Grenada

CE5

Grenada grĭnāˈdə [key], independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations (2015 est. pop. 107,000), 133 sq mi (344 sq km), in the Windward Islands, West Indies. The state includes the island of Grenada (120 sq mi/311 sq km) and the southern third of the Grenadines, a group of largely uninhabitable small islands and islets north of Grenada in the Windward Islands. Grenada is a volcanic, mountainous island with crater lakes. Like most Caribbean islands it is subject to hurricanes. One of the Caribbean's most active volcanoes, Kick 'em Jenny, is located underwater to the north of Grenada.

The capital, main port, and commercial center is Saint George's. The inhabitants are of mainly African descent and speak English, the official language, or a French patois. Over 50% of Grenadans 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 bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruits and vegetables, and mace are exported. Textiles and clothing are manufactured. Tourism and private university education are an important source of foreign exchange. The main trading partners are the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.

Governed under the constitution of 1973, Grenada has a bicameral Parliament 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, who is the head of goverment. The British monarch, represented by a governor-general, is the head of state. Administratively, the country is divided into six parishes and one dependency (Petite Martinique).

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• History

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Caribbean Political Geography