| | Grenada |  |  | | Basic facts | | | The country | |
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| | Capital: St George's | | Area: 344 sq km; 133 sq miles | | Population: 89,227 (July 2001 est.) | | Urbanisation: Urban 38 per cent (1998 Estimate); Rural 62 per cent (1998 Estimate) | |
Economy
| Exports: Bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruits and vegetables, clothing, mace
| Industry: Food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
| Agriculture: Bananas, cacao, nutmeg, mace, citrus fruits, avocados, root crops, sugar cane, maize and vegetables
| Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$), consisting of 100 cents
| Natural resources: Timber, tropical fruit, harbours
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The people
| Ethnic: Black African, Indian, Pakistani, European
| Language: English (official), French patois. English, the official language, is used in education, Government, business and the media. Grenadian English differs from Standard English in idioms and some spellings. For instance, "now for now" means "urgent" and "one time" means "at the same time". A car accident is called a "bounce". Informally, Grenadians speak a French-English-African patois.
| Religion: Roman Catholic 54 per cent, Anglican 14 per cent, Other Protestant denominations 21 per cent, Other 11 per cent
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The history
| Independence: 7 February 1974 (from the United Kingdom). Democratic politics were briefly suspended in March 1979, when the Marxist New Jewel Movement (NJM) seized power in a bloodless coup. The increasingly repressive NJM regime later split under political and economic pressure from outside. A second coup on 21 October 1983 saw NJM leader Maurice Bishop and more than 60 supporters killed by a faction led by Robert Coard, who imposed a 24-hour curfew. Four days later, the United States 82nd Airborne Division, backed by a token force drawn from other Caribbean states, invaded the island and restored order. Grenada has since returned to a stable political base.
| Government: Grenada is a parliamentary democracy and a member of the Commonwealth. A governor-general represents the British monarch, who is head of state. The Prime Minister is head of Government and is usually the leader of the dominant party in the House of Representatives. Grenada's parliament includes an elected 15-member House of Representatives and an appointed 13-member Senate. The voting age is 18.
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