St Vincent & the Grenadines

  • Area: 389 square kilometres
  • Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar made up of 100 cents, $1 = EC$2.7 (fixed)
  • Official language: English
  • Population: 118,000
  • Head of State or Government: Dr Ralph Gonsalves (Prime Minister), 2004
  • GDP: $415.1 million
  • GDP per capita: $3,518
  • GDP growth: 5.4%
  • Inflation: 0.5%

About St Vincent & the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is situated in the Windward Islands with St Lucia to the northeast and Grenada to the south. The country comprises some 33 islands and cays of which the principal ones are St Vincent, Bequia, Canouan, Mustique, Mayreau, Isle D’Quatre and Union Island. The capital is Kingstown in St Vincent.

Agricultural products – particularly bananas – are the main export earners and the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector employs approximately a quarter of the workforce and contributes 12 per cent of GDP. Industry employs 21 per cent of the workforce and contributes 23 per cent of GDP, while the services sector employs 54 per cent of the workforce and contributes 65 per cent of GDP.

In 2005, there were 86,271 stay-over visitors, 12,936 excursionists, 84,271 yacht passengers and 77,585 cruise-ship passengers. Visitor expenditure amounted to $105 million.