Grenada Country & Tourist Information

Location
Caribbean, Windward Islands.

Area
344.5 sq km (133 sq miles).

Population
89,211 (2002 estimate).

Population Density
266.7 per sq km.

Capital
St George’s.
Population:  33,000 (UN estimate 2003).

Government
Constitutional monarchy.

Language
English. French African patois is also spoken by some of the population.

Religion
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 14%, as well as other smaller Protestant denominations, 33%.

Time
GMT - 4.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Keith Mitchell since 1995.

Head of State
HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor-General Sir Daniel Williams since 1996.

Recent History
Four existing political parties allied to form the New National Party (NNP) in 1983, under the leadership of the veteran politician Herbert Blaize. At the general election in December 1984, the NNP won handsomely. The NNP has dominated Grenadian politics ever since, and won the most recent election in November 2003, when it swept the board for the House of Representatives. Party leader Keith Mitchell is now into his third term as prime minister.

Mitchell’s government continues the NNP tradition of very close relations with the USA, although a sharp drop in financial support led Mitchell, along with other East Caribbean leaders, to seek economic assistance elsewhere. The Organization of East Caribbean States plays an important part in Grenada’s foreign policy. A proposed political union comprising the member of the organization has aroused fierce opposition because of historic inter-island rivalries, although its supporters (who include the Mitchell government) feel it essential to the future prosperity and security of the region.

Telephone
Country code: 1 473. No area codes are in use. Coin and telephone card payphones are available. Telephone cards can be purchased at the offices of Cable & Wireless Grenada and from other agents. International dialing is available from most hotel rooms.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming is available to all mobile phones that are TDMA digital network compatible. Contact Cable & Wireless in Grenada for further details. Coverage is variable.

Internet
Internet is widely available throughout Grenada; there are Internet cafes in St George’s.

Media
Grenada’s media are free, as is stipulated in law. No daily newspapers exist, and weeklies are privately owned and freely criticize the government. The Grenada Broadcasting Network, jointly owned by the Caribbean Communications Network and the government, runs the main radio and television stations.


Post
The main post office is in St George’s (on Lagoon Road).

Post office hours: Mon-Thurs 0800-1600, Fri 0800-1630 (closed weekends).

Press
• All newspapers are in English, and are printed weekly or monthly.
• They include Grenada Times, Grenada Today and The Grenadian Voice.

Radio
• There are currently five radio stations: Klassic Radio (speech and music, operated by GBN), Sun FM (music, targeted at younger listeners, operated by GBN), Spice Capital Radio (private FM station), Harbour Light of the Windwards (Christian station) and Voice of Grenada (private FM station, with music and news).

Below are listed Public Holidays for period January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
7 Feb Independence Day. 
10 Apr Good Friday. 
13 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day. 
31 May Whit Monday. 
11 Jun Corpus Christi. 
6 Aug Emancipation Day. 
10-11 Aug Carnival. 
25 Oct Thanksgiving Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
7 Feb Independence Day. 
2 Apr Good Friday. 
5 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day. 
24 May Whit Monday. 
23 Jun Corpus Christi. 
6 Aug Emancipation Day. 
9-10 Aug Carnival. 
25 Oct Thanksgiving Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

Contact Information:

Grenada High Commission in the UK
The Chapel, Archer Road, London W14 9QH, UK
Tel: (020) 7385 4415.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700; 1000-1400 (consular section).

Grenada Board of Tourism in the UK
11 Blades Court, 121 Deodar Road, London SW15 2NU, UK
Tel: (020) 8877 4516.
Website: www.grenadagrenadines.com

Caribbean Tourism Organization in the UK
22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP, UK
Tel: (020) 8948 0057.
Website: www.doitcaribbean.com

Embassy of Grenada in the USA
1701 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 265 2561.
Website: www.grenadaconsulate.org or www.grenadaembassyusa.org

Grenada Board of Tourism in the USA
PO Box 1668, Lake Worth, FL 33460, USA
Tel: (561) 588 8176.
Website: www.grenadagrenadines.com


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