Grenada


Grenada is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea including the southern Grenadines, is the second smallest independent country in the Western Hemisphere (after Saint Kitts and Nevis). It is located in the southeastern part of the sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago, and south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Grenada
Flag of Granada Image:grenadaarms22.PNG
(In Detail)
National motto: The Land, the People, the Light
Location of Grenada
Official language English
Capital St. George's
Queen Queen Elizabeth II
Governor General Sir Daniel Williams
Prime Minister Keith Mitchell
Area
 - Total
 - % water 		Ranked 217th
344 km²
1.6%
Population
 - Total (2002)
 - Density 		Ranked 198th
89,260
139.5/km²
Independence February 7, 1974
Currency East Caribbean Dollar
Time zone UTC -4
National anthem Hail Grenada
Internet TLD .gd
Calling Code 1-473

History

Main article: History of Grenada The recorded history of Grenada begins in 1498, when Christopher Columbus first sighted the island. At the time of settlement the island was occupied either by Island Caribs (Kalinago) or by their mainland cousins, the Kariña. After a failed British settlement attempt, the French purchased the island from the indigenous people in 1650, which resulted in warfare with the Caribs of Dominica and St. Vincent who feared losing their trade routes to the mainland. The island was again ceded to Britain in 1783. Grenada was made a Crown Colony in 1877. Independence was granted in 1974 under the leadership of Eric Gairy. Gairy's government became increasingly authoritarian, prompting a coup d'etat in 1979 by the charismatic and popular left-wing leader Maurice Bishop. Bishop's failure to allow elections, coupled with his socialism and cooperation with Communist Cuba did not sit well with the country's neighbours including Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Dominica and the United States. A dispute with a hard-line wing of the ruling New Jewel Movement loyal to Bernard Coard led to Bishop's execution on October 19, 1983 following an second coup d'état. Six days later, the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations in part of a military campaign called Operation Urgent Fury. Although the Governor-General, Sir Paul Scoon later stated that he had requested the invasion, the British Government and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago expressed anger because they were not consulted. The forces quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers, most of whom were laborers working on the construction of a major airport for the island which the United States completed years later. Elections were held the following year. A publicised tactical concern of the United States was the safe recovery of U.S. nationals enrolled at St. George's University. In September 2004, the island was directly hit by Hurricane Ivan. The category 4 hurricane caused 90 percent of the homes to be damaged or destroyed.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Grenada As a Commonwealth nation, the British monarch is the formal head of state of Grenada. She is represented by a governor general, but real executive power lies with the head of government, the prime minister. Although appointed by the governor general, the prime minister generally is the leader of the largest faction in the parliament. The parliament consists of a Senate (13 members) and a House of Representatives (15 members). The senators are appointed by the government and the opposition, while the representatives are elected by the population for 5-year terms. With 49.9% of the votes and 8 seats in the 2003 election, the New National Party remains the largest party in Grenada. The largest opposition party is the National Democratic Congress with 45.1% of the votes and 7 seats. Grenada is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).

Parishes

Main article: Parishes of Grenada Politically, Grenada is divided into six parishes: Carriacou and Petit Martinique, two of the Grenadines have the status of dependency.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Grenada
Map of Grenada
The island Grenada itself is the largest island; smaller Grenadines are Carriacou, Petit Martinique, Rhonde Island, Caille Island, Diamond Island, Large Island, Saline Island and Frigate Island. Most of the population lives on Grenada itself, and major towns there include the capital St. George's, Grenville and Gouyave. Largest settlement on the other islands is Hillsborough on Carriacou. The islands are of volcanic origin, and Grenada's inlands are slightly mountainous, with several small rivers flowing into the sea. The climate is tropical: hot and humid, and Grenada occasionally suffers from hurricanes. The most recent storm to hit was Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Grenada Economic progress in fiscal reforms and prudent macroeconomic management have boosted annual growth to 5%-6% in 1998-99; the increase in economic activity has been led by construction and trade. Tourist facilities are being expanded; tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner. Major short-term concerns are the rising fiscal deficit and the deterioration in the external account balance. Grenada shares a common central bank and a common currency (the East Caribbean Dollar) with seven other members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Mace within nutmeg fruitGrenada is sometimes called spice island. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, and nutmeg are important exports. There is a nutmeg on the nation's flag. The red lacy material in the photo is mace. It is found between the nutmeg fruit and the nut itself.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Grenada About 80% of the population are descendants of the African slaves brought by the Europeans; very little of the indigenous Carib and Arawak population remains. The official language, English, is spoken by virtually everyone, although a few still speak a French patois. Nearly all Grenadians are Christians, about half of them Catholics; Anglicanism is the largest Protestant denomination.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Grenada French influence on culture is much less than in other Caribbean islands, and culture is heavily influenced by the African roots of most of the Grenadians.

See also


bgcolor=#ccccff align="center" style="font-size: 80%;" | Dependencies: Anguilla
- align=center style="font-size: 90%;" Antigua and BarbudaBahamas > BarbadosCuba > DominicaDominican Republic > GrenadaHaiti > JamaicaSaint Kitts and Nevis > Saint LuciaSaint Vincent and the Grenadines > Trinidad and Tobago
Aruba > British Virgin IslandsCayman Islands > GuadeloupeMartinique > MontserratNavassa Island > Netherlands AntillesPuerto Rico > Turks and Caicos Islands U.S. Virgin Islands

Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom) 60px
Antigua and BarbudaBahamas¹ > BarbadosBelize > DominicaGrenada > GuyanaHaiti > JamaicaMontserrat > Saint Kitts and NevisSaint Lucia > Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSuriname > Trinidad and Tobago
Associate members: AnguillaBermuda > Cayman IslandsBritish Virgin Islands > Turks and Caicos Islands
Observer status: ArubaColombia > Dominican RepublicMexico > Netherlands AntillesPuerto Rico > Venezuela
¹ member of the community but not the common market
Category:Caribbean countries Category:Caribbean islands Category:Monarchies ca:Grenada da:Grenada de:Grenada et:Grenada es:Granada (país) eo:Grenado fr:Grenade (pays) id:Grenada he:גרנדה lt:Grenada lv:Grenada ms:Grenada nl:Grenada ja:グレナダ no:Grenada nds:Grenada pl:Grenada (państwo) pt:Granada ru:Гренада sl:Grenada fi:Grenada sv:Grenada uk:Гренада zh:格林纳达

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