The tiny island nation of Grenada lies at the southern tip of the group known as the Windward Islands. It is made up of one main island, Grenada, a smaller island to the north, Carriacou, plus a number of smaller ones, all of which form part of the Grenadine island chain. Grenada’s islands are volcanic; its landscape is mountainous, covered by tropical shrubs and forests, and rich volcanic soil. Grenada has a tropical climate: hot and wet for part of the year and cooled by ocean winds in the dry season. Lying just south of the main “hurricane belt”, Grenada escapes many of the hurricanes that hit neighbouring islands—although it suffered badly when Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004.

People

Nearly all Grenadians are descendants of the enslaved Africans brought by the English and French in the 17th century to work on plantations. A small number are descended from Indians who arrived in the late 1800s. Although English is the language of government, most people speak Grenadian Creole, a mixture of English and African languages, or French patois.

Economy

Grenada is one of the world’s biggest producers of spices—around a fifth of the world’s supply of nutmeg is grown on this tiny island. Other spices grown here include cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Bananas and cocoa are important crops too. Apart from farming, Grenada makes most of its foreign income from tourism; many tourists visit the island on cruise ships, stopping off to enjoy its beaches and water-sports.

Facts about Grenada

Population 114,621 (2024 estimate)

Area 344 sq km

Highest Point Mount Saint Catherine 840 m (2756 ft)

Capital St George’s, population 39,000

Languages English, Grenadian Creole

Religions Christian (Roman Catholic) 53%, Christian (Protestant) 47%

Ethnicity black African 82%, mixed black / European 13%, mixed Indian / European 5%, Carib and others 5%

Currency East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Chief exports nutmeg, mace, bananas, cocoa, fruit and vegetables, clothing