GRENADA

Our Coat–of–Arms like our Flag, represents the distillation of a national effort to produce armorial bearings for an Independent Grenada, incorporating important historical and indigenous features of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, in a design approved by the College of Arms.
It should be mentioned that what is commonly known as a Coat–of–Arms is more properly called an Achievement of Arms which comprises:
(a) The Livery Coat or colour on a Shield;
(b) Charges or Devices on the Shield;
(c) The Helm of special design;
(d) The Mantle which covers the Helm;
(e) The Wreath to hold the Mantle in place;
(f) The Crest;
(g) Supporters;
(h) The Motto.
It will be noted that our national colours of red, gold and green, which comprise our Flag are used on the shield where the same symbolism is attached to them. The ship “Santa Maria”: at the centre point of the shield and golden cross represents Grenada’s discovery by Christopher Columbus, and our continuing link with yachting and tourism. The golden cross itself is significant of God consciousness which underlines our national effort. The Lion in the first quarter of the Shield and repeated in the fourth, symbolises strength, and our unswerving determination to face the challenges of nationhood with courage and resourcefulness. The Madonna Lily resting between the horns of a Crescent, (inspired by Murillo’s famous painting of the Immaculate Conception) indicates that Grenada has since its discovery by Columbus been dedicated to Mary of the Immaculate Conception and in whose honour the Island was named Conception Island; the Shield itself rests in a valley between two mountains, representing the spectacularly picturesque topography of our islands. The Grand E’Tang Lake is also represented amid luxuriant green vegetation in the foreground of which is placed a sprig of Cocoa, with a ripe pod balanced by a sprig of Nutmeg also showing the ripe fruit. Growing from the vegetation
on the right side of the shield is a stalk of Maize flowering and bearing three ears of ripened cobs and on the left a Banana tree bearing a full bunch. These fruits all represent our traditional link with an agricultural economy; the cradle of our heritage.
The helm is a Royal Helm, a gold Helmet facing front and having seven gold bars across the visor; the interior lined purple. A star symbolic of our hopes, aspirations and ideals is placed to the forefront. The crest is made up of seven roses, representative of our seven parishes and set between two sprays of Bougainvillea, our national flower.
The supporters are, on the right, a Tattoo or Armadillo (Dasypus) and on the left a Ramier (Columba Squamosa) representative of the fauna of our islands and are shown in their natural colours. Our Motto– “Ever conscious of God, we aspire, build and advance as one people” is itself sufficiently eloquent on the subject of those high ideals and principles upon which our nation is founded.
 
Heraldic description of the Coat–of–Arms:

For Arms: Quarterly Gules and Vert on a Cross Or between a Lion passant guardant also Or in the first or fourth quarters and a Lily Flower slipped and leaved Argent between the horns of a Crescent also Or in the second and third quarters a representative of the ship “Santa Maria” proper And for the Crest on a Wreath Argent and Gules, seven roses set one three and three Gules between two sprays of Bougainvillea proper and for supporters to the dexter In front of a stalk of Maize flowered and fructed with three cobs of a nine‐ringed Armadillo all proper and the Sinister in front of a Banana tree fructed and flowered a Ramier all also proper the whole upon a Compartment representing two grassy Mounts between which and in centre a lake between in dexter a sprig of Cocoa with pod and in sinister a Sprig of Nutmeg with pod bursting with Nut all proper, together with the Motto: EVER CONSCIOUS OF GOD WE ASPIRE, BUILD AND ADVANCE AS ONE PEOPLE.

The National Flag of Grenada like our Coat–of– Arms, represents the distillation of a national effort to produce an emblem of our nation which is to stand for all time and which incorporates simplicity of form, a pleasing visual quality and not least, is symbolic of the confidence, hopes and aspirations of a courageous people accepting the challenge of nationhood.

The components of our Flag have the following significance:
Red: represents for us the fervour of our people, our courage and vitality―our burning aspiration to be free. The red border is indicative of our dedication to preserve our harmony and unity of spirit.
Gold: the colour representative of wisdom also holds significance for us as a representation of the sun, our islands in the sun, the warmth and friendliness of the people.
Green: symbolises the fertility of our land, our lush vegetation and our islands’ aEiculture.
The Seven Golden Stars: represent the seven parishes of our country and the hopes, aspirations and ideals upon which our nation is founded.
The Nutmeg: represent our reputation as the Isle of Spice and its traditional link with our economy.

ETIQUETTE

1. Dimensions of the National Flag. The dimensions of the National Flag shall be in the following proportions:― For Flags flown on land: five to three (5 :3). For Flags flown at sea: two to one (2:1).
2. The following code should be observed in relation to the flag: The Flag is to be regarded as the sacred emblem of the nation to be paid due reverence and devotion by all its citizens.
3. The Flag should never be allowed to touch the ground or floor nor should it be flown or used for purely decorative purposes on anything that is for temporary use and likely to be discarded, except on state occasions.
4. Display of the National Flag with other flags and emblems: No other Flag, colour, standard, ensign or other emblem should be displayed above or to the right of the National Flag; that is the observer’s left facing it. All other flags flown together with the National Flag of Grenada should be placed to the left of it.
5. When the flags of two or more nations are displayed together they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height and all the flags should be as far as possible; of the same size. The Flag of one nation should not be displayed above that of another.
6. When the National Flag is flown in a group with local flags, standards, ensigns, or emblems, such as those belonging to our City, boroughs, institutions societies, organisations, etc., it should be at the centre and at the highest point in the group.
7. When the National Flag and any other flag or flags are displayed from crossed staffs against a wall the National Flag should be on the right with its staff placed in front of any other staff.
8. The Grenadian Flag should never be smaller than any other Flag flown at the same time. When the Flag becomes worn and must be replaced, it should be burnt and not used for any other purpose than that for which it was designed.
9. No other flag should be placed above or to the right of the Grenadian Flag, except at Foreign Embassies, Consulates and Missions.
10. Except at Foreign Embassies, Consulates and Missions―no Foreign Flag may be flown publicly unless the Flag of Grenada is also flown.
11. All merchant ships of Grenadian registration should fly the Flag.
12. The Flag when carried in procession with another flag or flags should be on the marching right, or, if there is a line off flags, in front of the centre of that line.
13. The Flag should not be draped over vehicles of any sort except on Military, Police and State occasions.
14. The Flag should be flown in or near every Polling Station on Election Day.
15. The National Flag should not be dipped to any person or thing.
16. The National Flag should not be used for purposes of adornment or advertising without the prior permission of the appropriate Government authority. It should not be printed on or reproduced on articles of clothing or furniture without permission as stated above.

Hail Grenada has been the national anthem of Grenada since independence in 1974. The words are by Irva Merle Baptiste and the music is by Louis Arnold Masanto. It formally replaced the Grenada National State Anthem written and adopted in 1967.

LYRICS

The English lyrics are as follows:

Hail! Grenada, land of ours,
We pledge ourselves to thee,
Heads, hearts and hands in unity
To reach our destiny.
Ever conscious of God,
Being proud of our heritage,
May we with faith and courage
Aspire, build, advance
As one people, one family.

God bless our nation.

There are also Grenadian Creole lyrics:

Hélé la Gwinad te annou
Nou pléjé ko an nou pou ou
Tet, tje e lanmen an younité
Pou wivé déstinasyon nou
Toujou konésas an Djé
Pwéjé Héwitaj an Nou
Sé pou nou an lafwa eve kouwaj
Anspiwé, bati, avansé
Kon yonn sel moun, yonn sel fanmi

Djé benni nasyon annou

Average temperatures range from 75ºF to 85ºF (24ºC to 30ºC), tempered by the steady and cooling trade winds. The lowest temperatures occur between November and February. Due to Grenada’s remarkable landscape, the island also experiences climate changes according to altitude. The driest season is between January and May while the rainy season is from June to December.

What to pack?
All year round: bring light, loose-fitting clothes of natural fabric, and possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms; possibly a light sweatshirt for the evening from December to March. 
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
When going hiking in the mountains, bring a light sweatshirt, a raincoat and hiking shoes.

Grenada’s GDP grew an estimated 3.1% in 2019, driven by strong activity in construction and tourism. According to the updated IMF forecasts from 14 April 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, GDP growth is expected to slow down to -8% in 2020 and pick up to 6.1% in 2021, subject to the post-pandemic global economic recovery. The country relies on tourism and revenue generated by St. George’s University as its main source of foreign exchange. However, the government has been working on expanding its sources of revenue, including by the creation of the citizenship by investment program, which produced a resurgence in the construction and manufacturing sectors of the economy.

According to the IMF, gross debt decreased to 59.1% in 2019 and is projected to continue the downward trend in 2020 and 2021, reaching at 54.4% and 51.6% – thanks to the country’s adherence to the Fiscal Responsibility Law. The federal budget was positive at 3.8% and is expected at 4.3% and 4.6% in the following years, reflecting a combination of strong revenues and expenditure restraint. The inflation rate remained low at 0.8% in 2019, and should experience a decrease to 0.2% in 2020 and an increase to 1.2% in 2021, according to the latest World Economic Outlook of the IMF (April 2020). Even though Grenada is always at risk of natural disasters such as hurricanes, the country hasn’t been hit by any hurricanes in fifteen years, making it one of the Caribbean countries with the lowest risk of being affected by such disasters. As a result, Grenada’s economic situation tends to be more stable than those in risk areas, where natural disaster damage can have a huge economic impact. Also, the IMF has recognised Grenada’s structural adjustment program as significant in reducing debt and improving public finances. Furthermore, the National Democratic Congress has reneged on some financial commitments to the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the University of the West Indies (UWI), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF); which has hampered its international reputation. LIAT, an important regional airline, is under financial stress and its collapse would severely hamper transportation in the region; the Grenada Government has offered a cash injection to subsidise strategic flights. Politically, Prime Minister Keith Mitchell and his New National Party (NNP) won all 15 parliamentary seats for the third time in the 2018 elections.

The unemployment rate has fallen significantly in recent years, but remains high at 24% of the active population in 2017 (Government of Grenada) . Structural weaknesses also include an external competitiveness gap, and a weak business environment and labour market. Also, groups such as farmers are exposed to limited education and severe damage derived from weather conditions.

The State of Grenada consists of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique and 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).

Grenada is divided into 6 parishes plus Carriacou and Petite Martinique:
Grenada’s volcanic origin has produced topography of great beauty and environmental variety, ranging from mountainous rainforest to dry lowlands and coastal mangroves. The highest point is Mt. St. Catherine at 2,757 ft. and ancient volcanic craters can be found in the central massif.

Grenadians are without a doubt some of the friendliest people in the Caribbean. The island is made safe by their calm and relaxed nature and they feel obligated to treat every visitor as an honoured guest. They know that they live on the best island in the world and they’re always happy to share it.

With only 133 square miles of land, the tri island state of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique appears almost invisible on the world map. Despite its size, the island is widely known for its abundance of spices, unspoilt beauty and friendly people.

It has often been questioned though, how an island so tiny, can possess a people with such great character and huge hearts. In 1961, when the Italian cruise liner, the Bianca C caught fire and sank, hundreds of Grenadians rushed to the aid of those onboard, feeding, sheltering and clothing them as needed. Today, a statue known as the ‘Christ of the Deep’ still stands on the Carenage in the town of St. George as an expression of gratitude for the great acts of kindness to the people of Grenada.

This was not the first time Grenadians created a buzz because of humility and acts of kindness. In 2005, Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC; a Grenadian British Army Soldier was awarded the highest military decoration otherwise known as the Victoria Cross for saving the lives of members of his unit on two occasions. To date, he is the youngest recipient and first man to be awarded the Victoria Cross since 1982.

Jennifer Hosten is a Grenadian radio announcer, development worker, diplomat, author, model and beauty queen who won the Miss World 1970 contest, representing Grenada. She became the first woman from her country to win the Miss World title and she was also the first woman of colour to be crowned. Her barrier-breaking Miss World story is told in the film Misbehaviour staring actresses Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Kirani James became Grenada’s first Olympic Gold Champion at the London Olympics in 2012. His humble persona and dedication to making his countrymen and women proud awarded him the title of Sports Tourism Ambassador for Grenada.

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE, the Grenadian roots Mercedes Formula One driver. A six-time Formula One World Champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport, and considered by some to be the greatest of all time.

If you visit the island today, you will still notice the distinct friendliness and hospitality of the Grenadian people; a people of pure warmth, welcoming and willing to please. From the willingness to assist with changing a tire to the humorous manner of providing directions, the locals never fail. Grenada is listed as one of the most amazing vacation destinations and it’s not because of cheap airfare. It is simply because of the island’s unspoiled beauty and charm of the people.

Grenada gained independence from Britain in 1974 and is an independent nation within the British Commonwealth. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State and is represented locally by the Governor General, who is appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister. Grenada has a West Minister Style Parliamentary form of Government. The Parliament which exercises legislative power consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Executive power lies with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. General Elections are held every five (5) years.

For more information please see the official Government of Grenada website.