Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Population: 101,844
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| History | |
| Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the UK for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783. The British prized Saint Vincent due to its fertile soil, which allowed for thriving slave-run plantations of sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton, and cocoa. In 1834, the British abolished slavery. Immigration of indentured servants eased the ensuing labor shortage, as did subsequent Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and East Indian laborers. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, however, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the early 1900s. The economy then went into a period of decline with many landowners abandoning their estates and leaving the land to be cultivated by liberated slaves. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979. |
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| Geography | |
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| 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 exclusive economic zone: 200 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) |
| Terrain: | volcanic, mountainous |
| Natural resources: | hydropower, arable land |
| Land use: | agricultural land: 25.6% (2011 est.) arable land: 12.8% (2011 est.) permanent crops: 7.7% (2011 est.) permanent pasture: 5.1% (2011 est.) forest: 68.7% (2011 est.) other: 5.7% (2011 est.) |
| Irrigated land: | 10 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards: | hurricanes; La Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat volcanism: La Soufriere (1,234 m) on the island of Saint Vincent last erupted in 1979; the island of Saint Vincent is part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south |
| 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; poor land use planning; deforestation; watershed management and squatter settlement control |
| 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 |
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| People | |
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| Nationality: | noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian |
| Ethnic groups: | African descent 71.2%, mixed 23%, indigenous 3%, East Indian/Indian 1.1%, European 1.5%, other .2% (2012 est.) |
| Languages: | English, Vincentian Creole English, French patois |
| Religions: | Protestant 75% (Pentecostal 27.6%, Anglican 13.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.6%, Baptist 8.9%, Methodist 8.7%, Evangelical 3.8%, Salvation Army .3%, Presbyterian/Congregational .3%), Roman Catholic 6.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other 4.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 4.7% (2012 est.) |
| Population: | 101,844 (July 2018 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.87% (male 10,725 /female 10,534) 15-24 years: 15.58% (male 8,003 /female 7,865) 25-54 years: 42.7% (male 22,567 /female 20,924) 55-64 years: 11.03% (male 5,792 /female 5,437) 65 years and over: 9.82% (male 4,715 /female 5,282) (2018 est.) |
| Dependency ratios: | total dependency ratio: 46.8 (2015 est.) youth dependency ratio: 36 (2015 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 10.8 (2015 est.) potential support ratio: 9.3 (2015 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 34.2 years male: 34.3 years female: 34 years (2018 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | -0.23% (2018 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 13 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Death rate: | 7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 52.2% of total population (2018) rate of urbanization: 1.03% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) |
| Major urban areas - population: | 27,000 KINGSTOWN (capital) (2018) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2018 est.) |
| Maternal mortality rate: | 45 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 75.8 years male: 73.7 years female: 77.9 years (2018 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.78 children born/woman (2018 est.) |
| Physicians density: | 0.66 physicians/1,000 population (2010) |
| Hospital bed density: | 2.6 beds/1,000 population (2014) |
| Drinking water source: | improved: urban: 95.1% of population rural: 95.1% of population total: 95.1% of population unimproved: urban: 4.9% of population rural: 4.9% of population total: 4.9% of population (2015 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access: | improved: urban: 76.1% of population (2007 est.) rural: 76.1% of population (2007 est.) total: 76.1% of population (2007 est.) unimproved: urban: 23.9% of population (2007 est.) rural: 23.9% of population (2007 est.) total: 23.9% of population (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | n/a |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate: | 23.7% (2016) |
| Education expenditures: | 5.8% of GDP (2017) Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: |
| Literacy: | |
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| Government | |
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| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines etymology: Saint Vincent was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS after Saint VINCENT of Saragossa because the 22 January 1498 day of discovery was the saint's feast day |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; 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: | history: previous 1969, 1975; latest drafted 26 July 1979, effective 27 October 1979 (The Saint Vincent Constitution Order 1979) amendments: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and assent to by the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections on fundamental rights and freedoms, citizen protections, various government functions and authorities, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum of at least two-thirds of the votes cast, and assent to by the governor general (2018) |
| 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 Susan DOUGAN (since 1 August 2019) 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 elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; 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: | description: unicameral House of Assembly (23 seats; 15 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 6 senators appointed by the governor general, and 2 ex officio members - the speaker of the house and the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 9 December 2015 (next to be held in 2020) election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 52.3%, NDP 47.4%, other 0.3%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7; composition - men 20, women 3, percent of women 13% |
| Judicial branch: | highest courts: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; note - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 subordinate courts: magistrates' courts |
| Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Republican Party or DRP [Anesia BAPTISTE] New Democratic Party or NDP [Godwin L. FRIDAY] Unity Labor Party or ULP [Dr. Ralph GONSALVES] (formed in 1994 by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU) SVG Green Party or SVGP [Ivan O'NEAL] |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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 |
| National symbol(s): | Saint Vincent parrot; national colors: blue, gold, green |
| National anthem: | name: St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful! lyrics/music: Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUEL note: adopted 1967 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Lou-Anne Gaylene GILCHRIST (since 18 January 2017) chancery: 1627 K Street, NW, Suite 1202, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6730 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 |
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| Economy | |
Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity, as well as remittances. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is home to a small offshore banking sector and continues to fully adopt international regulatory standards. This lower-middle-income country remains vulnerable to natural and external shocks. The economy has shown some signs of recovery due to increased tourist arrivals, falling oil prices and renewed growth in the construction sector. The much anticipated international airport opened in early 2017 with hopes for increased airlift and tourism activity. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high public debt burden, which was 67% of GDP at the end of 2013. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $1.265 billion (2017 est.) $1.256 billion (2016 est.) $1.246 billion (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $785 million (2017 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 0.7% (2017 est.) 0.8% (2016 est.) 0.8% (2015 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $11,500 (2017 est.) $11,400 (2016 est.) $11,300 (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| Gross national saving: | 12.1% of GDP (2017 est.) 10.3% of GDP (2016 est.) 10.4% of GDP (2015 est.) GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 87.3% (2017 est.) government consumption: 16.6% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 10.8% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: -0.2% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 37.1% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -51.7% (2017 est.) GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 7.1% (2017 est.) industry: 17.4% (2017 est.) services: 75.5% (2017 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: | 2.5% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force: | 57,520 (2007 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 26% industry: 17% services: 57% (1980 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 18.8% (2008 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | n/a |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: n/a highest 10%: n/a |
| Budget: | revenues: 225.2 million (2017 est.) expenditures: 230 million (2017 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues: | 28.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.) Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Public debt: | 73.8% of GDP (2017 est.) 82.8% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.2% (2017 est.) -0.2% (2016 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$116 million (2017 est.) -$122 million (2016 est.) |
| Exports: | $48.6 million (2017 est.) $47.3 million (2016 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets |
| Exports - partners: | Jordan 40.7%, France 12.5%, Barbados 7%, St. Lucia 6.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 5.7%, US 5.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2017) |
| Imports: | $295.9 million (2017 est.) $294.6 million (2016 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels |
| Imports - partners: | US 36.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.1%, UK 7%, China 5.8% (2017) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $182.1 million (31 December 2017 est.) $192.3 million (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $362.2 million (31 December 2017 est.) $330.8 million (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2017 est.) 2.7 (2016 est.) 2.7 (2015 est.) 2.7 (2014 est.) 2.7 (2013 est.) |
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| Energy | |
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| Electricity - production: | 157 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 146 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity: | 54,000 kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels: | 85% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels: | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: | 13% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources: | 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Crude oil - imports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Crude oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption: | 1,620 bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports: | 1,621 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: | 226,800 Mt (2017 est.) |
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| Communications | |
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| Cellular Phones in use: | total subscriptions: 116,161 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 114 (2017 est.) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; broadband access; expand FttP (Fiber to the Home) markets; LTE launches; regulatory development (2018) domestic: fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 114 per 100 persons (2018) international: country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber System and Southern Caribbean Fiber 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 (2016) |
| Broadcast media: | St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio service broadcasts on 1 station and has 2 repeater stations; about a dozen privately owned radio stations and repeater stations |
| Internet country code: | .vc |
| Internet users: | total: 53,000 percent of population: 51.8% (July 2016 est.) |
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| Transportation | |
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| Airports: | 6 (2013) |
| Airports (paved runways): | total 5 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017) 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2017) under 914 m: 1 (2017) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total 1 (2013) under 914 m: 1 (2013) |
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| Merchant marine: | total 889 by type: bulk carrier 22, container ship 14, general cargo 184, oil tanker 17, other 652 (2018) |
| Ports and terminals: | major seaport(s): Kingstown |
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| Military | |
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| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2013) |
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| Transnational Issues | |
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| Disputes - International: | joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea |
| Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation |
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