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Grenada when the trade winds prevail. The rainy Most of the population is of African (82 per season runs from June–December, when cent in 1991 census) or mixed hurricanes may occur and in some years – for African/European descent (13 per cent). The example, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 – cause remainder is made up of small European and extensive damage. The temperature and Asian groups. rainfall vary with altitude, with much heavier Language: English is spoken by almost rainfall in the mountains. everyone. A French-based Creole is also Vegetation: The natural vegetation is spoken. tropical rainforest (about 75 per cent of Religion: According to the most recent surviving natural forest is state-owned) and census available (2001) the population is brushwood. Species include the gommier, made up of mainly Christians (Roman bois canot and blue mahoe. There are also Catholics 45 per cent, Anglicans 14 per cent, mangrove swamps and stunted woods. Seventh Day Adventists, Methodists). Forest covers 50 per cent of the land area Health: Public spending on health was three and there was no significant loss of forest per cent of GDP in 2012. There are three cover during 1990–2012. hospitals: General Hospital (St George’s), Wildlife: Mainly smaller species, such as the Princess Alice Hospital (St Andrew’s) and mona monkey, agouti, armadillo and Princess Royal Hospital (Carriacou). There are mongoose. There is a large variety of birds; homes for handicapped children and geriatric KEY FACTS the Grenada dove and hookbilled kite (an patients. Health centres and district medical endangered species) are unique to the island. Joined Commonwealth: 1974 stations undertake maternity and child welfare Main towns: St George’s (capital, pop. work under the charge of a nurse/midwife. Population: 106,000 (2013) 5,200 in 2010), Gouyave (3,000), Grenville Government hospitals and clinics provide free GDP p.c. growth: 1.8% p.a. 1990–2013 (2,400), Victoria (2,300), St David’s and medical and dental treatment. There is a piped-water supply to all the towns and to UN HDI 2014: World ranking 79 Sauteurs on Grenada; and Hillsborough (800) many of the villages. Infant mortality was 11 on Carriacou. Official language: English per 1,000 live births in 2013. Transport: There are 1,127 km of roads, 61 Time: GMT minus 4 hrs Education: There are 12 years of compulsory per cent paved. In the mountainous terrain education starting at the age of five. Primary Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$) roads are often narrow and winding. school comprises seven years and secondary St George’s is a deep-water port. Anchorage five. The school year starts in September. Geography and facilities for yachts are offered at St Tertiary education centres on the T. A. Area: 344.5 sq km George’s (at the Lagoon), Prickly Bay on the Marryshow Community College, which hosts south-east coast and Secret Harbour, south of Coastline: 121 km an open campus of the regional University of St George’s. The port for the Grenadine Capital: St George’s the West Indies. T. A. Marryshow Community island of Carriacou is at Hillsborough and College was established in 1988 when Grenada is an archipelago comprising the ferry services run between Grenada and other Grenada National College merged with several island of Grenada, the most southerly of the islands. Maurice Bishop International Airport other tertiary institutions including Grenada Windwards in the Eastern Caribbean, and is 11 km south-west of St George’s in the Teachers College, Grenada Technical and some of the southern Grenadine islands, the south-west of Grenada and there is a small Vocational Institute, and Institute for Further airport at Lauriston on Carriacou. largest of which is Carriacou (33 sq km). Its Education. The University of the West Indies Caribbean neighbours include St Vincent and has its main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, the Grenadines (which includes the more Society and Trinidad and Tobago. St George’s northern Grenadines) and Trinidad and Tobago. KEY FACTS 2013 University – founded in 1977 – is an offshore Topography: Mountains, chiefly of volcanic American university specialising in medicine. Population per sq km: 307 origin, form a backbone stretching the 33 km The female–male ratio for gross enrolment in length of the island and rise to 840 metres at Life expectancy: 73 years tertiary education is 1.40:1 (2009). Mount St Catherine. The terrain slopes down Net primary enrolment: 87% (2009) Media: There are no daily newspapers, but to the coast on the east and south-east. The Population: 106,000 (2013); 36 per cent of The Grenada Guardian (Grenada United island is watered by its many streams and people live in urban areas; growth 0.4 per Labour Party), Grenada Informer , The springs, and a small lake, Grand Etang, cent p.a. 1990–2013, depressed over this Grenada Times and The Grenadian Voice are occupies an old crater at 530 metres. period by emigration; birth rate 19 per 1,000 weeklies; all in English. Climate: The tropical climate is especially people (28 in 1970); life expectancy 73 years A public–private partnership, the Grenada pleasant in the dry season (February–May) (64 in 1970). Broadcasting Network, provides radio and The CommonwealTh Yearbook 2015 Grenada television stations. MTV is privately owned named it ‘Concepcion’ (later being named by GDP by sector (2013) and there are several privately-owned radio the Spaniards after their own city, Granada). stations. European settlement was slow to follow, due Agriculture to the fierce resistance of the warlike Caribs, Communications: Country code 1 473; 5.6% although Britain and France in particular internet domain ‘.gd’. Coin- and card- Industry competed for control. A company of London operated payphones are widely available. 14.4% merchants tried and failed to form a There are internet cafes in St George’s. The settlement in 1605. The French launched main post office is in St George’s. Services 79.9% more concerted attacks until, by 1674, they For every 1,000 people there are 270 had subdued the Caribs and gained control landlines, 1,256 mobile phone subscriptions of the island. By 1753, Grenada was a and 350 internet users (2013). enjoyed strong growth during the 1990s, flourishing French possession, with 100 sugar even though the world market for spices was Public holidays: New Year’s Day, mills and 12,000 enslaved Africans working sluggish during most of the decade and Independence Day (7 February), Labour Day the industry. The Caribs had been tourism became increasingly competitive. (1 May), Emancipation Day (first Monday in exterminated. Grenada is nonetheless vulnerable, its August), Carnival (second Monday and economy being so small, and high public Britain took over from France in 1763 under Tuesday in August), Thanksgiving Day (25 expenditure has brought fiscal difficulties. the Treaty of Paris and again (having October), Christmas Day and Boxing Day. meanwhile lost control) in 1783 under the An IMF-backed economic adjustment Treaty of Versailles. Britain introduced the Religious festivals whose dates vary from year programme was put in place in the 1990s, cultivation of cacao, cotton and nutmeg; by to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday, with fiscal reform, privatisation and staff the time of the emancipation of slaves Whit Monday and Corpus Christi. reductions in the public sector to reduce the (1833), the slave population had reached deficit, and improve the debt position. The 24,000. Economy government has encouraged development of industry to broaden the country’s economic National political consciousness developed KEY FACTS 2013 base, but Grenada’s small scale and high through the labour movement, with the GNI: US$806m costs hinder progress. formation of the Grenada Manual and Mental Workers Union. In the new GNI p.c.: US$7,460 A small offshore sector was established in the environment, a union organiser, Eric Matthew GDP growth: -1.1% p.a. 2009–13 1990s, including internet gaming companies, Gairy, formed the first political party, the pro- but it failed to flourish in the 2000s. A US Inflation: 1.7% p.a. 2009–13 union, pro-independence Grenada United university, St George’s University, with 800 Labour Party (GULP). In 1951, GULP won the The economy of Grenada (the ‘spice island’) mainly North American students, also brings elections and Gairy became leader of the is based on agriculture, notably nutmeg and in substantial foreign exchange. assembly. The Grenada National Party (GNP), mace, and tourism. Consequently it has an After three years of strong growth, the led by Herbert Blaize held power between outward-looking and open economy, and economy stalled in 2001, reflecting the US 1957–61 and 1962–67. economic downturn and fall in tourism, only Grenada joined the Federation of the West Real growth in GDP picking up again in 2003. In September 2004 Indies in 1958. When that was dissolved in % 3 Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Ivan and % 1962, it evolved first into an associated state 2 the economy stalled again. Growth of more with full internal self-government (1967), and 1 than ten per cent in 2005 was followed by then towards independence, the core of the 0 shrinkage of 1.9 per cent in 2006, resuming GULP platform. -1 strongly positive in 2007–08. However, global -2 Independence was achieved in 1974; recessiogn the n caus e d a sharp fall in tourism -3 Grenada became a constitutional monarchy, and the econo my sh rank by 6.6 per cent in -4 2009, recover i ng w eakly in 2010–15. with Gairy as Prime Minister, and Queen -5 Elizabeth II as head of state, represented by -6 a Governor-General. Strikes during the -7 History independence preparations, which almost -8 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Before the 14th century, Grenada was settled prevented the transition, were suppressed by Caribs, who displaced the earlier by, it was claimed, ‘Mongoose Gangs’ population of Arawaks.