Grenada

Flag Proportion: 1:2

Capital: St George's

Language: English

Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar

Continent: North America

Independent state in the West Indies, comprising the island of Grenada and some of the southern Grenadines. Grenada, in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, is the southernmost of the Windward Islands. The most important of the attached Grenadines is Carriacou, to the northeast. The country has a total area of 344 sq km (133 sq mi); Grenada island has an area of 311 sq km (120 sq mi). The capital, largest town, and principal port (located on the southwestern coast) is Saint George's.

Grenada is of volcanic origin and is mountainous. The highest peak is Mount Saint Catherine (838 m/2749 ft). Valleys interspersed between the mountains are picturesque and fertile, and many contain swift-flowing streams. The island also has hot springs, several mountain lakes, and excellent beaches. The climate is tropical, with an average annual temperature of 27.8 C (82 F) along the coast. Annual rainfall is 1524 mm (60 in) on the coast; a rainy season lasts from June to December. Forests in the interior contain teak and mahogany trees. The population of Grenada (1994 estimate) is about 94,000. About 84 percent of the population of Grenada is black, and a majority of the people are Roman Catholic. English is the official language, but a French dialect is also spoken. Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 14.

Agriculture dominates the economy, and landholdings are generally small. Grenada's gross domestic product (GDP) in 1993 was $221.7 million. The principal export crops are citrus fruits, cacao, nutmeg, bananas, and mace. Other crops include coconuts, cotton, cloves, and cinnamon. Tourism is also important to the economy. Grenada uses the East Caribbean dollar of 100 cents (2.70 East Caribbean dollars equal U.S. $1; fixed rate since 1976). Grenada is an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations. The British monarch is head of state and is represented by a governor-general. The 1967 constitution was suspended and the parliament dissolved after a coup  in 1979. Following a second coup and the United States-led military intervention in 1983, an Interim Advisory Council ruled Grenada until December 1984, when a 15-member parliament was elected.

Grenada was discovered in 1498 by Christopher Columbus. Because of the hostility of the indigenous Carib people, the island remained uncolonized until 1650, when the French founded Saint George's. The British captured the island in 1762. It was recaptured by the French in 1779, but was ceded to Great Britain in 1783. During the 18th century slaves were brought from Africa to work on the sugar plantations. Grenada was administrative headquarters of the British Windward Islands from 1885 to 1958, and from 1958 to 1962 it was part of the Federation of the West Indies.

Grenada became independent on February 7, 1974. Eric M. Gairy, the first prime minister, was overthrown in 1979 in a coup headed by Maurice Bishop. A second coup and Bishop's murder were followed by an invasion by U.S. troops and a contingent from the Organization of East Caribbean States on October 25, 1983. U.S. combat troops were withdrawn by the end of the year, but contingents of U.S. and Caribbean technical and security advisers remained. Grenada was then governed by an Interim Advisory Council until December 1984, when parliamentary elections established Herbert A. Blaize, head of the coalition New National Party (NNP), as prime minister. After he died, national elections were held in March 1990, and a coalition government headed by Nicholas Brathwaite took office. An economic slowdown prompted by labor unrest led to a decline in Brathwaite's popularity in 1992 and 1993. In July 1994 Brathwaite announced that he would step down as the head of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and that he would resign as prime minister in 1995. Agriculture Minister George Brizan was elected as the head of the NDC in September and in February 1995 he replaced Brathwaite as prime minister. In June 1995 the NNP won 8 out of 15 parliamentary seats in national elections and replaced the NDC as the ruling party. NNP leader Keith Mitchell, a former university professor and minister of public works and communications, was sworn in as the prime minister of Grenada on June 22, 1995.

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