1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Coastline
84 km
Comparative area
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Environment
subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 38%; permanent crops 12%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 41%; other 3%; includes irrigated 3%
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
negligible
Note
some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by Grenada
Terrain
volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent
Total area
340 km2; land area: 340 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
27 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
mainly of black African descent; remainder mixed, with some white, East Indian, Carib Indian
Infant mortality rate
31 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
67,000 (1984 est.)
Language
English, some French patois
Life expectancy at birth
68 years male, 72 years female (1991)
Literacy
96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
Nationality
noun--Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjectives--Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Net migration rate
- 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
10% of labor force
Population
114,221 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
Religion
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Total fertility rate
2.8 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Capital
Kingstown
Constitution
27 October 1979
Diplomatic representation
none
Elections
House of Assembly--last held 16 May 1989 (next to be held July 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(21 total; 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators) NDP 15
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern
Independence
27 October 1979 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 Septermber 1989); Head of Government--Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984)
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Assembly
Long-form name
none
Member of
ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Political parties and leaders
New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL; Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent BEACH; United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS; Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES; National Reform Party (NRP), Joel MIGUEL
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 15% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk of exports; products--bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch used locally
Budget
revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
Currency
East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $76 million
Electricity
16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 570 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
$74.6 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--bananas 45%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), sweet potatoes, spices, light manufactures; partners--UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
External debt
$42.2 million (FY89)
Fiscal year
calendar year (as of January 1991); previously 1 July-30 June
GDP
$146 million, per capita $1,315; real growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.)
Imports
$127.5 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels; partners--US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15%
Industrial production
growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14% of GDP
Industries
food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture, clothing, starch, sheet metal, beverage
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.6% (1989)
Overview
Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The economy continues to have a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on the weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.
Unemployment rate
30% (1989 est.)
Communications
Airports
6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved
Merchant marine
242 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,855,061 GRT/2,919,872 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 132 cargo, 11 container, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 refrigerated cargo, 13 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 44 bulk, 6 combination bulk, 1 vehicle carrier; note--China owns 3 ships; a flag of convenience registry
Ports
Kingstown
Telecommunications
islandwide fully automatic telephone system; 6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF links to Grenada and Saint Lucia; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable)
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 28,339; NA fit for military service