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 .VC - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Registration · Transfer · Renewal
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Payable by
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Special Requirements:
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.VC anyone can register
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1 Year at 84.95
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| Map |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Introduction |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Background: |
Disputed between France and the
United Kingdom in the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter
in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.
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| Geography |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Location: |
Caribbean, islands between the
Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
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Geographic coordinates: |
13 15 N, 61 12 W |
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Map references: |
Central America and the
Caribbean |
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Area: |
total: 389 sq km (Saint
Vincent 344 sq km)
land: 389 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Area - comparative: |
twice the size of Washington,
DC |
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Land boundaries: |
0 km |
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Coastline: |
84 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200
nm
continental shelf: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical; little seasonal
temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) |
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Terrain: |
volcanic, mountainous |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Caribbean
Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m |
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Natural resources: |
hydropower, cropland |
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Land use: |
arable land: 17.95%
permanent crops: 17.95%
other: 64.1% (2005) |
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Irrigated land: |
10 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
hurricanes; Soufriere volcano
on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat |
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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 |
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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
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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 |
| People |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Population: |
117,848 (July 2006 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 26.7% (male
16,007/female 15,426)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 40,676/female
38,155)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,315/female 4,269) (2006
est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 26.9 years
male: 26.7 years
female: 27.1 years (2006 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.26% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
16.18 births/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Death rate: |
5.98 deaths/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-7.59 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78
male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 14.4 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 15.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 73.85
years
male: 71.99 years
female: 75.77 years (2006
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.83 children born/woman (2006
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
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Nationality: |
noun: Saint
Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
adjective: Saint Vincentian or
Vincentian |
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Ethnic groups: |
black 66%, mixed 19%, East
Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7% |
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Religions: |
Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%,
Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant |
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Languages: |
English, French patois |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over has ever attended school
total population: 96%
male: 96%
female: 96% (1970 est.) |
| Government |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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Government type: |
parliamentary democracy;
independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth |
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Capital: |
Kingstown |
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Administrative divisions: |
6 parishes; Charlotte,
Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick |
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Independence: |
27 October 1979 (from UK)
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, 27 October
(1979) |
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Constitution: |
27 October 1979 |
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Legal system: |
based on English common law
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
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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: none; the monarch is
hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister
appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
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Legislative branch: |
unicameral House of Assembly
(21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators;
representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member
constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7
December 2005 (next to be held 2010)
election results: percent
of vote by party - ULP 55.26%, NDP 44.68%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3
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Judicial branch: |
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
(based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines) |
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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) |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ellsworth I. A. JOHN
chancery: 3216 New Mexico
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736
consulate(s) general: New
York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
the US does not have an embassy
in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is
accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
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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 |
| Economy |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Economy - overview: |
Economic growth in this
lower-middle-income country hinges upon seasonal variations in the
agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out substantial
portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern
Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following 11 September 2001. Saint
Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt
international regulatory standards. Saint Vincent is also a producer of
marijuana and is being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics
from South America. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$342 million (2002 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate): |
NA |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
0.7% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$2,900 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 10%
industry: 26%
services: 64% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force: |
67,000 (1984 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 26%, industry 17%,
services 57% (1980 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
15% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
-0.4% (2001 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $94.6 million
expenditures: $85.8 million; including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
bananas, coconuts, sweet
potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish |
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Industries: |
food processing, cement,
furniture, clothing, starch |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
-0.9% (1997 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
95 million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 69.3%
hydro: 30.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption: |
88.35 million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2003) |
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2003 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
1,300 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
NA bbl/day |
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Oil - imports: |
NA bbl/day |
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Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Exports: |
$37 million (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen
(taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets |
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Exports - partners: |
UK 33.5%, Barbados 13.1%, Saint
Lucia 11.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 9.9%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.3%, US 5.3%,
Grenada 5.3%, Dominica 4.1% (2004) |
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Imports: |
$225 million (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
foodstuffs, machinery and
equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels |
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Imports - partners: |
US 37.5%, Trinidad and Tobago
21.3%, UK 10.5% (2004) |
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Debt - external: |
$167.2 million (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$47.5 million (1995); note - EU
$34.5 million (1998) |
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Currency (code): |
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
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Currency code: |
XCD |
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Exchange rates: |
East Caribbean dollars per US
dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
| Communications |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
19,000 (2004) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
57,000 (2004) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
adequate system
domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone
system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of
the Grenadines
international: country code - 1-784; VHF/UHF
radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to
Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique
through Saint Lucia |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)
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Radios: |
77,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
1 (plus three repeaters) (2004)
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Televisions: |
18,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.vc |
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Internet hosts: |
21 (2005) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
15 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
8,000 (2005) |
| Transportation |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Airports: |
6 (2005) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 5
914 to
1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2005) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 1
under
914 m: 1 (2005) |
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Roadways: |
total: 829 km
paved: 580 km
unpaved: 249 km (2003) |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 584 ships (1000
GRT or over) 5,344,823 GRT/8,033,377 DWT
by type: barge carrier
1, bulk carrier 95, cargo 349, chemical tanker 7, container 19, liquefied
gas 5, livestock carrier 3, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum
tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 43, roll on/roll off 21, specialized tanker
4, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 535 (Bangladesh 1, Barbados
1, Belgium 2, Bulgaria 16, Canada 2, China 106, Croatia 8, Cyprus 3, Czech
Republic 1, Denmark 14, Egypt 3, Estonia 25, France 8, Germany 11, Greece
84, Guyana 3, Hong Kong 6, Iceland 10, India 6, Iran 1, Ireland 1, Israel
1, Italy 17, Kenya 3, Latvia 17, Lebanon 4, Lithuania 5, Madagascar 1,
Monaco 3, Netherlands 7, Norway 17, Pakistan 2, Poland 1, Puerto Rico 1,
Romania 2, Russia 21, Saudi Arabia 2, Serbia and Montenegro 2, Singapore
7, Slovenia 5, Spain 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 10, Syria 5, Tunisia 2,
Turkey 23, Ukraine 13, UAE 12, UK 16, US 21, Vietnam 1)
registered
in other countries: 2 (Comoros 1, North Korea 1) (2005) |
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Ports and terminals: |
Kingstown |
| Military |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Military branches: |
no regular military forces;
Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (includes Special
Service Unit), Coast Guard |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA |
| Transnational Issues |
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
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Disputes - international: |
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 Caribbean Sea |
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Illicit drugs: |
transshipment point for South
American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis
cultivation |
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