 Saint Vincent/Grenadines Location:
13°10'N, 61°14'W
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean Sea. Its 389-km2 territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines. The country has a British colonial history and is now part of the Commonwealth of Nations and CARICOM.
Saint Vincent/Grenadines Geography:
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lies between Saint Lucia and Grenada in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, an island arc of the Caribbean Sea. The islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines include the main island of Saint Vincent (344 km2) and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines (45 km2), a chain of small islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada.
Saint Vincent/Grenadines People:
Population
- 2005 estimate 119,000 (190th)
- Density 307 /km2 (39th)
792 /sq mi
Saint Vincent/Grenadines Government:
Government Parliamentary democracy (constitutional monarchy)
- Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
- Governor-General Sir Frederick Ballantyne
- Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves
Saint Vincent/Grenadines Communication:
In 2005, St. Vincent and the Grenadines had 22,500 telephone land lines. Its land telephone system is fully automatic and covers the entire island and all of the inhabited Grenadine islands. In 2004, there were 57,000 mobile phones. There is mobile phone coverage for most of St. Vincent as well as the Grenadines.
In 2004, it had seven radio stations (1 AM, 6 FM). It has one television broadcast station.
The country has two ISPs: Cable and Wireless see local company information Cable and Wireless St Vincent and Karib Kable.
Saint Vincent/Grenadines Economy:
Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of this lower-middle-income economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and a high unemployment rate of 22% continues. The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development; tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in both 1994 and 1995. The tourism sector has considerable potential for development over the next decade. Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism. There is a small manufacturing sector and a small offshore financial sector whose particularly restrictive secrecy laws have caused some international concern. In addition the natives of Bequia are permitted to hunt up to 4 Humpback Whales per year under IWC subsistence quotas.
Saint Vincent/Grenadines More Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines  |
