Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2008) | Grenada (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 33.9% (male 15,329/female 14,997)
15-64 years: 62.7% (male 29,711/female 26,436) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 1,431/female 1,598) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables |
Airports | - | 3 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 5 sq km
land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island |
total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | twice the size of Washington, DC |
Background | These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve. | One of the smallest independent countries in the western hemisphere, Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year. |
Birth rate | - | 22.3 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $85.8 million
expenditures: $102.1 million, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1997) |
Capital | - | Saint George's |
Climate | tropical | tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds |
Coastline | 74.1 km | 121 km |
Constitution | - | 19 December 1973 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada |
Death rate | - | 7.17 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $196 million (2000) |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada
embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, West Indies telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176 FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE
chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561 FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to these islands; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catches | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $8.3 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange, especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of an offshore financial industry, have also contributed to growth in national output. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 138.6 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | - | 149 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | - | black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian |
Exchange rates | - | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general |
Exports | - | NA |
Exports - commodities | - | bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace |
Exports - partners | - | Saint Lucia 12.7%, US 12.2%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.7%, Netherlands 7.9%, Saint Kitts and Nevis 7.8%, Dominica 7.8%, Germany 7.1%, France 4.6% (2004) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 7.7%
industry: 23.9% services: 68.4% (2000) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 2.5% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 14 S, 123 05 E | 12 07 N, 61 40 W |
Geography - note | Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 | the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada |
Highways | - | total: 1,040 km
paved: 638 km unpaved: 402 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US |
Imports | - | NA |
Imports - commodities | - | food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel |
Imports - partners | - | Trinidad and Tobago 29.6%, US 27.8%, UK 4.8% (2004) |
Independence | - | 7 February 1974 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 0.7% (1997 est.) |
Industries | - | food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 14.62 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2.8% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | West Indies Associate States Supreme Court (an associate judge resides in Grenada) |
Labor force | - | 42,300 (1996) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 24%, industry 14%, services 62% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005) |
arable land: 5.88%
permanent crops: 29.41% other: 64.71% (2001) |
Languages | - | English (official), French patois |
Legal system | the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | - | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and three by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 November 2003 (next to be held by November 2008) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 64.53 years
male: 62.74 years female: 66.31 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force | - |
Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 7 February (1974) |
Nationality | - | noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian |
Natural hazards | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards | lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November |
Natural resources | fish | timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors |
Net migration rate | - | -13.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
People - note | the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem | - |
Political parties and leaders | - | Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]; People Labor Movement or PLM [Dr. Francis ALEXIS] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island |
89,502 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 32% (2000) |
Population growth rate | - | 0.19% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Saint George's |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links international: country code - 1-473; new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 33,500 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 7,600 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | low with sand and coral | volcanic in origin with central mountains |
Total fertility rate | - | 2.37 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 12.5% (2000) |