The World Factbook (1982)/Grenada

by the Central Intelligence Agency

GRENADA

(See reference map III)

LAND

344 km² (Grenada and southern Grenadines); 44% cultivated, 4% pastures, 12% forests, 17% unused but potentially productive, 23% built on, wasteland, other

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)

Coastline: 121 km

PEOPLE

Population: 109,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.0%

Nationality: noun—Grenadian(s); adjective—Grenadian

Ethnic divisions: mainly of African-Negro descent

Religion: Church of England; other Protestant sects; Roman Catholic

Language: English; some French patois

Literacy: unknown

Labor force: 36,000 (1978, est.); 40% agriculture

Organized labor: 33% of labor force

GOVERNMENT

Official name: Grenada

Type: independent state since February 1974, recognizes Elizabeth 11 as Chief of State

Capital: St. Georges

Political subdivisions: 6 parishes

Legal system: based on English common law

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February

Branches: following the 13 March 1979 coup, led by New Jewel Movement leader Maurice Bishop, constitution suspended on 25 March 1979 and replaced by People's Laws; three-man electoral commission appointed; elections unscheduled

Government leaders: Prime Minister Maurice BISHOP; UK Governor General Paul SCOON

Suffrage: universal adult

Elections: formerly every five years; most recent general election 7 December 1976

Political parties and leaders: New Jewel Movement (NJM), Maurice Bishop; United People's Party (UPP), Winston Whyte; Grenada National Party (GNP), Herbert A. Blaize; Grenada United Labor Party (GULP)

Voting strength (1976 election): GULP 51.7%, Opposition Coalition, 48.3%; Legislative Council seats, GULP 9, Opposition Coalition, 6 (NJM 3, UPP 1, GNP 1, unaffiliated 1)

Communists: negligible

Member of: CARICOM, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFS, ILO, IMF, NAM, OAS, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

ECONOMY

GDP: $88 million (1980 est.), $800 per capita; real growth rate 1980 est., -1%

Agriculture: main crops—spices, cocoa, bananas

Electric power: 7,000 kW capacity (1981); 25 million kWh produced (1981), 231 kWh per capita

Exports: $16 million (f.o.b., 1980 prelim.); cocoa beans, nutmeg, bananas, mace

Imports: $55 million (c.i.f., 1980 prelim.); food, machinery, building materials

Major trade partners: exports—39% UK, 17% West Germany, 12% Netherlands (1979); imports—27% West Indies, 27% UK, 9% US (1976)

Budget: (prelim. 1980) revenues, $39 million; expenditures, $40 million

Monetary conversion rate: 2.70 East Caribbean dollars=US$1

Fiscal year: calendar year

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: none

Highways: 1,000 km total; 600 km paved, 300 km otherwise improved; 100 km unimproved

Ports: 1 major (St. Georges), 1 minor

Civil air: no major transport aircraft

Airfields: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: automatic, islandwide telephone system with 5,200 telephones (4.9 per 100 popl.); VHF and UHF links to Trinidad and Carriacou; 3 AM stations