Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on St. Vincent until 1719.

Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783.

Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies.

Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.

Natural disasters have featured in the country's history. In 1902, La Soufrière volcano erupted, killing 2,000 people. Much farmland was damaged, and the economy deteriorated.

In April 1979, La Soufrière erupted again. Although no one was killed, thousands had to be evacuated, and there was extensive agricultural damage.

In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes compromised banana and coconut plantations; 1998 and 1999 also saw very active hurricane seasons, with Hurricane Lenny in 1999 causing extensive damage to the west coast of the island.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 118,149 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.9% (male 15,596/female 15,027) 15-64 years: 67.6% (male 41,259/female 38,620) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 3,358/female 4,289) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 27.4 years male: 27.3 years female: 27.6 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 0.248% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 16.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 5.97 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: -7.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.038 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.068 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.783 male(s)/female total population: 1.039 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 14.01 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.09 years male: 72.21 years female: 76.04 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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Nationality: noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

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Ethnic groups: black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%

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Religions: Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%

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Languages: English, French patois

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.)

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 suffered low arrivals in the immediate aftermath of 11 September 2001. The islands had more than 160,000 tourist arrivals in 2005, mostly to the Grenadines. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. Saint Vincent is also a producer of marijuana and is being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $864 million (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $428 million (2005)

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GDP - real growth rate: 4.9% (2005 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $3,600 (2005 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10% industry: 26% services: 64% (2001 est.)

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Labor force: 41,680 (1991 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 26% industry: 17% services: 57% (1980 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 15% (2001 est.)

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Population below poverty line: NA%

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (2005 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $94.6 million expenditures: $85.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

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Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish

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Industries: food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch

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Industrial production growth rate: -0.9% (1997 est.)

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Electricity - production: 114 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 106 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 1,400 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Exports: $37 million (2004 est.)

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Exports - commodities: bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets

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Exports - partners: France 26.3%, Greece 21.3%, Italy 18.9%, Russia 7.2%, UK 6.9% (2006)

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Imports: $225 million (2004 est.)

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Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels

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Imports - partners: Singapore 17.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.3%, US 11.2%, Italy 11.1%, Spain 9.6%, Turkey 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2006)

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Debt - external: $223 million (2004)

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Economic aid - recipient: $10.5 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (2004)

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Currency (code): East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

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Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year