Grenada (2007) | Belize (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 32.8% (male 14,876/female 14,641)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 30,522/female 27,137) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,353/female 1,442) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years:
42.04% (male 54,876; female 52,780) 15-64 years: 54.43% (male 70,534; female 68,837) 65 years and over: 3.53% (male 4,403; female 4,632) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables | bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp |
Airports | 3 (2007) | 44 (2000 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 (2007) |
total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
40 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 29 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
Background | Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when COLUMBUS discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974 making Grenada 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 and have continued since that time. Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage. | Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime. |
Birth rate | 21.87 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 31.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $85.8 million
expenditures: $102.1 million (1997) |
revenues:
$157 million expenditures: $279 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
Capital | name: Saint George's
geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Belmopan |
Climate | tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) |
Coastline | 121 km | 386 km |
Constitution | 19 December 1973 | 21 September 1981 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
Currency | - | Belizean dollar (BZD) |
Death rate | 6.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $347 million (2004) | $338 million (1998) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1177 FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Carolyn CURIEL embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Unit 7401, APO AA 34025 telephone: [501] (2) 77161 FAX: [501] (2) 30802 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles |
Disputes - international | none | Guatemala periodically asserts claims to territory in southern Belize; to deter cross-border squatting, both states in 2000 agreed to a "line of adjacency" based on the de facto boundary, which is not recognized by Guatemala |
Economic aid - recipient | $44.87 million (2005) | $NA |
Economy - overview | 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. | The small, essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming greater importance. Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the country's largest employer. The government's tough austerity program in 1997 resulted in an economic slowdown that continued in 1998. The trade deficit has been growing, mostly as a result of low export prices for sugar and bananas. The tourist and construction sectors strengthened in early 1999, supporting growth of 6% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. Aided by international donors, the government's key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty. |
Electricity - consumption | 139.5 million kWh (2005) | 172.1 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 150 million kWh (2005) | 185 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
56.76% hydro: 43.24% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid waste disposal |
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 |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands 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 | mestizo 43.7%, Creole 29.8%, Maya 10%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 10.3% |
Exchange rates | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002) | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
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 |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG (since 17 November 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Said MUSA (since 27 August 1998); Deputy Prime Minister John BRICENO (since 1 September 1998) 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; governor general appoints the member of the House of Representatives who is leader of the majority party to be prime minister |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $235.7 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
Exports - partners | Saint Lucia 18.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 12.8%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 11.5%, Dominica 11.4%, US 11.3% (2006) | US 42%, UK 33%, EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%, Mexico 1% (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | 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 | blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $790 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 18% services: 76.6% (2003) |
agriculture:
18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.9% (2005 est.) | 4% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 07 N, 61 40 W | 17 15 N, 88 45 W |
Geography - note | the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean |
Highways | - | total:
2,872 km paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1998 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US | minor transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering center |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $413 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel | machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
Imports - partners | Trinidad and Tobago 33.7%, US 24.2%, UK 4.3% (2006) | US 58%, Mexico 12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998) |
Independence | 7 February 1974 (from UK) | 21 September 1981 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 0.7% (1997 est.) | 4.6% (1999) |
Industries | food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction |
Infant mortality rate | total: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.57 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
25.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2005 est.) | 2% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | 20 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned to and resides in Grenada) | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) |
Labor force | 42,300 (1996) | 71,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 24%
industry: 14% services: 62% (1999 est.) |
agriculture 38%, industry 32%, services 30% (1994) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.88%
permanent crops: 29.41% other: 64.71% (2005) |
arable land:
10% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 84% other: 3% (2000 est.) |
Languages | English (official), French patois | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
Legal system | based on English common law | English law |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats, 10 appointed by the government and 3 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 - NNP 46.6%, NDC 44.1%, other 9.3%; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 7 |
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (eight members, five appointed on the advice of the prime minister, two on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one by the governor general; members are appointed for five-year terms); and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 27 August 1998 (next to be held by NA August 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 59.2%, UDP 40.8%; seats by party - PUP 26, UDP 3 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 65.21 years
male: 63.38 years female: 67.05 years (2007 est.) |
total population:
71.19 years male: 68.91 years female: 73.57 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96% male: NA% female: NA% (2003 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 70.3% male: 70.3% female: 70.3% (1991 est.) note: other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75% |
Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago | Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM in the north, 3 NM in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 NM; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala |
Merchant marine | - | total:
402 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,575,851 GRT/2,241,731 DWT ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 265, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, container 14, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 56, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cuba 1, Singapore 1, US 1 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2007) | Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $17 million (FY98/99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 2.4% (FY98/99) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
62,698 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
37,174 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
2,847 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 7 February (1974) | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) |
Nationality | noun: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian |
noun:
Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean |
Natural hazards | lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November | frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south) |
Natural resources | timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
Net migration rate | -11.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean BARROW, Doug SINGH] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Diane HAYLOCK]; United Worker's Front |
Population | 89,971 (July 2007 est.) | 256,062 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 32% (2000) | 33% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.336% (2007 est.) | 2.7% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 133,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2% | Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.016 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.125 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.938 male(s)/female total population: 1.082 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 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; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad |
general assessment:
above-average system domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 27,700 (2006) | 31,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 46,200 (2006) | 3,023 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | volcanic in origin with central mountains | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south |
Total fertility rate | 2.3 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 4.05 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 12.5% (2000) | 12.8% (1999) |
Waterways | - | 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) |