The World Factbook (1982)/St. Vincent and the Grenadines

by the Central Intelligence Agency

ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

(See reference map III)

LAND

389 km² (including northern Grenadines); 50% arable, 3% pasture, 44% forest, 3% wasteland and built on

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 3 nm (fishing 12 nm)

Coastline: 84 km

PEOPLE

Population: 121,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.9%

Nationality: noun—St. Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjectives—St. Vincentian or Vincentian

Ethnic divisions: mainly of African Negro descent; remainder mixed with some white and East Indian and Carib Indian

Religion: Church of England, Methodist, Roman Catholic

Language: English, some French patois

Literacy: about 80%

Labor force: 61,000 (1979 est.); about 20% unemployed (1978)

Organized labor: 10% of labor force

GOVERNMENT

Official name: St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Type: independent state within Commonwealth as of 27 October 1979

Capital: Kingstown

Legal system: based on English common law; constitution of 1960; highest judicial body is Court of Appeal of Leeward and Windward Islands

Government leaders: Prime Minister R. Milton CATO; Governor General (UK) Sir Sydney GUNN-MUNRO

Suffrage: universal adult suffrage (18 years old and over)

Elections: every five years; most recent 5 December 1979

Political parties and leaders: People's Political Party (PPP), Ebenezer Joshua; St. Vincent Labor Party (LP), R. Milton Cato; People's Democratic Party, Parnell Campbell and Kenneth John; United People's Movement (UPM), Ralph Gonsalves and Renwick Rose; Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Randolph Russell; New Democratic Party (NDP), James "Son" Mitchell

Voting strength (1979 election): LP 11 seats, NDP 2 seats in the legislature

Member of: CARICOM

ECONOMY

GNP: $47 million (1980 est.), $440 per capita; 1% real economic growth in 1980

Agriculture: main crop—bananas

Major industries: food processing

Electric power: 6,500 kW capacity (1981); 20 million kWh produced (1981), 168 kWh per capita

Exports: $17 million (f.o.b., 1980 est.); bananas, arrowroot, copra

Imports: $57 million (c.i.f., 1980 est.); foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels

Major trade partners: exports—61% UK, 30% CARICOM, 9% US; imports—29% CARICOM, 28% UK, 9% Canada, 9% US (1972)

Aid: economic—bilateral economic commitments, ODA and OOF (1970-79), from Western (non-US) countries, $23.0 million; no military aid

Budget: (1980/81 est.) revenues, $18 million; expenditures, $29 million

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

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: none

Highways: 600 km total; 300 km paved; 150 km otherwise improved; 150 km unimproved earth

Ports: 1 major (Kingstown), 1 minor

Civil air: no major transport aircraft

Airfields: 5 total, 5 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: islandwide fully automatic telephone system with 5,300 sets (5.3 per 100 popl.); VHF/UHF interisland links to Barbados and the Grenadines; 2 AM stations