Country Profile: St Vincent

Last reviewed: 20 October 2008

Country information

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines today
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Map of St Vincent

ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES TODAY

Country Facts

Area: 389 sq km; 150 sq miles
Population: 109,022 (official Government figure)
Capital: Kingstown
People: Most Vincentians are the descendants of African slaves brought to the island to work on plantations. There are also a few white descendants of English colonists, as well as some East Indians, Carib Indians, and a sizeable minority of mixed race. St Vincent has a high rate of emigration. With extremely high unemployment and underemployment, population growth remains a major problem.
Languages: English
Religion(s): Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Seventh Day Adventist, Hindu, other Protestant 12%
Currency:Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD) GBP1.00 = 5.33 XCD, 1 EUR = 3.70 XCD
Major Political Parties: New Democratic Party (NDP); People's Progressive Movement (PPM); United Labour Party (ULP)
Government: St Vincent and the Grenadines is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth of Nations. HRH 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 government rests with the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Parliament is a unicameral body (House of Assembly with 21 seats, out of which 15 are elected representatives and six are appointed senators). 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 five 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 Lower Judiciary includes the Magistracy and the Family Court with the High Judiciary comprising of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Appeals can be made through the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. The court of last resort is the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
Head of State: HRH Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Sir Frederick N. Ballantyne
Prime Minister/Premier: The Hon Dr Ralph Gonsalves
Foreign Minister: The Hon Sir Louis Straker
Membership in international groupings/organisations: The Commonwealth, CARICOM, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), OECS ACP, United Nations (UN), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UNESCO, Organisation of American States (OAS), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), IMF, WHO, WTO, IBRD, ILO, G-77

HEALTH

Life expectancy (2001 est.): 72.56 years (women: 74.34 years, men: 70.83 years)
Infant mortality (2001 est.): 11.61 per 1000 live births

HIV/AIDS

The incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region is second only to sub-Sahara Africa.

A UK-CARICOM Forum on Reducing Stigma and Discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean was held in St Kitts in November 2004. The Forum was attended by stakeholders from throughout the region. Participants included the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Peter Piot; the Director of the Caribbean Commission on Health and Development, Sir George Alleyne; Dr Edwin Carrington, CARICOM Secretary-General and DfID Minister Gareth Thomas MP. The aim of the Forum was to accelerate the process of reducing HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination through persons identified as 'Champions for Change'. The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS has taken this work forward in the private sector. The campaign is starting to gain ground in government and the media, but public attitudes are slow to change.

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