St Vincent and the Grenadines

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St Vincent and the Grenadines

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

Area 388 sq km/150 sq mi (including islets of the Northern Grenadines 43 sq km/17 sq mi) Capital Kingstown Language English (official), French patois Religion Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic Time difference GMT -4 Major holidays 1, 22 January, 27 October, 25–26 December; variable: Carnival (July), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Labour (May), Caricom (July), Emancipation (August)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Georgetown, Châteaubelair, Layon, Dovers Physical features volcanic mountains, thickly forested; La Soufrière volcano Airports one international airport and several smaller airstrips; visitor arrivals: 85,700 (2001 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 829 km/515 mi, of which 70% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 148 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Queen Elizabeth II from 1979, represented by Governor General Frederick Ballantyne from 2002 Head of government Ralph Gonsalves from 2001 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions six parishes Political parties New Democratic Party (NDP), right of centre; St Vincent Labour Party (SVLP), moderate left of centre Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces none – police force only; participates in the US-sponsored Regional Security System established in 1982 Education spend (% GDP) 10 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 4.1 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency East Caribbean dollar GDP (US$) 428 million (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 3.4 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 427 million (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 6,460 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 1.8% (2006 est) Unemployment 20% (2002) Labour force 15.4% agriculture, 19.7% industry, 64.9% services (2002) Foreign debt (US$) 223 million (2004 est) Major trading partners USA, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Canada, Japan, St Lucia Industries clothing, assembly of electronic equipment, processing of agricultural products (including brewing, flour milling, rum distillation, dairy products), industrial gases, plastics, tourism Exports bananas, rice, eddoes, dasheen, sweet potatoes, flour, ginger, tannias, plantains. Principal market: France 36.1% (2005) Imports basic manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals, mineral fuels, chemicals, miscellaneous manufactured articles. Principal source: France 36.1% (2005) Arable land 12.5% (2006 est) Agricultural products bananas, cocoa, citrus fruits, mangoes, avocado pears, guavas, sugar cane, vegetables, spices; world's leading producer of arrowroot starch; fishing


POPULATION

Population 119,700 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 309 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 61 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 29%, 15–59 62%, 60+ 9% (2005 est) Ethnic groups largely of African origin; most of the original indigenous Caribs have disappeared Life expectancy 69 (men); 75 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 22 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 11 Literacy rate 92% (men); 89% (women) (2003 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 8.8 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.5 (2003 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 93 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 18.9 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 59.3 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 690 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 230 (1999 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 13.2 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 6.8 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1498 Main island visited by explorer Christopher Columbus on St Vincent's day. 17th–18th centuries Possession disputed by France and Britain, with fierce resistance from the indigenous Carib community. 1783 Recognized as British crown colony by Treaty of Versailles. 1795–97 Carib uprising, with French support, resulted in deportation of 5,000 to Belize and Honduras. 1834 Slavery abolished. 1902 Over 2,000 killed by eruption of La Soufrière volcano. 1951 Universal adult suffrage granted. 1958–62 Part of West Indies Federation. 1969 Achieved internal self-government. 1979 Achieved full independence within Commonwealth. 1981 General strike against new industrial-relations legislation at time of economic recession. 1984 James Mitchell, of centre-right New Democratic Party (NDP) became prime minister. 2000 Prime Minister James Mitchell gave up presidency of ruling New Democratic Party (NDP); replaced as prime minister by Arnhim Eustace. 2001 Ralph Gonsalves of Unity Labour Party (ULP) replaced Eustace as prime minister in elections brought forward from 2003 due to antigovernment protests held in 2000. 2003 Joined Non-Aligned Movement of developing nations. 2005 Prime Minister Gonsalves won second term in general election.


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