international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Desertification

Geography - note: the administration of the islands of the Grenadines
group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

@Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:People

Population: 119,092 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 19,208; female 18,571)
15-64 years: 63% (male 37,555; female 37,166)
65 years and over: 5% (male 2,719; female 3,873) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.62% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 19.07 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.35 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.22 years
male: 71.71 years
female: 74.78 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Ethnic groups: black, white, East Indian, Carib Amerindian

Religions: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist

Languages: English, French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population : 96%
male: 96%
female: 96% (1970 est.)

@Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Data code: VC

Government type: constitutional monarchy

National capital: Kingstown

Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint
Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)

Constitution: 27 October 1979

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 September 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister James Fitz-Allen MITC