 | |
| Geography |
| The administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays |
| Location: | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
| Geographic coordinates: | 13 15 N, 61 12 W |
| Area: | total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) land: 389 sq km water: 0 sq km
Size comparison: twice the size of Washington, DC |
| Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 84 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) |
| Terrain: | volcanic, mountainous |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 m |
| Natural resources: | hydropower, cropland |
| Land use: | arable land: 17.95% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 64.1% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 10 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat |
| Current Environment Issues: | pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| ^Back to Top |
| People |
| Population: | 103,220 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 23.4% (male 12,179/female 11,979) 15-24 years: 17% (male 8,848/female 8,680) 25-54 years: 42.5% (male 22,777/female 21,067) 55-64 years: 8.8% (male 4,627/female 4,412) 65 years and over: 8.4% (male 3,982/female 4,669) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 30.7 years male: 30.8 years female: 30.6 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | -0.313% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 14.36 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 7.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -10.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 13.86 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 74.39 years male: 72.48 years female: 76.36 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.87 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian |
| Ethnic groups: | black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, European 4%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 3% |
| Religions: | Protestant 75% (Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%), Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12% |
| Languages: | English, French patois |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.) |
| ^Back to Top |
| Government |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm |
| Capital: | name: Kingstown geographic coordinates: 13 08 N, 61 13 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick |
| Independence: | 27 October 1979 (from the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 27 October (1979) |
| Constitution: | 27 October 1979 |
| Legal system: | English common law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 13 December 2010 (next to be held in 2015) election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 51.6%, NDP 47.8%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7 |
| Judicial branch: | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (consisting of a High Court and Court of Appeals; based on Saint Lucia; two judges of the Supreme Court reside in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) |
| Political parties and leaders: | New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador La Celia A. PRINCE chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| ^Back to Top |
| Economy |
| Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity as well as remittance inflows. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 2008, the islands had more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines, a drop of nearly 20% from 2007. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high public debt burden, which was 68% of GDP at the end of 2011. GDP grew on average 6% annually from 2002-07, but contracted between 2008-10 as a result of the global economic downturn; growth remains slow. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.301 billion (2012 est.) $1.285 billion (2011 est.) $1.284 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $717 million (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 1.2% (2012 est.) 0% (2011 est.) -1.8% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $11,900 (2012 est.) $11,700 (2011 est.) $11,700 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 6.4% industry: 19.9% services: 73.6% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 57,520 (2007 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 26% industry: 17% services: 57% (1980 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 15% (2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.1% (2012 est.) 1.9% (2011 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $185.2 million expenditures: $185.2 million (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 68% of GDP (2011 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish |
| Industries: | tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch |
| Industrial production growth rate: | |
| Electricity - production: | 132 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 122.8 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$226.2 million (2012 est.) -$221.6 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $68.3 million (2012 est.) $64.4 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets |
| Exports - partners: | Trinidad and Tobago 12%, Austria 12%, St. Lucia 10.7%, France 9.5%, Turkey 8.9%, Barbados 8.9%, Dominica 7%, Grenada 6.7%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.1% (2011) |
| Imports: | $366.5 million (2012 est.) $348 million (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels |
| Imports - partners: | Singapore 24.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 17.6%, US 12.6%, China 12.3%, Norway 7.5% (2011) |
| Debt - external: | $252.2 million (31 December 2012 est.) $264.9 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2012 est.) 2.7 (2011 est.) 2.7 (2010 est.) 2.7 (2009) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
| ^Back to Top |
| Communications |
| Telephones in use: | 22,700 (2011) country comparison to the world: 186 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 131,800 (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system domestic: fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 per 100 persons international: country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .vc |
| Internet hosts: | 305 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 76,000 (2009) |
| ^Back to Top |
| Transportation |
| Airports: | 6 (2012) country comparison to the world: 176 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2012) |
| Roadways: | total: 829 km paved: 580 km unpaved: 249 km (2003) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 412 by type: bulk carrier 64, cargo 263, carrier 14, chemical tanker 4, container 18, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 325 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 1, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 7, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 9, China 65, Croatia 8, Cyprus 3, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 9, Dominica 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 8, France 2, Germany 3, Greece 42, Guyana 2, Hong Kong 5, Israel 3, Italy 4, Japan 3, Kenya 2, Latvia 15, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 9, Monaco 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 13, Poland 3, Romania 1, Russia 11, Singapore 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 10, Switzerland 7, Syria 9, Turkey 13, UAE 3, UK 6, Ukraine 12, US 18, Venezuela 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Kingstown |
| ^Back to Top |
| Military |
|
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard; for national defense, Saint Vincent relies on the Regional Security System, headquartered in Barbados (2013) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 27,809 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 22,875 females age 16-49: 22,015 (2010 est.) |
| ^Back to Top |
Previous Country | Next Country 
» Country List