Grenada Government - 2024

Country name

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Grenada

etymology: derivation of the name remains obscure; some sources attribute the designation to Spanish influence (most likely named for the Spanish city of Granada), with subsequent French and English interpretations resulting in the present-day Grenada; in Spanish "granada" means "pomegranate"

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital

name: Saint George's

geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the 1763 Treaty of Paris transferred possession of Grenada from France to Great Britain; the new administration renamed Ville de Fort Royal (Fort Royal Town) to Saint George's Town, after the patron saint of England; eventually the name became simply Saint George's

Administrative divisions

6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick

Independence

7 February 1974 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

Constitution

history: previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, effective 7 February 1974, suspended 1979 following a revolution but restored in 1983

amendments: proposed by either house of Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership in both houses and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections, such as personal rights and freedoms, the structure, authorities, and procedures of the branches of government, the delimitation of electoral constituencies, or the procedure for amending the constitution, also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended 1991, 1992

Legal system

common law based on English model

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years for persons from a non-Caribbean state and 4 years for a person from a Caribbean state

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013)

head of government: Prime Minister Dickon MITCHELL (since 24 June 2022)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms)
House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections: Senate - last appointments on 3 August 2022 (next to be held no later than 2027)
House of Representatives - last held on 23 June 2022 (next to be held no later than 2027)

election results: Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 7, NNP 3, independents 3
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NDC 51.8%; NNP 47.8%; other 0.4%; seats by party - NDC 9; NNP 6

Judicial branch

highest court(s): regionally, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Grenada; appeals beyond the ECSC in civil and criminal matters are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62

subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals

Political parties and leaders

National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dickon MITCHELL]
New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, CARIFORUM, CARIBCAN, Caricom, CBI, CDB, CELAC, CSME, ECCU, EPA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Tarlie FRANCIS (since 15 September 2023)

chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561

FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468

email address and website:
embassy@grenadaembassyusa.org

https://grenadaembassyusa.org/

consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: the US does not have an official embassy in Grenada; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada

embassy: Lance-aux-Epines, Saint George's

mailing address: 3180 Grenada Place, Washington DC  20521-3180

telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173

FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820

email address and website:
StgeorgesACS@state.gov

https://bb.usembassy.gov/embassy/grenada/

Flag description

a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is a leading nutmeg producer); the seven stars stand for the seven administrative divisions, with the central star denoting the capital, St. George's; yellow represents the sun and the warmth of the people, green stands for vegetation and agriculture, and red symbolizes harmony, unity, and courage

National symbol(s)

Grenada dove, bougainvillea flower; national colors: red, yellow, green

National anthem

name: "Hail Grenada"

lyrics/music: Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO

note: adopted 1974