Region: Caribbean

Capital: Kingstown

Population: 117,193 (July 2004 est.)

Surface area: 388 sq km

Currency: EC dollar

GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)

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.

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 large producer of marijuana and is being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.

United Nations membership date: 16 September 1980

New York Mission:
Permanent Mission of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations
800 Second Avenue, 9th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10017 USA
Telephone: 212-599-0950, -0955
Fax: 212-599-1020

Website: http://www.embsvg.com/UNMission.asp