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Grenada[grinA´du] Pronunciation Key, independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations (1995 est. pop. 94,000), 133 sq mi (344 sq km), in the Windward Islands, West Indies. The state includes the island of Grenada (120 sq mi/311 sq km) and the southern half of the archipelago known as the Grenadines, a group of largely uninhabitable small islands and islets north of Grenada in the Windward Islands. Grenada is a volcanic, mountainous island with crater lakes.
The capital, main port, and commercial center is Saint George's. Its people are of mainly African descent and speak English, the official language, or a French patois. Over 50% of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics; the balance is mainly Protestant, with Anglicanism the dominant denomination. Administratively, there are six parishes and one dependency. Grenada's economy is primarily agricultural, and cocoa, bananas, nutmeg, mace, and fruit are exported. Tourism is a developing industry.
Governed under the constitution of 1973, Grenada has a bicameral legislature with a 15-member elected house of representatives and a 13-member appointed senate. The executive branch consists of a cabinet, led by a prime minister. The British sovereign is represented by a governor-general.
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