What Youth for Christ is Doing
Youth for Christ in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in a rebuilding stage to reach young people of this nation for Jesus Christ through Youth Rallies, Discover Jesus Mission (DJM), Prayer, Counseling, Training, Media Ministry, Film Ministry, Single’s Conference, Worship in the City, Campus Life, Evangelism and more.
About Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Introduction
Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.
Geography
Location
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic Coordinates: 13 15 N, 61 12 W
Area
Total Area: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) Rank: 202
Land Area: 389 sq km
Water Area: 0 sq km
Comparison: twice the size of Washington, DC
Land Boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 84 km
Climate
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain
volcanic, mountainous
Elevations
Lowest Point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Highest Point: La Soufriere 1,234 m
Natural Resources
hydropower, cropland
Land Use
Arable land: 17.95%
Permanent Crops: 17.95%
Other: 64.1% (2005)
Irrigated Land: 10 sq km (2003)
Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 0.01
Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 83 cu m/yr (1995)
Environment
Natural Hazards: hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat
Environmental Issues: pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive
Environmental Agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
Geography Notes
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays
People
Population: 104,574 (July 2010 est.) Rank: 192
Age Structure
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 13,637/female 13,425)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 35,693/female 33,701)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 3,659/female 4,459) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 29.6 years
Population Growth
Growth Rate: -0.344% (2010 est.) Rank: 222
Birth Rate: 15.27 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 139
Death Rate: 6.91 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 136
Net Migration Rate: -11.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 176
Urbanization
Urban Population: 47% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Life and Death
Infant Mortality Rate: 15.14 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 126
Life Expectancy at Birth: 73.65 years Rank: 105
Fertility Rate: 1.94 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 134
Health and Disease
HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate NA
People living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS Deaths: NA
Nationality and Culture
Noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
Adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Ethnic Groups: black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, European 4%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 3%
Religion: Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%
Languages: English, French patois
Education
Literacy (age 15 and over has ever attended school): 96% Male: 96% Female: 96% (1970 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 12 years Male: 12 years Female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures: 8.1% of GDP (2005) Rank: 14
Government
Country Name
Conventional Long Form: none
Conventional Short Form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Government Type: parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital: Kingstown Geographic Coordinates: 13 09 N, 61 14 W
Administrative divisions
6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Independence: 27 October 1979 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Constitution: 27 October 1979
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Legislative Branch
unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 7 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - ULP 55.3%, NDP 44.7%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3
Judicial branch
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (consisting of a High Court and Court of Appeals; based on Saint Lucia; two judges of the Supreme Court reside in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Politics
Political Parties and Leaders: New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)
Political Pressure Groups and Leaders: NA
International Organization Participation: ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Flag Description: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern, which stands for Vincent; the diamonds recall the islands as the "Gems of the Antilles"; blue conveys the colors of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation
Economy
Economy Overview: Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity as well as remittance inflows. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 2008, the islands had more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines, a drop of nearly 20% from 2007. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high debt burden - 25% of current revenues are directed towards debt servicing. An agreement with Italy to write-off debt reduced the public debt-to-GDP ratio to about 70%. Following the global downturn, St. Vincent and the Grenadines saw an economic decline in 2009, after slowing since 2006, when GDP growth reached a 10-year high of nearly 7%. The GONSALVES administration is directing government resources to infrastructure projects, including a new international airport that is expected to be completed in 2011.
Gross Domestic Product
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.069 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 198
GDP - real growth rate: -2.5% (2009 est.) Rank: 155
GDP - per capita (PPP): $10,200 (2009 est.) Rank: 106
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 10% Industry: 26% Services: 64% (2001 est.)
Labor Force
Labor Force: 57,520 (2007 est.) Rank: 185
Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 26% Industry: 17% Services: 57% (1980 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 15% (2001 est.) Rank: 148
Poverty
Population below poverty line: NA
Transnational Issues
International Disputes: joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
