FACTS ABOUT GRENADA

        Grenada "The Isle of Spice" or "The Spice Island of the West" is the largest of the three islands (Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique) comprising the Independent state of Grenada.  It is situated 12 degrees north of the equator and 62 degrees west of Greenwich, and is 21 miles long and 12 miles wide.  From the world-famous Grand Anse beach up to the 2749-foot high Mt.  St.  Catherine peak there is a varying topography of mountains, valleys and streams gloriously arrayed to present some of the most picturesque scenery in the world.

    The tropical nation experiences two seasons-a wet and a dry, the dry from around mid-December to May and the wet or rainy season from June to December.

    Exploring the surrounding scenery, one will find to the north a chain of tiny islands that lead like stepping stones to Carriacou and Petite Martinique, the southern sentinels of the yachting paradise, the Grenadines.

    Grenada's population in February, 1995 was estimated at 93,000 friendly people, made up predominantly of African descendants with approximately 3,000 people of East Indian descent and about 5,000 of mixed race or of European descent.  It is believed that a considerably larger number of native Grenadians live outside Grenada.

    The Tri-island state is divided into seven parishes and six main towns, of which six parishes and five towns are situated on the mainland with Hillsborough being the capital of Carriacou, together with the other sister island Petite Martinique being deemed one parish.  There are many villages along the coastline and in the hills linked by a well-planned road system that makes for easy parish.  There are many villages along the coastline and in the hills linked by a well-planned road system that makes for easy communication.  The capital city is St.  George's which is situated on a sheltered bay in the south-western part of the mainland.  Together with its suburbs, it comprises one-third of the population.  The charm and beauty of the subtle blend of old Georgian and modern architecture in St.  George's is unsurpassed in the Caribbean.

    Grenada is one of the world's chief exporters of the "twin crop" of nutmeg and mace.  Because of this, and the numerous other spices grown in lesser quantities, Grenada has cone to be known internationally as the "Isle of Spice".  Other agricultural produce are cocoa, banana, coconut, sugar-cane, citrus and a profusion of fruits and vegetables.

        The main industries are agriculture, commerce, construction, tourism, manufacturing, transportation and communications.  Many new hotels, apartments and southern coast, to cater for the ever increasing influx of visitors (1994 stay-over visitors to Grenada for the first time exceeded for the first time exceeded 100,000.  Transportation to the island can be by boat or regularly-scheduled airlines.  The International airport started by the People's Revolutionary Government is located at Point Salines of the south-western tip of the island.  Three marinas provide yacht charter services, and the almost landlocked, natural, picturesque harbor of St. George's is port of call for dozens of cruise ships, especially during the months November to April ( well over 100,00 cruise ship visitors flock to Grenada each year).

First colonised by English Merchants in 1609, Grenada later became the prize of battles between the British and the French, changing lands on more than one occasion before final cession to Britain in 1763.  Grenada's first revolution took place during the French Revolution which spilled over to the rest of the Caribbean.  In fact 1995 marks the bicentennial of the revolution, the Fedon Rebellion.  The resident Caribs were subdued centuries earlier, after the advent of Christopher Columbus who made the first European connection in 1498.

Grenada has advanced through many constitutional changes for m British crown Colony rule in 1763 to full nationhood in 1974.  Grenada is, for all intents and purposes, coming of age.  The first Prime Minister was a former premier, Dr. the Hon. Sir Eric Matthew Gairy.  His government was overthrown on March 13, 1979 in the first successful revolution in the English-speaking Caribbean.

It was also here that the "Father of Federation", Theophillus Albert Marryshow was born on November 7th, 1887 and died on October 19th, 1958 after living to see his dream and the dream of many other visionaries come true, to unite the English-speaking West Indies.  he triumphed over many odds to secure of adult Franchise for the majority of inhabitants of West Indian colonies in the first half of the 20th century.  H e also represented the town of St. George's for an unbroken 33years, a record for any parliamentarian in the British Commonwealth.

    Another Grenadian leader who passed away was Maurice Bishop, in 1983 as a result of infighting in the People's Revolutionary Government.  Seventeen former government and army officials were since found guilty of his murder and sentenced to death.  Their sentences were subsequently being commuted to life imprisonment.

Grenada has been ruled by seven Prime Ministers so far, the others being H.A. Blaize (now deceased), Ben Jones, Nicholas Brathwaite, George Brizan, and Dr. Keith Mitchell (the most recently appointed).  As an independent nation, Grenada remains a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and the Governor-General represents Her Majesty the Queen of England.  There is a 13-member senate and a house of Representatives with a Speaker and 15 elected members representing the 15 constituencies into which the country is divided.

The main religious denominations are Roman Catholic, Anglican, Medthodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal and Seventh-day Adventists.  Muslims now have a legal right to congregate in their centre, and Rastafarianism , which has taken hold in the black world, is popular in Grenada as well.

      The official language of Grenada is English, but Creole English, a mixture of Africa English and French is spoken informally by the majority.  The official currency is the EC dollar, although trading is also done with U.S and Canadian dollars and the English pound.

The main sports in the tri-island state are cricket, soccer, netball, basketball, tennis, table-tennis and athletics.  Dominoes is also a very popular game.  Junior Murray, a young wicketkeeper-batsman, was the first Grenadian selected to play for the senior West Indies cricket test team.  Two years later, in 1995, he scored his first test century, and so put Grenada on the world's sporting map!