Grenada Facts, Grenada Flag -- National Geographic

Fast Facts

Population:: 101,000
Capital:: St. George's; 33,000
Area:: 344 square kilometers (133 square miles)
Language:: English, French patois
Religion:: Roman Catholic, Anglican, other Protestant
Currency:: East Caribbean dollar
Life Expectancy:: 71
GDP per Capita:: U.S. $5,000
Literacy Percent:: 98

Grenada, located in the southeastern Caribbean, consists of the islands of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. Most Grenadians are of African descent. Grenada, the largest and most populous island, is known as The Spice of the Caribbean. Nutmeg replaced sugar as the main crop after the British took the island from France in 1783. Small farms replaced sugar plantations, slavery was abolished, and today the sweet smells of nutmeg and other spices waft on balmy breezes. Independence came in 1974; a military coup in 1983 brought a U.S.-Caribbean force that restored democracy.

ECONOMY

Industry: Food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism.
Agriculture: Bananas, cacao, nutmeg, mace.
Exports: Bananas, cacao, nutmeg, fruits and vegetables.

—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

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