Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Map of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Country name	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Capital	Kingstown
Independence	27 October 1979 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Population	103,537 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
Religions	Protestant 75% (Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%), Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%
Languages	English, French patois
Literacy	age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.)
Location	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates	13 15 N, 61 12 W
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean
Area	total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) land: 389 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries	0 km
Coastline	84 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate	tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain	volcanic, mountainous
Elevation extremes	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)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 0.01 per capita: 83 cu m/yr (1995)
Natural hazards	hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat
Environment - current 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
Environment - international 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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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 is comprised of 32 islands and cays