224 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
224 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
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SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2
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Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington,
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DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 84 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation;
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rainy season (May to November)
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Terrain: volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island
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of Saint Vincent
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Natural resources: negligible
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Land use: arable land 38%; permanent crops 12%; meadows and
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pastures 6%; forest and woodland 41%; other 3%; includes irrigated
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3%
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Environment: subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a
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constant
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threat
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Note: some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by
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Grenada
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PEOPLE
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Population: 114,221 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
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Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 31 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 72 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s);
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adjectives--Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
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Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent; remainder mixed,
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with some white, East Indian, Carib Indian
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Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day
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Adventist
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Language: English, some French patois
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Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever
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attended school (1970)
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Labor force: 67,000 (1984 est.)
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Organized labor: 10% of labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: none
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Type: constitutional monarchy
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Capital: Kingstown
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Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines,
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Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
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Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK)
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Constitution: 27 October 1979
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Legal system: based on English common law
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National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
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Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime
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minister, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly
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Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
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represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 Septermber 1989);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July
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1984)
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Political parties and leaders:
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New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL;
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Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent BEACH;
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United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS;
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Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES;
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National Reform Party (NRP), Joel MIGUEL
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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House of Assembly--last held 16 May 1989
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(next to be held July 1994);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(21 total; 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators)
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NDP 15
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Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
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ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, OAS, OECS,
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UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO
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Diplomatic representation: none
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Flag: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double
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width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a
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V pattern
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most
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important sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly on
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a growing tourist industry, is also important. The economy continues to
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have a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on the
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weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress
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toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.
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GDP: $146 million, per capita $1,270; real growth rate 5.9
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(1989)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1990)
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Unemployment rate: 30% (1989 est.)
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Budget: revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million,
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including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
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Exports: $74.6 million (f.o.b., 1989);
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commodities--bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot
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starch, tennis racquets, flour;
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partners--UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
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Imports: $127.5 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
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commodities--foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and
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fertilizers, minerals and fuels;
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partners--US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15%
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External debt: $51.4 million (1989)
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Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14%
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of GDP
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Electricity: 16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced,
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570 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture,
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clothing, starch, sheet metal, beverage
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Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and 60% of labor force;
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provides bulk of exports; products--bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes,
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spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch
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used locally
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $76 million
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Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars);
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1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
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Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed
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rate since 1976)
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Fiscal year: calendar year (as of January 1991); previously
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1 July-30 June
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved;
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300 km unimproved
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Ports: Kingstown
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Merchant marine: 242 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,855,061
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GRT/2,919,872 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 132 cargo,
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11 container, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 refrigerated cargo,
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13 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker,
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4 liquefied gas, 44 bulk, 6 combination bulk, 1 vehicle carrier;
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note--China owns 3 ships; a flag of convenience registry
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Civil air: no major transport aircraft
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Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: islandwide fully automatic telephone system;
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6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links to Barbados and the
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Grenadines; new SHF links to Grenada and Saint Lucia;
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stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable)
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force,
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Coast Guard
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 28,339; NA fit for military
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service
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Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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