Page last updated on January 28, 2014
Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
country comparison to the world: 204
land: 389 sq km
water: 0 sq km
twice the size of Washington, DC
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 m
arable land: 12.82%
permanent crops: 7.69%
other: 79.49% (2011)
total: 0.01 cu km/yr (NA)
per capita: 92.59 cu m/yr (1995)
hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat
pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays
noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, European 4%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 3%
Protestant 75% (Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%), Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%
103,220 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
0-14 years: 23.4% (male 12,179/female 11,979)
15-24 years: 17% (male 8,848/female 8,680)
25-54 years: 42.5% (male 22,777/female 21,067)
55-64 years: 8.8% (male 4,627/female 4,412)
65 years and over: 8.4% (male 3,982/female 4,669) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 47.6 %
youth dependency ratio: 37.3 %
elderly dependency ratio: 10.3 %
potential support ratio: 9.7 (2013)
total: 31.3 years
male: 31.4 years
female: 31.2 years (2013 est.)
-0.3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
14.12 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
7.06 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
-10.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211
urban population: 49% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
KINGSTOWN (capital) 28,000 (2009)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
48 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 110
total: 13.46 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 124
male: 14.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 74.62 years
country comparison to the world: 108
male: 72.69 years
female: 76.62 years (2013 est.)
1.87 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
4.9% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 142
0.53 physicians/1,000 population (2001)
2.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
23.4% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 75
5.1% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 69
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 96%
male: 96%
female: 96% (1970 est.)
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2004)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
name: Kingstown
geographic coordinates: 13 08 N, 61 13 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
27 October 1979 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
several previous; latest presented 26 July 1979, effective 27 October 1979 (2009)
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
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 monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 13 December 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 51.6%, NDP 47.8%, other 0.6%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7
highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the ECSC - with its headquarters on Saint Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
subordinate courts: magistrates' courts
New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO
chief of mission: Ambassador La Celia A. PRINCE (since 30 May 2008)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736
consulate(s) general: New York
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
three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern, which stands for Vincent; the diamonds recall the islands as the "Gems of the Antilles"; blue conveys the colors of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation
name: "St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful!"
lyrics/music: Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUEL
note: adopted 1967
Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity as well as remittance inflows. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 2008, the islands had more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines, a drop of nearly 20% from 2007. 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 public debt burden, which was 68% of GDP at the end of 2011. GDP grew on average 6% annually from 2002-07, but contracted between 2008-10 as a result of the global economic downturn; growth remains slow.
$1.291 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$703.4 million (2012 est.)
1.5% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
$11,800 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
household consumption: 89.7%
government consumption: 16.4%
investment in fixed capital: 23.6%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 26.9%
imports of goods and services: -56.6%
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 20%
services: 74.6% (2012 est.)
bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish
tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch
3% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
57,520 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
agriculture: 26%
industry: 17%
services: 57% (1980 est.)
15% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $174.4 million
expenditures: $181.5 million (2012 est.)
24.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
-1% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
68% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
2.6% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
6.5% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
9.43% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
$133.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
$431.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
$404.8 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
$-215.9 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
$48.7 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets
Trinidad and Tobago 14.5%, St. Lucia 12.9%, Turkey 12.7%, Barbados 10.7%, Dominica 8.5%, Grenada 8.1%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.3% (2012)
$314.6 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels
Singapore 28%, Trinidad and Tobago 22.6%, US 19%, China 5.6%, Barbados 5% (2012)
$111 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
$265 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
136 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
126.5 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
47,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
85.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
14.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 199
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
1,948 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
1,474 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 202
198,900 Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
19,400 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 187
135,500 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 187
general assessment: adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system
domestic: fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 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 (2011)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio service broadcasts on 1 station and has 2 repeater stations; about a dozen privately owned radio stations and repeater stations (2007)
305 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 190
76,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 169
6 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 177
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
total: 829 km
country comparison to the world: 187
paved: 580 km
unpaved: 249 km (2003)
total: 412
country comparison to the world: 25
by type: bulk carrier 64, cargo 263, carrier 14, chemical tanker 4, container 18, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 325 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 1, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 7, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 9, China 65, Croatia 8, Cyprus 3, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 9, Dominica 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 8, France 2, Germany 3, Greece 42, Guyana 2, Hong Kong 5, Israel 3, Italy 4, Japan 3, Kenya 2, Latvia 15, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 9, Monaco 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 13, Poland 3, Romania 1, Russia 11, Singapore 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 10, Switzerland 7, Syria 9, Turkey 13, UAE 3, UK 6, Ukraine 12, US 18, Venezuela 1) (2010)
major seaport(s): Kingstown
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2013)
males age 16-49: 27,809 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 22,875
females age 16-49: 22,015 (2010 est.)
male: 964
female: 953 (2010 est.)
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
