s to have a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an
overdependence on the weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner.
Government progress toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively
unsuccessful.

GDP: $136 million, per capita $1,305; real growth rate 8.4% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 30% (1989 est.)

Budget: revenues $42.7 million; expenditures $67.5 million,
including capital expenditures of $25.8 (FY88)

Exports: $63.8 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--bananas,
eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, copra;
partners--CARICOM 60%, UK 27%, US 10%

Imports: $87.3 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--foodstuffs,
machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels;
partners--US 37%, CARICOM 18%, UK 13%

External debt: $35 million (July 1987)

Industrial production: growth rate - 1.2% (1986)

Electricity: 16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced,
610 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture, rum,
starch, sheet metal, beverage

Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk
of exports; products--bananas, arrowroot (world's largest producer), coconuts,
sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish
catch used locally

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $71 million

Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars);
1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate
since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

- Communications
Highways: about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km
unimproved

Ports: Kingstown

Merchant marine: 175 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,305,945
GRT/2,029,935 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 103 cargo,
10 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo,
9 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker,
2 liquefied gas, 28 bulk, 4 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience
registry

Civil air: no major transport aircraft

Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: islandwide fully automatic telephone system;
6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links to Barba