Grenada
Basic information
- Area: 344 km²
- Calling code: +1 473
- Population (EST): 110,000
- Official language: English
- Time zone: (UTC-4)
Overview
The Island of Grenada is located at the end of a chain of small Caribbean islands that curve down towards the coast of Venezuela. It is approximately 100 miles north of Trinidad and Tobago, and a similar distance from Venezuela to the west. As an independent state, Grenada comprises of three main islands - the smallest and furthest north is Petit Martinique; in the middle is Carriacou and in the south is the main island of Grenada. To the west of the islands are the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean to the east, providing some of the best diving in the world. Christopher Columbus discovered Grenada in 1498, at which time it was inhabited by inhabited by the indigenous Caribe; by the 17th century the French had colonized the island, and in 1763, under the treaty of Paris, Grenada came under British control. To this day the island remains linked to Britain as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. In more recent times, Grenada suffered from a Marxist coup aided by Cuba in late 1983, but was brought under control by an American-led invasion. However, the US invasion received criticism from around the world, including from Britain. 2004 and 2005 saw successive severe hurricanes wreak havoc on the island. As of July 2006, the population according to the CIA World Fact book stood at 89,703. The island`s capital, St Georges, is to be found towards the south east of Grenada facing out over the Caribbean Sea, the town is also the primary seaport and is a popular cruise ship location. The main island is divided into six Parishes, each named after Christian saints; St George, St David, St Andrew, St Patrick, St Mark and St John.
Economy
The largest sector of Grenada`s economy is tourism, followed by agriculture and industry. In recent years financial service, especially offshore banking have been playing a growing role in the economy. Agriculture until recent times was the mainstay for the islands income and became known as the �Spice Island�, due to being amongst the world`s largest exporters of nutmeg and mace. However, in 2004 Hurricane Ivan devastated much of the island`s infrastructure with a severe effect on the economy - the nutmeg harvest was severely affected and due to the growing cycle will take many years to climb back to its pre-Ivan level. Tourism has recovered more rapidly with investment and outside help Grenada is a member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (Caricom and/or CSME). In 2005, the World Bank classified Grenada as upper middle income with a GNI per capita of US$3,920, which ranked in 69th position out of 187 countries and 73rd out of 175 countries for ease of doing business, which is better than many of its South American neighbours. During the budget speech for 2007 the Hon. Anthony Boatswain, Minister for Finance stated, �We have seen strong economic recovery in 2005, which continued in 2006; we have restored fiscal strength through a successful debt restructuring agreement with our Paris Club creditors; we have seen in recent times a resurgence in private sector interest by local and foreign investors alike, committed to fulfilling their plans for economic reconstruction; in short Grenada is open for business again.`
Infrastructure
Grenada has one international airport, Point Salines International Airport, connecting the island to most of the Caribbean. Outside the Caribbean, flights are available to New York, Toronto, London, Frankfurt and Porlamar in Venezuela. The flight times to New York and London are around 6 ½ and 11 hours respectively for direct flights. In 2002 somewhere in the region of 350,000 passengers passed through the airport, which is around seven miles from St Georges. Getting around the island is relatively easy, as the island has a reasonably good main road system and also secondary roads. However, unless you are familiar with Grenada`s roads it is probably better to take a taxi or bus and leave the driving to the locals: this also means you will have the chance to take in the stunning scenery. Around the coast, water taxis are available, as are ferries sailing to Carriacou and Petit Martinique. The National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) oversees communications on the island and is based at Great Anse, St Georges. Along with four other Eastern Caribbean states, the NTRC is a member of the East Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), which acts as a regulatory and advisory body for the member NTRCs. According to figures published by ECTEL in March 2002, mobile telephone penetration in Grenada was only 7%, but by March 2005 it had risen to 74%. A single company, Grenada Electricity Services Ltd (GRENLEC), supplies the mains power to about 99.5% of the 3 islands.
Standard of Living
Despite the risk of hurricanes, Grenada is still a popular tourist destination, rainforests, mangroves and clear warm waters surrounding the islands make Grenada a magnet for young and old alike. Throughout the year there are a number of events such as the annual Grenada Round-The-Island Easter Regatta each April, the Grenada Drum Festival in May and the Carriacou Parang Festival in December. Almost all visitors to Grenada enter through Point Salines International Airport or the cruise port at St Georges and so St Georges is most people`s first view of Grenadian life. On and around the island there are a plethora of sights to see and things to do; for example, hiking in the Grand Etang Lake and National Park and the Levera National Park or diving at one of the many offshore dive sites. A short distance north of Grenada is one of the few places in the world where it is possible to dive around an undersea volcano, Kick �em Jenny, the recorded history of the volcano started in 1939. For those with money the island can indeed be described as paradise with a good standard of living, nevertheless the CIA World Fact book shows that in 2000 those living below the poverty line stood at 32% and the unemployment rate at 12.5%.
