{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the UK 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."
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "13 15 N, 61 12 W"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Central America and the Caribbean"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total": {
        "text": "389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "389 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "0 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "twice the size of Washington, DC"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "text": "0 km"
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "84 km"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "territorial sea": {
        "text": "12 nm"
      },
      "contiguous zone": {
        "text": "24 nm"
      },
      "exclusive economic zone": {
        "text": "200 nm"
      },
      "continental shelf": {
        "text": "200 nm"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)"
    },
    "Terrain": {
      "text": "volcanic, mountainous"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "mean elevation": {
        "text": "NA"
      },
      "elevation extremes": {
        "text": "lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m ++ highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 m"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "hydropower, arable land"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "25.6% ++ arable land 12.8%; permanent crops 7.7%; permanent pasture 5.1%"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "68.7%"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "5.7% (2011 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "10 sq km (2012)"
    },
    "Population - distribution": {
      "text": "most of the population is concentrated in and around Kingstown"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat"
    },
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling"
      },
      "signed, but not ratified": {
        "text": "none of the selected agreements"
      }
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "text": "102,350 (July 2016 est.)"
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "Saint Vincentian or Vincentian"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, European 4%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 3%"
    },
    "Languages": {
      "text": "English, French patois"
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Protestant 75% (Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%), Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "21.78% (male 11,246/female 11,050)"
      },
      "15-24 years": {
        "text": "16.28% (male 8,407/female 8,258)"
      },
      "25-54 years": {
        "text": "42.64% (male 22,668/female 20,975)"
      },
      "55-64 years": {
        "text": "10.2% (male 5,363/female 5,076)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "9.09% (male 4,347/female 4,960) (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "46.8%"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "36%"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "10.8%"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "9.3% (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "33 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "33.2 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "32.9 years (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "-0.26% (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "13.4 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "-8.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "most of the population is concentrated in and around Kingstown"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "50.6% of total population (2015)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "0.72% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "KINGSTOWN (capital) 27,000 (2014)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "1.03 male(s)/female"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.02 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-24 years": {
        "text": "1.02 male(s)/female"
      },
      "25-54 years": {
        "text": "1.08 male(s)/female"
      },
      "55-64 years": {
        "text": "1.06 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.87 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Maternal mortality rate": {
      "text": "45 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "12.3 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "13.5 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "75.3 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "73.3 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "77.4 years (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "1.81 children born/woman (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Health expenditures": {
      "text": "8.6% of GDP (2014)"
    },
    "Hospital bed density": {
      "text": "5.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved": {
        "text": " ++ urban: 95.1% of population ++ rural: 95.1% of population ++ total: 95.1% of population"
      },
      "unimproved": {
        "text": " ++ urban: 4.9% of population ++ rural: 4.9% of population ++ total: 4.9% of population (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved": {
        "text": " ++ urban: 76.1% of population ++ rural: 76.1% of population ++ total: 76.1% of population"
      },
      "unimproved": {
        "text": " ++ urban: 23.9% of population ++ rural: 23.9% of population ++ total: 23.9% of population (2007 est.)"
      }
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - deaths": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "Major infectious diseases": {
      "note": {
        "text": "active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)"
      }
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "24.1% (2014)"
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "5.1% of GDP (2010)"
    },
    "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": {
      "total": {
        "text": "33.8%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "27.8%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "41.4% (2008 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "none"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "Saint Vincent was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS after Saint VINCENT of Saragossa because the 22 January 1498 day of discovery was the saint's feast day"
      }
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Kingstown"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "13 08 N, 61 13 W"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      }
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick"
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "27 October 1979 (from the UK)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day, 27 October (1979)"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "text": "several previous; latest passed by the House of Assembly 3 September 2009 (The Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Constitution Act, 2009) (2016)"
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "English common law"
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "citizenship by descent": {
        "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "7 years"
      }
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002)"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001)"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "description": {
        "text": "unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats; 15 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 6 appointed by the governor general; members serve 5-year terms)"
      },
      "elections": {
        "text": "last held on 9 December 2015 (next to be held in 2020)"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "percent of vote by party - ULP 52.3%, NDP 47.4%, other 0.3%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest court(s)": {
        "text": "the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the ECSC - with its headquarters on Saint Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; note - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an 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": {
        "text": "magistrates' courts"
      }
    },
    "Political parties and leaders": {
      "text": "Democratic Republican Party or DRP [Anesia BAPTISTE] ++ New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE] ++ Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU) ++ SVG Green Party or SVGP [Ivan O'NEAL]"
    },
    "Political pressure groups and leaders": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ad interim Omari WILLIAMS"
      },
      "chancery": {
        "text": "3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 364-6730"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 364-6736"
      },
      "consulate(s) general": {
        "text": "New York"
      }
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "text": "the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines"
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern, which stands for Vincent; the diamonds recall the islands as the \"Gems of the Antilles\"; blue conveys the colors of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation"
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "Saint Vincent parrot; national colors: blue, gold, green"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "\"St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful!\""
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUEL"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "adopted 1967"
      }
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economy - overview": {
      "text": "Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity as well as remittances. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. ++  ++ This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. Floods and mudslides caused by unseasonable rainfall in 2013, caused substantial damage to infrastructure, homes, and crops, which the World Bank estimated at US$112 million. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high public debt burden, which was 67% of GDP - one of the lowest levels in the Eastern Caribbean - at the end of 2013. ++  ++ In 2013, the islands had more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines. Arrivals represented a marginal increase from 2012 but remain 26% below St. Vincent's 2009 peak. Weak recovery in the tourism and construction sectors limited growth in 2015."
    },
    "GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "text": "$1.241 billion (2016 est.) ++ $1.219 billion (2015 est.) ++ $1.212 billion (2014 est.)",
      "note": {
        "text": "data are in 2016 dollars"
      }
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$766 million (2015 est.)"
    },
    "GDP - real growth rate": {
      "text": "1.8% (2016 est.) ++ 0.6% (2015 est.) ++ 0.2% (2014 est.)"
    },
    "GDP - per capita (PPP)": {
      "text": "$11,300 (2016 est.) ++ $11,100 (2015 est.) ++ $11,000 (2014 est.)",
      "note": {
        "text": "data are in 2016 dollars"
      }
    },
    "Gross national saving": {
      "text": "-2.9% of GDP (2016 est.) ++ -2.6% of GDP (2015 est.) ++ -4.7% of GDP (2014 est.)"
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "89.6%"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "19%"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "20.9%"
      },
      "investment in inventories": {
        "text": "-0.2%"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "20.3%"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-49.8% (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "7.9%"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "17.2%"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "75% (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Agriculture - products": {
      "text": "bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "2.3% (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "57,520 (2007 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force - by occupation": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "26%"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "17%"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "57% (1980 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "text": "18.8% (2008 est.)"
    },
    "Population below poverty line": {
      "text": "NA%"
    },
    "Household income or consumption by percentage share": {
      "lowest 10%": {
        "text": "NA%"
      },
      "highest 10%": {
        "text": "NA%"
      }
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "$222.2 million"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "$259.3 million (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "29% of GDP (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": {
      "text": "-4.8% of GDP (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "text": "67% of GDP (2013 est.) ++ 68% of GDP (2011 est.)"
    },
    "Fiscal year": {
      "text": "calendar year"
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "text": "-0.3% (2016 est.) ++ -1.7% (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Central bank discount rate": {
      "text": "6.5% (31 December 2010) ++ 6.5% (31 December 2009)"
    },
    "Commercial bank prime lending rate": {
      "text": "9.4% (31 December 2016 est.) ++ 9.3% (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Stock of narrow money": {
      "text": "$167.9 million (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $162.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Stock of broad money": {
      "text": "$574.1 million (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $546.6 million (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Stock of domestic credit": {
      "text": "$447.9 million (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $439 million (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "text": "-$176 million (2016 est.) ++ -$194 million (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Exports": {
      "text": "$50.5 million (2016 est.) ++ $49.8 million (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets"
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "Trinidad and Tobago 18.9%, St. Lucia 14.8%, Barbados 12.3%, Dominica 9.7%, Grenada 9.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.4%, Poland 7.1%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4.1% (2015)"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "text": "$327.1 million (2016 est.) ++ $320.7 million (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels"
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "Trinidad and Tobago 29.3%, US 17.2%, Singapore 8.7%, China 8%, Barbados 6%, Poland 5.5%, Turkey 4.4% (2015)"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "text": "$165 million (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $166 million (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "text": "$321.1 million (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $327 million (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "text": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - ++ 2.7 (2016 est.) ++ 2.7 (2015 est.) ++ 2.7 (2014 est.) ++ 2.7 (2013 est.) ++ 2.7 (2012 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity - production": {
      "text": "100 million kWh (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - consumption": {
      "text": "100 million kWh (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - exports": {
      "text": "0 kWh (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - imports": {
      "text": "0 kWh (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - installed generating capacity": {
      "text": "47,000 kW (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from fossil fuels": {
      "text": "85.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": {
      "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": {
      "text": "14.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from other renewable sources": {
      "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - production": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - exports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - imports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - proved reserves": {
      "text": "0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - production": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - consumption": {
      "text": "1,600 bbl/day (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - exports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - imports": {
      "text": "1,519 bbl/day (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - production": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - consumption": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - exports": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - imports": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - proved reserves": {
      "text": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)"
    },
    "Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy": {
      "text": "300,000 Mt (2013 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "24,865"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "24 (July 2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total": {
        "text": "113,000"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "110 (July 2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephone system": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system"
      },
      "domestic": {
        "text": "fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 110 per 100 persons"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber System and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Luc (2015)"
      }
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio servic (2007)"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".vc"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "total": {
        "text": "53,000"
      },
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "51.8% (July 2015 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "National air transport system": {
      "number of registered air carriers": {
        "text": "2"
      },
      "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": {
        "text": "11 (2015)"
      }
    },
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "J8 (2016)"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "text": "6 (2013)"
    },
    "Airports - with paved runways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5"
      },
      "1,524 to 2,437 m": {
        "text": "1"
      },
      "914 to 1,523 m": {
        "text": "3"
      },
      "under 914 m": {
        "text": "1 (2013)"
      }
    },
    "Airports - with unpaved runways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1"
      },
      "under 914 m": {
        "text": "1 (2013)"
      }
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "829 km"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "580 km"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "249 km (2003)"
      }
    },
    "Merchant marine": {
      "total": {
        "text": "412"
      },
      "by type": {
        "text": "bulk carrier 64, cargo 263, carrier 14, chemical tanker 4, container 18, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 1"
      },
      "foreign-owned": {
        "text": "325 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 1, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 7, Bermuda 1,  Bulgaria 9, China 65, Croatia 8, Cyprus 3, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 9, Dominica 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 8, France 2, Germany 3, Greece 42, Guyana 2, Hong Kong 5, Israel 3, Italy 4, Japan 3, Kenya (2010)"
      }
    },
    "Ports and terminals": {
      "major seaport(s)": {
        "text": "Kingstown"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military branches": {
      "text": "no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2013)"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
    "Disputes - international": {
      "text": "joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea"
    },
    "Trafficking in persons": {
      "current situation": {
        "text": "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; some children under 18 are pressured to engage in sex acts in exchange for money or gifts; foreign workers may experience forced labor and are particularly vulnerable when employed by small, foreign-owned companies; adults and children are vulnerable to forced labor domestically, especially in the agriculture sector"
      },
      "tier rating": {
        "text": "Tier 2 Watch List – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government for the first time acknowledged a trafficking problem, launched an anti-trafficking public awareness campaign, and conducted anti-trafficking training for law enforcement, immigration, and labor officials; in 2014, authorities initiated three trafficking investigations, two of which were ultimately determined not to be trafficking cases, and did not prosecute or convict any trafficking offenders; the government did not identify or refer any potential trafficking victims to care (2015)"
      }
    },
    "Illicit drugs": {
      "text": "transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation"
    }
  }
}