GRENADA - SPICE OF THE CARIBBEAN
Grenada is located in the extreme South of the Caribbean and is comprised of three islands – Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The island is 21 miles long and 12 miles wide and is picturesque with breathtaking views, beautiful white sand beaches, lush, green rolling hills and mountains. It is otherwise known as ‘The Spice isle’ but was recently dubbed Pure Grenada – the Spice of the Caribbean.
Getting to Grenada
Grenada is just 3 hours from Miami, 4 hours from New York and Toronto and 8 hours from London, all by direct air service. Trinidad is just 20 minutes flight away, Barbados just 40 minutes and Venezuela, 45 minutes.
International Flights
- Virgin Atlantic provides twice weekly direct flights from London’s Gatwick Airport while British Airways provides direct weekly flights three times weekly from London’s Heathrow Airport.
- Caribbean Airlines and Delta Airlines provides weekly flights from New York while American Airlines provides daily service from Miami.
- Air Canada operates a weekly service from Toronto to Grenada during the winter season (December to April).
- Jet Blue provides weekly flights from New York to Grenada.
- Condor provides seasonal service from Frankfurt to Grenada once weekly.
Regional Flights
- Liat and SVG Air provides services within the Caribbean region which make connections between islands a lot easier.
Official Name: Grenada
Area: 3 islands, 133 sq. miles total (344 km2)
Population: 124,610
Capital:St. George’s (est. pop. 37,057)
Location: 12.07° North 61.40° West
Time zone: EST+ 1; (GMT – 4:00)
Climate: Tropical – avg. temp of 75ºF (24ºC)
International dialing code: +1473
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollars (XCD)
Language: English (Official)
Major Religion: Christianity
Literacy Rate: 94%
Type of State: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State: Dr. Cecile La Grenade
Christopher Columbus discovered Grenada in 1498. The island was already inhabited by the Carib Indians, who had migrated from the South American mainland, killing or enslaving the peaceful Arawaks who where already inhabiting the island. The Amerindians called their island Camerhogue, but Columbus renamed the island Concepcion.
However, passing Spanish sailors found its lush green hills so evocative of Andalusia that they rejected this name in favor of Granada.The French then called it La Grenade, and the British followed suit, changing Grenade to Grenada (pronounced Gre-nay-da).
The State of Grenada lies between Trinidad and Tobago to the south and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the north in the Eastern Caribbean. It is the southern-most of the Windward Islands. It is 100 miles north of Venezuela, 158 miles south west of Barbados.
Grenada is 12 miles (18km) wide and 21 miles (34km) long, and covers a land area of 120 sq. miles (440 sq. km), Carriacou is 13 sq. miles (34 sq. km) and Petite Martinique is 486 acres (194 hectares).
In the last twenty years, Grenada’s economy has shifted from agriculture to the provision of services. Its largest exports include nutmeg, of which Grenada is the world’s second-largest producer.
Grenada’s tourism sector is greatly expanding, with the island continuing to take more and more shares of the market for Caribbean tourism. Much of this expansion is due to foreign direct investment.