The capital, main port, and commercial center is Saint George's Saint George's or Saint George, town (1991 pop. 4,439), capital of Grenada, in the West Indies. A port town on a deep and beautiful harbor, it is the administrative headquarters of the country and a growing tourist center.
..... Click the link for more information. . Its people are of mainly African descent and speak English, the official language, or a French patois. Over 50% of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics; the balance is mainly Protestant, with Anglicanism the dominant denomination. Administratively, there are six parishes and one dependency. Grenada's economy is primarily agricultural, and cocoa, bananas, nutmeg, mace, and fruit are exported. Tourism is a developing industry.
Governed under the constitution of 1973, Grenada has a bicameral legislature with a 15-member elected house of representatives and a 13-member appointed senate. The executive branch consists of a cabinet, led by a prime minister. The British sovereign is represented by a governor-general.
History
From its sighting by Christopher Columbus in 1498 until French settlement began in 1650, the indigenous Caribs prevented European colonization on Grenada. A point of dispute between England and France, the island became permanently British in 1783. The British colonists imported African slaves and established sugar plantations. In 1967, Grenada became an associated state of Britain with full internal self-government. When complete independence was achieved in Feb., 1974, Grenada became a full member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
In 1979 a successful, bloodless coup established the People's Revolutionary Government (PRG) under Prime Minister Maurice Bishop. This government's Marxist leanings and favorable stance toward Cuba and the Soviet Union strained relations with the United States and other nations in the region. In Oct., 1983, after Bishop and his associates were assassinated by more hard-line radicals within his own movement, the United States, with token forces from other Caribbean nations, invaded and occupied Grenada. A general election held in Dec., 1984, reestablished democratic government, with Herbert Blaize as prime minister. In the following decade Grenada received aid from Western nations; tourism expanded, but in other respects the economy did not appear to improve. After elections in 1995, Keith Mitchell, leader of the New National Party, became prime minister. The party and Mitchell narrowly retained power in the 1999 elections. Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in Sept., 2004.
Grenada
){kind=small}
)
Grenada
Official name: Grenada
Capital city: Saint George’s
Internet country code: .gd
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
National anthem: “Hail! Grenada, land of ours” (first line)
Geographical description: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Total area: 133 sq. mi. (344 sq. km.)
Climate: Tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Nationality: noun: Grenadian(s); adjective: Grenadian
Population: 89,971 (July 2007 CIA est.)
Ethnic groups: African 82%, mixed African and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of
Arawak/Carib Amerindian
Languages spoken: English (official), French patois
Religions: Roman Catholic 44%; Anglican 12%; Pentecostal 11%; Seventh-Day Adventist 11%; Methodist, Presbyterian, Church of God, Baptist, and Evangelical more than 2%; Jehovah’s Witnesses, Brethren, Baha’i, Hindu, Moravian, Muslim, Rastafarian, and Salvation Army 1% or less; none 4%
Legal Holidays:
Grenada
an island in the Atlantic Ocean, the southernmost of the Lesser Antilles. Area, 340 sq km; population, 103,000 (1968). Grenada was a British possession, having the legal status of “a state associated with Great Britain”; it became independent in February 1974. The island is of volcanic origin and has several volcanic peaks rising to 840 m. Its climate is rainy-and-dry tropical and marine, with an average monthly temperature of approximately 26° C and an average annual rainfall of more than 1,500 mm; it has rainy tropical and evergreen forests. The main food crops are cocoa, nutmeg, sugarcane, and bananas. The principal city and port is St. George’s. Grenada was discovered by Columbus in 1498.
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|