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Background: |
Carib Indians inhabited Grenada
when COLUMBUS discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized
for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century,
established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves.
Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production.
In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export
crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967,
Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence
was attained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent
countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized by a Marxist
military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded
by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly
captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free
elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since
that time. Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada in September of 2004 causing
severe damage. |
|
Location: |
Caribbean, island between the
Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
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Geographic coordinates: |
12 07 N, 61 40 W |
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Map references: |
Central America and the
Caribbean |
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Area: |
total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
twice the size of Washington,
DC |
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Land boundaries: |
0 km |
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Coastline: |
121 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical; tempered by northeast
trade winds |
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Terrain: |
volcanic in origin with central
mountains |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Caribbean
Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m |
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Natural resources: |
timber, tropical fruit,
deepwater harbors |
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Land use: |
arable land: 5.88%
permanent crops: 29.41%
other: 64.71% (2005) |
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Irrigated land: |
NA |
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Total renewable water resources: |
NA |
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Natural hazards: |
lies on edge of hurricane belt;
hurricane season lasts from June to November |
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Environment - current issues: |
NA |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed,
but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note: |
the administration of the
islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines and Grenada |
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Population: |
90,343 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 32.4% (male
14,725/female 14,524)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 30,911/female
27,502)
65 years and over: 3% (male 1,310/female 1,371) (2008
est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 22.4 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 21.9 years (2008 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.406% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
21.61 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Death rate: |
6.31 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-11.23 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96
male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 13.58
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.25 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 65.6
years
male: 63.74 years
female: 67.47 years (2008
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
2.27 children born/woman (2008
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: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian |
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Ethnic groups: |
black 82%, mixed black and
European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib
Amerindian |
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Religions: |
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican
13.8%, other Protestant 33.2% |
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Languages: |
English (official), French
patois |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 96%
male:
NA
female: NA (2003 est.) |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form: Grenada |
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Government type: |
parliamentary democracy |
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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) |
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Administrative divisions: |
6 parishes and 1 dependency*;
Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George,
Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick |
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Independence: |
7 February 1974 (from UK)
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, 7 February
(1974) |
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Constitution: |
19 December 1973 |
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Legal system: |
based on English common law
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch: |
chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General
Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996)
head of government: Prime
Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of
the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general |
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Legislative branch: |
bicameral Parliament consists
of the Senate (13 seats, 10 appointed by the government and 3 by the
leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 November 2003 (next to be held by
early 2009)
election results: House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NNP 46.6%, NDC 44.1%, other 9.3%; seats by
party - NNP 8, NDC 7 |
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Judicial branch: |
Eastern Caribbean Supreme
Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (a High
Court judge is assigned to and resides in Grenada) |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Grenada United Labor Party or
GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman
THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE
chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561
FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468
consulate(s) general: New
York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: the US
Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada
embassy:
Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's
mailing address: P. O.
Box 54, Saint George's
telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through
1177
FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820 |
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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 the world's second-largest producer of
nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven
administrative divisions |
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Economy - overview: |
Grenada relies on tourism as
its main source of foreign exchange, especially since the construction of
an international airport in 1985. Strong performances in construction and
manufacturing, together with the development of an offshore financial
industry, have also contributed to growth in national output. Grenada has
rebounded from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily
(2005), but is now saddled with the debt burden from the rebuilding
process. The agricultural sector, particularly nutmeg and cocoa
cultivation, has gradually recovered, and the tourism sector has seen
substantial increases in foreign direct investment as the regional share
of the tourism market increases. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$982 million (2006 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate): |
$553 million (2007 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
0.9% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$3,900 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 18%
services: 76.6% (2003) |
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Labor force: |
42,300 (1996) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 24%
industry: 14%
services: 62% (1999 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
12.5% (2000) |
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Population below poverty line: |
32% (2000) |
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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): |
3% (2005 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $85.8 million
expenditures: $102.1 million (1997) |
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Agriculture - products: |
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace,
citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables |
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Industries: |
food and beverages, textiles,
light assembly operations, tourism, construction |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
0.7% (1997 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
150 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption: |
139.5 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
1,800 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
0 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports: |
1,776 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
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Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
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Exports: |
$38 million (2006) |
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Exports - commodities: |
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit
and vegetables, clothing, mace |
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Exports - partners: |
Saint Lucia 18.8%, Antigua and
Barbuda 12.8%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 11.5%, Dominica 11.4%, US 11.4%
(2006) |
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Imports: |
$343 million (2006) |
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Imports - commodities: |
food, manufactured goods,
machinery, chemicals, fuel |
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Imports - partners: |
Trinidad and Tobago 33.7%, US
24.2%, UK 4.3% (2006) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$44.87 million (2005) |
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Debt - external: |
$347 million (2004) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares: |
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Currency (code): |
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
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Currency code: |
XCD |
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Exchange rates: |
East Caribbean dollars per US
dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
27,700 (2006) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
46,200 (2006) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
automatic, islandwide telephone system
domestic: interisland
VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: country code -
1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS)
submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean
extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone
links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to
Trinidad |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
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Radios: |
57,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
2 (1997) |
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Televisions: |
33,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.gd |
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Internet hosts: |
7 (2007) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
14 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
19,000 (2003) |
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Airports: |
3 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 3
2,438 to
3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1
(2007) |
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Roadways: |
total: 1,127 km
paved: 687 km
unpaved: 440 km (1999) |
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Ports and terminals: |
Saint George's |
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Military branches: |
no regular military forces;
Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2007) |
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Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49: 27,309
(2008 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 20,249
(2008 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 16-49: 1,034
(2008 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA |
| Transnational Issues |
Grenada |
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Disputes - international: |
none |
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Illicit drugs: |
small-scale cannabis
cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US
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