Country Summary
Introduction
Background
Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when Christopher COLUMBUS landed on the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century and Britain took the island in 1762 establishing sugar, cacao, and then nutmeg plantations. Independence was attained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Geography
Area
total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Climate
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Natural resources
timber, tropical fruit
People and Society
Population
113,949 (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups
African descent 82.4%, mixed 13.3%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)
Languages
English (official), French patois
Religions
Protestant 49.2% (includes Pentecostal 17.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 13.2%, Anglican 8.5%, Baptist 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Evangelical 1.9%, Methodist 1.6%, other 1.2%), Roman Catholic 36%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, Rastafarian 1.2%, other 5.5%, none 5.7%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.)
Population growth rate
0.32% (2022 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital
name: Saint George's
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013)
head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 20 February 2013)
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms)
House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
Economy
Economic overview
small OECS service-based economy; large tourism, construction, transportation, and education sectors; major spice exporter; shrinking but still high public debt; vulnerable to hurricanes; declining remittances
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.7 billion (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$15,100 (2020 est.)
Agricultural products
bananas, watermelons, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, tomatoes, plantains, coconuts, melons, cucumbers, cabbages
Industries
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction, education, call-center operations
Exports
$650 million (2018 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 40%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7%, Saint Lucia 7%, France 6%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 5%, Ireland 5%, Antigua and Barbuda 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
fish, nutmeg, cocoa beans, fruits, wheat, toilet paper (2019)
Imports
$640 million (2018 est.)
Imports - partners
United States 35%, Canada 24%, China 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
aircraft, poultry meat, cars, refined petroleum, food preparation materials (2019)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
Page last updated: Monday, September 12, 2022
