ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

Compiled from the December 2005 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.

Official Name:
St. Vincent and the Grenadines

PROFILE

Geography

Area:

340 sq. km. (130 sq. mi.); slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC. The Grenadines include 32 islands, the largest of which are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, and Union. Some of the smaller islands are privately owned.

Cities:

Capital—Kingstown.

Terrain:

Volcanic and mountainous, with the highest peak, Soufriere, rising to 1,219 meters (4,000 ft.).

Climate:

Tropical.

People

Nationality:

Noun and adjective—Vincentian.

Population (2002 est.):

115,000. Annual growth rate (1998): 0.1%.

Ethnic groups:

African descent (66%), mixed (19%), West Indian (6%), Carib Indian (2%).

Religion:

Anglican (47%), Methodist (28%), Roman Catholic (13%), other Protestant denominations, Seventh-day Adventist, Hindu.

Language:

English (official); some French Patois spoken.

Education:

Literacy—98%. Years compulsory—up to age 15.

Health (1998):

Infant mortality rate—22.2/1,000. Life expectancy—females 72 yrs.; males—68 yrs.

Work force:

About 40,000. Agriculture—60%.

Government

Type:

Parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth.

Independence:

October 27, 1979.

Constitution:

October 27, 1979.

Branches:

Executive—governor general (representing Queen Elizabeth II, head of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative—Unicameral legislature with 15-member elected house of assembly and six-member appointed senate. Judicial—district courts, Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (high court and court of appeals), final appeal to the Privy Council in London.

Subdivisions:

Six parishes.

Political parties:

Unity Labor Party (ULP, incumbent; holds 12 of 15 seats in parliament), New Democratic Party (NDP).

Suffrage:

Universal at 18.

Economy

GDP (2004):

$409 million.

GDP real growth (2004):

5.4%.

Per capita GDP (2004):

$3,857.

Agriculture:

10% of GDP (mostly bananas).

Natural resources:

Timber.

Industry:

Plastic products, food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch, and detergents.

Trade:

Exports (2004)—$34 million (bananas, eddoes and dasheen, arrowroot starch). Major markets—U.K. 34%, Barbados 13%, St. Lucia 11%, Trinidad 10%. Imports (2004)—$200 million (foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers). Major suppliers—U.S., CARICOM, U.K., Japan.

PEOPLE

Most Vincentians are the descendants of African slaves brought to the island to work on plantations. There also are a few white descendants of English colonists, as well as some East Indians, Carib Indians, and a sizable minority of mixed race. The country's official language is English, but a French patois may be heard on some of the Grenadine Islands. St. Vincent has a high rate of emigration along with high unemployment and under-employment.

HISTORY

Carib Indians aggressively prevented European settlement on St. Vincent until the 18th century. African slaves—whether shipwrecked or escaped from St. Lucia and Grenada

and seeking refuge in St. Vincent—intermarried with the Caribs and became known as "black Caribs." Beginning in 1719, French settlers cultivated coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar on plantations worked by African slaves. In 1763, St. Vincent was ceded to Britain. Restored to French rule in 1779, St. Vincent was regained by the British under the Treaty of Versailles in 1783. Conflict between the British and the black Caribs continued until 1796, when General Abercrombie crushed a revolt fomented by the French radical Victor Hugues. More than 5,000 black Caribs were eventually deported to Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras.

Slavery was abolished in 1834; the resulting labor shortages on the plantations attracted Portuguese immigrants in the 1840s and east Indians in the 1860s. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the turn of the century.

From 1763 until independence, St. Vincent passed through various stages of colonial status under the British. A representative assembly was authorized in 1776, Crown Colony government installed in 1877, a legislative council created in 1925, and universal adult suffrage granted in 1951.

During this period, the British made several unsuccessful attempts to affiliate St. Vincent with other Windward Islands in order to govern the region through a unified administration. The most notable was the West Indies Federation, which collapsed in 1962. St. Vincent was granted associate statehood status in 1969, giving it complete control over its internal affairs. Following a referendum in 1979, St. Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence. Natural disasters have plagued the country throughout the 20th century.

In 1902, La Soufriere volcano erupted, killing 2,000 people. Much farmland was damaged, and the economy deteriorated. In April 1979, La Soufriere erupted again. Although no one was killed, thousands had to be evacuated, and there was extensive agricultural damage. In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes devastated banana and coconut plantations; 1998 and 1999 also saw very active hurricane seasons, with hurricane Lenny in 1999 causing extensive damage to the west coast of the island.

GOVERNMENT

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth of Nations. Queen Elizabeth II is head of state and is represented on the island by a governor general, an office with mostly ceremonial functions. Control of the government rests with the prime minister and the cabinet.

The parliament is a unicameral body with a 15-member elected house of assembly and a six-member appointed senate. The governor general appoints senators, four on the advice of the prime minister and two on the advice of the leader of the opposition. The parliamentary term of office is 5 years, although the prime minister may call elections at any time.

As in other English-speaking Caribbean countries, the judiciary in St. Vincent is rooted in British common law. There are 11 courts in three magisterial districts. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, comprising a high court and a court of appeals, is known in St. Vincent as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines supreme court. The court of last resort is the judicial committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council in London.

There is no local government in St. Vincent, and all six parishes are administered by the central government.

Principal Government Officials

Last Updated: 5/17/2005

Governor General: Frederick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE, Sir
Prime Minister: Ralph E. GONSALVES
Dep. Prime Minister: Louis STRAKER
Min. of Agriculture, Lands, & Fisheries: Girlyn MIGUEL
Min. of Commerce & Trade: Louis STRAKER
Min. of Education, Youth, & Sports:
Min. of Finance: Ralph E. GONSALVES
Min. of Foreign Affairs: Mike BROWNE
Min. of Grenadine Affairs & Legal Affairs: Ralph E. GONSALVES
Min. of Health & the Environment: Douglas SLATER
Min. of Information: Ralph E. GONSALVES
Min. of Labor: Ralph E. GONSALVES
Min. of National Security, the Public Service, & Airport Development: Vincent BEACHE
Min. of Planning & Economic Development: Ralph E. GONSALVES
Min. of Social Development, Cooperatives, the Family, Gender Affairs, & Ecclesiastical Affairs: Selmon WALTERS
Min. of Telecommunications, Science, Technology, & Industry: Jerrol THOMPSON
Min. of Tourism & Culture: Rene BAPTISTE
Min. of Transport, Works, & Housing: Louis STRAKER
Attorney General: Judith JONES-MORGAN
Ambassador to the US: Ellsworth JOHN
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Margaret Hughes FERRARI

St. Vincent and the Grenadines maintains an embassy at 3216 New Mexico Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016 (tel. 202-462-7806). St. Vincent also has a consul resident in New York.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS

The People's Political Party (PPP), founded in 1952 by Ebenezer Joshua, was the first major political party in St. Vincent. The PPP had its roots in the labor movement and was in the forefront of national policy prior to independence, winning elections from 1957 through 1966. With the development of a more conservative black middle class, however, the party began to steadily lose support, until it collapsed after a rout in the 1979 elections. The party dissolved itself in 1984.

Founded in 1955, the St. Vincent Labor Party (SYLP), under R. Milton Cato, gained the support of the middle class. With a conservative law-and-order message and a pro-Western foreign policy, the SYLP dominated politics from the mid-1960s until the mid-1980s. Following victories in the 1967 and 1974 elections, the SYLP led the island to independence, winning the first post-independence election in 1979. Expecting an easy victory for the SYLP in 1984, Cato called early elections. The results were surprising: with a record 89% voter turnout, James F. Mitchell's New Democratic Party (NDP) won nine seats in the house of assembly.

Since the 1984 election, politics in St. Vincent have been dominated by the NDP. Bolstered by a resurgent economy in the mid-1980s, Mitchell led his party to an unprecedented sweep of all 15 house of assembly seats in the 1989 elections. The opposition emerged from the election weakened and fragmented but was able to win three seats during the February 1994 elections under a "unity" coalition. In 1998, Prime Minister Mitchell and the NDP were returned to power for an unprecedented fourth term but only with a slim margin of 8 seats to 7 seats for the Unity Labour Party (ULP). The NDP was able to accomplish a return to power while receiving a lesser share of the popular vote, approximately 45% to the ULP's 55%. In March 2001, the ULP, led by Ralph Gonsalves, assumed power after winning 12 of the 15 seats in Parliament.

In the December 2005 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Gonsalves and the ULP retained their 12-3 majority over the NDP.

ECONOMY

Bananas account for upwards of 60% of the work force and 50% of merchandise exports in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Such reliance on one crop makes the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in banana prices and the erosion of European Union trade preferences. To combat these vulnerabilities, the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is focused on diversifying its economy away from reliance on bananas.

Although less prominent than in other Eastern Caribbean countries, tourism has grown to become a very important part of the economy, and the chief earner of foreign exchange. The Grenadines have become a favorite of the high-end yachting crowd and the focus of new tourism development in the country. In 1996, new cruise ship and ferry berths came on line, sharply increasing the number of passenger arrivals. In 2004, total visitor arrivals numbered at 160,000. A relatively small number of Americans—under 1,000—reside on the islands.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines' currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), a regional currency shared among members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) issues the EC$, manages monetary policy, and regulates and supervises commercial banking activities in its member countries. The ECCB's primary monetary policy goal is to maintain the long-standing currency peg of US$1=EC$2.7.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a beneficiary of the U.S. Caribbean Basin Initiative that grants duty-free entry into the U.S. for many goods. St. Vincent and the Grenadines also belongs to the predominantly English-speaking Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

FOREIGN RELATIONS

St. Vincent and the Grenadines maintains close ties to the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and cooperates with regional political and economic organizations such as the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and CARICOM. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).

As a member of CARICOM, St. Vincent and the Grenadines strongly backed efforts by the United States to implement UN Security Council Resolution 940, designed to facilitate the departure of Haiti's de facto authorities from power. The country agreed to contribute personnel to the multinational force, which restored the democratically elected government of Haiti in October 1994.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines maintains close relations with Cuba, which provides a number of scholarship and other exchange programs for Vincentians, particularly in the field of health care.

U.S. -ST. VINCENT RELATIONS

The United States and St. Vincent have solid bilateral relations. Both governments are concerned with eradicating local marijuana cultivation and combating the transshipment of narcotics. The St. Vincentian Government has generally been cooperative and responsive to U.S. offers of assistance. In 1995, the U.S. and St. Vincent signed a maritime law enforcement agreement. In 1996, the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines signed an extradition treaty with the United States. In 1997, the two countries signed a mutual legal assistance treaty.

The United States supports the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines' efforts to expand its economic base and to provide a higher standard of living for its citizens. U.S. assistance is channeled primarily through multilateral agencies such as the World Bank. The United States has about 31 Peace Corps volunteers in St. Vincent working in education and health. The U.S. military also provides assistance through exercise-related construction and humanitarian civic action projects.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

BRIDGETOWN (E) Address: CIBC Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; APO/FPO: APO AA 34055; Phone: 246-436-4950; Fax: 246-429-5246; Workweek: Mon-Fri: 8.00 - 4.30.

Other Contact Information

U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Trade Information Center
14th and Constitution, NW
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: 1-800-USA-TRADE

Caribbean/Latin American Action
1818 N Street, NW, Suite 310
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-466-7464
Fax: 202-822-0075

TRAVEL

Consular Information Sheet

December 8, 2004

Country Description:

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is an English-speaking developing Caribbean island nation. Tourism facilities are widely available.

Entry/Exit Requirements:

U.S. citizens must present a valid passport, a certified U.S. birth certificate and photo identification, Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization, and a return or onward ticket. U.S. citizens should take special care to secure these documents while traveling, as it can be time-consuming and difficult to acquire new proof of citizenship to facilitate return travel should the original documents be lost or stolen. Expired U.S. passports will not be accepted. Travelers must pay a departure tax when leaving the country. For further information concerning entry requirements, travelers can contact the Embassy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016, web site: www.embsvg.com, telephone (202) 364-6730, or the consulate in New York.

Safety and Security:

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be found. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Crime:

Petty street crime occurs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. From time to time, property has been stolen from yachts anchored in the Grenadines. Valuables left unattended on beaches are vulnerable to theft. Persons interested in nature walks or hikes in the northern areas of St. Vincent should contact local tour operators and guides ahead of time; these areas are isolated, and police presence is limited.

Information for Victims of Crime:

The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed. Posts in countries that have victims of crime assistance programs should include that information.

Medical Facilities and Health Information:

Medical facilities are limited. There is a hospital in the capital, Kingstown, but serious medical problems may require evacuation to another island or the United States. There is no hyperbaric chamber; divers requiring treatment for decompression illness must be evacuated from the island. The closest hyperbaric chamber is located in Barbados. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost thousands of dollars. Doctors and the hospital often expect immediate cash payment for health services.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.

Medical Insurance:

The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.

Traffic Safety and Road Conditions:

While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning St. Vincent and the Grenadines is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Vehicles travel on the left side of the road. Roads are narrow, and generally poorly paved, with steep inclines throughout the islands. Taxis and buses are relatively safe, but buses are often overcrowded. Vans are generally overcrowded and frequently travel at high rates of speed. Night driving is discouraged in mountainous areas because the roads are not well marked; there are few, if any, guardrails, and roads are steep and winding.

For specific information concerning St. Vincent and the Grenadines driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax and mandatory insurance, please contact the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Tourist Organization http://www.svgtourism.com offices in New York via the Internet at http://www.svgtourism.com.

Aviation Safety Oversight:

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government St. Vincent and the Grenadines as not being in compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards for the oversight of St. Vincent and the Grenadines' air carrier operations. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's internet web site at www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm.

Special Circumstances:

All Caribbean countries can be affected by hurricanes. The hurricane season normally runs from June to the end of November, but there have been hurricanes in December in recent years. General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov.

There is no U.S. Embassy or Consulate in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados is responsible for consular issues on the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including American Citizens Services. U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry a copy of their citizenship documents with them at all times so that if questioned by local officials, proof of identity and U.S. citizenship are readily available.

Criminal Penalties:

While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offences. Persons violating St. Vincent and the Grenadines' laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.

Children's Issues:

For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children's Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family/index.html.

Registration/Embassy Location:

Americans living or traveling in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located in the First Caribbean International Bank Building on Broad Street, telephone 1-246-436-4950, website http://bridgetown.usembassy.gov/. The Consular Section is located in the American Life Insurance Company (ALICO) Building, Cheapside, telephone 1-246-431-0225 or fax 1-246-431-0179, website http://bridgetown.usembassy.gov. Hours of operation are 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:00-2:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, except Barbados and U.S. holidays.