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

People
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Population:

118,432 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 25.1% (male 15,161/female 14,600) 15-64 years: 68.4% (male 41,855/female 39,105) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 3,402/female 4,309) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 28 years male: 27.8 years female: 28.1 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.231% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

15.82 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.96 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-7.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

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: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 13.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 14.83 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 74.34 years male: 72.42 years female: 76.31 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.79 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: