJM) into power as the People’sRevolutionary government. The newgovernment created state farms andindustries, and forged links with the socialistworld. With Cuba’s assistance, it beganconstruction of the modern internationalairport at Point Salines.

In October 1983, after a military coup inwhich Bishop, two other ministers, two unionleaders and 13 bystanders were killed,Bishop’s deputy, Bernard Coard, took controland set up a Revolutionary Military Council.At the request of OECS, in late 1983, theUSA then invaded Grenada, supported by atoken force of 300 police from Antigua andBarbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, SaintLucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.The Governor-General, Sir Paul Scoon, tookcontrol of an interim administration, (almostfully) reinstated the 1974 constitution andorganised elections for a new government.

The New National Party (NNP), a four-partymerger led by Herbert Blaize and supportedby the neighbouring islands, easily defeatedGairy’s GULP at the December 1984 generalelection, and Blaize became Prime Minister.

In the elections in 1990 no single partygained an overall majority and anothermerger, the National Democratic Congress(NDC), formed the government underNicholas Brathwaite.

The 1995 elections, contested by sevenparties, were narrowly won by the NNP, nowled by Dr Keith Mitchell, who became PrimeMinister. The NNP gained eight seats, theNDC, now led by George Brizan, five andGULP, two.

Two no-confidence motions following theelections were unsuccessful. However, in May1997, five opposition parties, including theNDC, GULP and the Democratic Labour Partyformed an alliance to provide a common

front against the NNP, leaving thegovernment with a majority of one.

Constitution

Status: Monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II

Legislature: Parliament

Independence: 7 February 1974

Grenada is a constitutional monarchy withQueen Elizabeth II as head of state. She isrepresented by a Governor-General. Aparliamentary democracy, Grenada has abicameral legislature. The House ofRepresentatives has 15 members elected byuniversal suffrage for a five-year term, andthe Senate 13 members appointed for a five-year term by the Governor-General inconsultation with the Prime Minister and theLeader of the Opposition. The Prime Ministerappoints the cabinet.

Politics

Last elections: 19 February 2013

Next elections: 2018

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II,represented by Governor-General, DameCecile La Grenade (2013–)

Head of government: Prime Minister DrKeith Mitchell

Ruling party: New National Party

Women MPs: 33%

In the general election in January 1999 –called early after a defection left the NewNational Party (NNP) government without aparliamentary majority – the NNP won alandslide victory, receiving 62 per cent of thevotes and Dr Keith Mitchell continued asPrime Minister. It was not only the first time aparty had taken all 15 seats, but also the firsttime for any party to have won twosuccessive elections.

In another early election in November 2003Mitchell and NNP were returned for a third

term. NNP won eight seats, with 48 per centof the votes, and the National DemocraticCongress (NDC) seven, with 46 per cent,following a recount in two constituencieswhere the margin was very small.

In the July 2008 election, Mitchell failed in abid to secure an unprecedented fourthconsecutive term. In a relatively peacefulelection, monitored by a strong contingentfrom the Organization of American States,where the main issues were concerned withmanagement of the economy, NDC took 11of the 15 House of Representatives seats and51 per cent of votes; NNP won four seats and48 per cent of votes. Tillman Thomas – NDCleader since 2000 – became Prime Minister.

In the general election in February 2013 KeithMitchell and the NNP won a landslide victory,taking all 15 seats in the House ofRepresentatives, a result which Mitchell hadpreviously achieved in January 1999. Turnoutwas 88 per cent; the NNP secured 59 percent of votes and the NDC 41 per cent. Theelection was observed by a Commonwealthelection assessment team led by Irfan AbdoolRahman, the electoral commissioner ofMauritius.

International relations

Grenada is a member of the African,Caribbean and Pacific Group of States,Association of Caribbean States, CaribbeanCommunity, Non-Aligned Movement,Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States,Organization of American States, UnitedNations and World Trade Organization.

Traveller information

Immigration and customs: Passports mustbe valid for at least six months from the dateof departure. Visas are required by mostCommonwealth nationals. Prohibited importsinclude some fresh food and soil.

Travel within the country: Driving is on theleft. Visitors wishing to drive in Grenada needto purchase a local driving permit; they mustbe aged at least 25 years and in possessionof a foreign driving licence.

There are regular flights from Grenada toCarriacou and Petite Martinique; and dailyferry services from St George’s to the otherislands. Taxis and minibuses serve the islands.

Travel health: Prevalent diseases whereappropriate precautionary measures arerecommended include dengue fever andhepatitis B.

There were 116,000 tourist arrivals in 2013.

Government of Grenada: www.gov.gdParliament: www.gov.gd/departments/parliamentEastern Caribbean Central Bank: www.eccb-centralbank.orgGrenada Tourism Authority: www.grenadagrenadines.comCommonwealth Secretariat: www.thecommonwealth.orgCommonwealth of Nations: www.commonwealthofnations.org/

country/GrenadaMediaGrenada Informer: www.thegrenadainformer.comGrenada Broadcasting Network: www.klassicgrenada.com

Further information

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2015 Commonwealth YearbookClick here to find out more about

Grenada