@node Geography (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
@section Geography (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

@display

Location:
  in the eastern Caribbean Sea about three-fourths of the way between Puerto
  Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the
  World
Area:
 total area:
  340 km2
 land area:
  340 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  84 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to
  November)
Terrain:
  volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent
Natural resources:
  negligible
Land use:
 arable land:
  38%
 permanent crops:
  12%
 meadows and pastures:
  6%
 forest and woodland:
  41%
 other:
  3%
Irrigated land:
  10 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
Note:
  some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by Grenada



@end display

@node People (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
@section People (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

@display

Population:
  114,562 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.76% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  20.86 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  5.39 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -7.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  18.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:   71.72 years
 male:
  70.21 years
 female:
  73.28 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.16 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
 adjective:
  Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Ethnic divisions:
  black African descent, white, East Indian, Carib Indian
Religions:
  Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages:
  English, French patois
Literacy:
  age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
 total population:
  96%
 male:
  96%
 female:
  96%
Labor force:
  67,000 (1984 est.)
 by occupation:
  NA



@end display

@node Government (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
@section Government (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Digraph:
  VC
Type:
  constitutional monarchy
Capital:
  Kingstown
Administrative divisions:
  6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George,
  Saint Patrick
Independence:
  27 October 1979 (from UK)
Constitution:
  27 October 1979
Legal system:
  based on English common law
National holiday:   Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Political parties and leaders:
  New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL; Saint Vincent Labor Party
  (SVLP), Stanley JOHN; United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS;
  Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES; National Reform Party
  (NRP), Joel MIGUEL
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 House of Assembly:
  last held 16 May 1989 (next to be held NA 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
Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Assembly
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 September 1989)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984)
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Kingsley LAYNE
 chancery:
  1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 102, Washington, DC 20036
 telephone:
  NA
US diplomatic representation:
  no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)



@end display

@node Government (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2. usage)
@section Government (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2. usage)

@display

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



@end display

@node Economy (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
@section Economy (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

@display

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 35%-40% 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.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $171 million (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $1,500 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.3% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  35%-40% (1992 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital
  expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
Exports:
  $65.7 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets
 partners:
  UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
Imports:
  $110.7 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and
  fuels
 partners:
  US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15%
External debt:
  $50.9 million (1989)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
  16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 555 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch
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
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $81 million
Currency:
  1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
@section Communications (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

@display

Highways:
  1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved (est.)
Ports:
  Kingstown
Merchant marine:
  407 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,388,427 GRT/5,511,325 DWT; includes
  3 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 222 cargo, 22 container, 19 roll-on/roll-off
  cargo, 14 refrigerated cargo, 24 oil tanker, 7 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied
  gas, 73 bulk, 13 combination bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock carrier, 1
  specialized tanker; note - China owns 3 ships; a flag of convenience
  registry
Airports:
 total:
  6
 usable:
  6
 with permanent-surface runways:
  5
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  islandwide fully automatic telephone system; 6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF
  interisland links from Saint Vincent to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF
  links to Grenada and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV
  (cable)



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
@section Defense Forces (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

@display

Branches:
  Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
  NA
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP



@end display