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15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female

total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 13.62 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 14.83 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 12.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 74.34 years

male: 72.42 years

female: 76.31 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.79 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)

adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Ethnic groups:

black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%

Religions:

Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%

Languages:

English, French patois

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 96%

male: 96%

female: 96% (1970 est.)

Government Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Country name:

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Kingstown

geographic coordinates: 13 09 N, 61 14 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

Independence:

27 October 1979 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Constitution:

27 October 1979

Legal system:

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002)

head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

elections: the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch:

unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and six appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 55.3%, NDP 44.7%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3

Judicial branch:

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

Political parties and leaders:

New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador La Celia A. PRINCE

chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730

FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736

consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Flag description:

three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern

Economy Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Economy - overview:

Economic growth slowed slightly in 2007 after reaching a 10 year high of nearly 7% in 2006, but is expected to remain robust, hinging upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors and a recent increase in construction activity. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 2007, the islands had more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high debt burden - 25 percent of current revenues are directed towards debt servicing.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$1.042 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$559 million (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.6% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$9,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 10%

industry: 26%

services: 64% (2001 est.)

Labor force:

41,680 (1991 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 26%

industry: 17%

services: 57% (1980 est.)

Unemployment rate:

15% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

6.1% (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $94.6 million

expenditures: $85.8 million (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:

bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish

Industries:

food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

Industrial production growth rate:

-0.9% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:

115 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 69.3%

hydro: 30.7%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

107 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

1,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

1,468 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$149 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$193 million (2006)

Exports - commodities:

bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets

Exports - partners:

France 26.2%, Greece 21.3%, Italy 18.9%, Russia 7.2%, UK 6.8% (2006)

Imports:

$578 million (2006)

Imports - commodities:

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels

Imports - partners:

Singapore 17.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.1%, US 11.1%, Italy 10.9%, Spain 9.5%, Turkey 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$4.89 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (2005)

Debt - external:

$223 million (2004)

Currency (code):

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:

XCD

Exchange rates:

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Telephones - main lines in use:

22,600 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

87,600 (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: adequate system

domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines; mobile-cellular teledensity about 75 telephones per 100 persons

international: country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:

77,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2004)

Televisions:

18,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.vc

Internet hosts:

97 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

15 (2000)

Internet users:

10,000 (2005)

Transportation Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Airports:

6 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 829 km

paved: 580 km

unpaved: 249 km (2003)

Merchant marine:

total: 582 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,598,917 GRT/8,255,014 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 92, cargo 353, carrier 19, chemical tanker 4, container 17, liquefied gas 6, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 11, petroleum tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 31, roll on/roll off 21, specialized tanker 3

foreign-owned: 536 (Austria 2, Bangladesh 1, Barbados 1, Belgium 9, Bulgaria 13, Canada 6, China 106, Croatia 7, Cyprus 3, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 16, Egypt 4, Estonia 20, France 7, Germany 3, Greece 81, Guyana 2, Hong Kong 7, Iceland 15, India 5, Iran 1, Israel 4, Italy 19, Kenya 2, Latvia 20, Lebanon 7, Lithuania 7, Malta 1, Monaco 6, Montenegro 1, Netherlands 5, Norway 19, Pakistan 1, Philippines 1, Poland 1, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 1, Romania 1, Russia 19, Singapore 6, Slovenia 5, Sweden 2, Switzerland 12, Syria 11, Turkey 20, Ukraine 12, UAE 12, UK 9, US 21) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Kingstown

Military Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Military branches:

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 34,373 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 28,518 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 1,224 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

NA

Transnational Issues Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Disputes - international:

joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Samoa

Introduction Samoa

Background:

New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.

Geography Samoa

Location:

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:

13 35 S, 172 20 W

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total: 2,944 sq km

land: 2,934 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

403 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)

Terrain:

two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m

Natural resources:

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 21.13%

permanent crops: 24.3%

other: 54.57% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Environment - current issues:

soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

People Samoa

Population:

217,083

note: prior estimates used official net migration data by sex, but a highly unusual pattern for 1993 lead to a significant imbalance in the sex ratios (more men and fewer women) and a seeming reduction in the female population; the revised total was calculated using a 1993 number that was an average of the 1992 and 1994 migration figures (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 37.9% (male 41,834/female 40,343)

15-64 years: 56.5% (male 64,402/female 58,257)

65 years and over: 5.6% (male 5,481/female 6,766) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 20.6 years

male: 20.8 years

female: 20.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.322% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

28.2 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-9.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 25.04 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 29.56 deaths/1,000 live births