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List of
Banks in the Caribbean
List of Banks in Grenada
Allied General Bank Ltd.
Address: 165 Scott Street
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1947
Phone: (1-473) 435-0020
Fax: (1-473) 435-0021
Avantguard Bank Bank & Trust Ltd.
Address: Grand Anse, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 439-5400
Fax: (1-473) 439-5425
Bank Of Asia Pacific Ltd.
Address: Lance Aux Epines, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 439-0007
Bank Of Nova Scotia The
Address: Halifax Street, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 440-3274
Fax: (1-473) 440-4173
Capital Bank International Ltd.
Address: DePonthieu & Grenville Streets, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 440-7399
Caribbean Merchant Bank Ltd.
Address: Grand Anse, St. George's
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1245
Phone: (1-473) 444-5913
Fax: (1-473) 444-5914
Cornerstone International Savings & Investment Bank Ltd.
Address: Tribune House Archibald Avenue, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 435-0050
Fax: (1-473) 435-0048
Crowne Guardian Bank
Address: Grand Anse, St. George's
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1260
Phone: (1-473) 439-1260
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Address: Young Street, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 440-3016
European-American International Bank & Trust Co Ltd.
Address: Lucas Street, St. George's
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1032
Phone: (1-473) 440-4444
Fax: (1-473) 440-9642
FirstCaribbean International Bank Ltd.
Address: Church & Halifax Streets, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 440-3232
Fax: (1-473) 440-4103
Grenada Bank Of Commerce Ltd.
Address: Cnr Halifax & Cross Street, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 440-3521
Fax: (1-473) 440-4153
Grenada Co-Operative Bank Ltd.
Address: Church Street, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 440-2111
Fax: (1-473) 440-6600
Grenada Development Bank
Address: Melville Street, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 440-2382
Fax: (1-473) 440-6610
National Commercial Bank Of Grenada Ltd.
Address: Grand Anse, St. George's's
Phone: (1-473) 444-2265
Fax: (1-473) 444-5501
Renaissance International Bank Ltd.
Address: Chancery House Ross Point, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 435-0790
Fax: (1-473) 435-0795
Republic Finance & Merchant Bank Ltd.
Address: Grand Anse, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 444-1874
Fax: (1-473) 444-1879
Scotiabank
Address: Halifax Street, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 440-3274
Fax: (1-473) 440-4173
Windsor International Bank & Trust Co
Address: Church Street, St. George's
Phone: (1-473) 442-4203
Fax: (1-473) 435-1209
Grenada is an island country and
sovereign state consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller
islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern
Caribbean Sea. Grenada is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago,
northeast of Venezuela, and southwest of Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines.
Grenada is also known as the "Island of Spice" due to the production of
nutmeg and mace crops of which Grenada is one of the world's largest
exporters.
Its size is 344 square kilometres (133 sq mi), with an estimated
population of 110,000. Its capital is St. George's. The national bird of
Grenada is the critically endangered Grenada Dove.
History
Main article: History of Grenada
1498–1958: Colonization
The recorded history of Grenada begins in 1498. At the time the
indigenous Island Caribs (Kalinago) who lived there called it Camahogne.
The Spaniards did not permanently settle on Camahogne. Later the English
failed their first settlement attempts, but the French fought and
conquered Grenada from the Caribs circa 1650. The French conquest
resulted in the genocide of 17th century Caribs from present-day
Grenada. Warfare also existed between the Caribs of present day Dominica
and St. Vincent and the Grenadines with the French invaders.
The French took control of Camahogne and named the new French colony La
Grenade. La Grenade prospered as a wealthy French colony; its main
export was sugar. The French established a capital known as Fort Royal
in 1650 as ordered by Cardinal Richelieu. To wait out harsh hurricanes,
the French navy would shelter in the capital's natural harbour. No other
French colony had a natural harbour to even compare with that of Fort
Royal (later renamed St. George's). The French captured the island but
formally ceded it to Great Britain in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris. A
century later, in 1877 Grenada was made a Crown Colony.
1958–1983: Independence and Revolution
The capital St. George's, GrenadaThe island was a province of the short-lived
West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962.
In 1967, Grenada attained the status of “Associated State of the United
Kingdom”, which meant that Grenada was now responsible for her own
internal affairs, and the UK was responsible for her defence and foreign
affairs. Independence was granted in 1974 under the leadership of the
then Premier, Sir Eric Matthew Gairy, who became the first Prime
Minister of Grenada.
Civil conflict gradually broke out between Eric Gairy’s government and
some opposition parties including the New Jewel Movement (NJM). Gairy’s
party won elections in 1976 but the opposition did not accept the result,
accusing it of fraudulence. In 1979, the New Jewel Movement under
Maurice Bishop launched a paramilitary attack on the government
resulting in its overthrow.
The constitution was suspended and Bishop's government ruled
subsequently by decree. Cuban presence was welcomed and heavily invested
in civic assistance (doctors, teachers, and technicians in the fields of
health, literacy, agriculture, and agro-industries) during the ensuing
era. Agrarian reforms started by the Gairy government were continued and
greatly expanded under the revolutionary government of Maurice Bishop.
1983: Invasion of Grenada by the U.S. and OECS military
Main article: Invasion of Grenada
Members of the Eastern Caribbean Defence Force during the Invasion of
Grenada.Some years later a dispute developed between Bishop and certain
high-ranking members of the NJM. Though Bishop was cooperating with Cuba
and the USSR on various trade and foreign policy issues, he sought to
maintain a "non-aligned" status. Bishop had been taking his time making
Grenada wholly socialist, encouraging private-sector development in an
attempt to make the island a popular tourist destination. Hardline
Marxist party members, including Communist Deputy Prime Minister Bernard
Coard, deemed Bishop insufficiently revolutionary and demanded that he
either step down or enter into a power sharing arrangement.
On October 19, 1983, Bernard Coard and his wife Phyllis, backed by the
Grenadian Army, led a coup against the government of Maurice Bishop, who
was placed under house arrest. These actions led to street
demonstrations in various parts of the island. Bishop had massive
support among the population and was eventually freed by a large
demonstration in the capital. When Bishop attempted to resume power, he
was captured and executed by soldiers along with seven others, including
government cabinet ministers. The Coard regime then put the island under
martial law.
After the execution of Bishop, the People's Revolutionary Army formed a
military government with General Hudson Austin as chairman. The army
declared a four-day total curfew during which it said that anyone
leaving their home without approval would be shot on sight.
The overthrow of a moderate government by one which was strongly
pro-communist worried U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Of particular
concern was the presence of Cuban construction workers and military
personnel building a 10,000-foot (3,000 m) airstrip on Grenada. Though
Bishop had claimed the purpose of the airstrip was to allow commercial
jets to land, U.S. military analysts believed the only reason for
constructing an abnormally long, reinforced runway was for the use of
heavy military transport planes. Reagan was worried that Grenada
would be used by Cuba under the direction of the Soviet Union as a
refueling stepping stone for Cuban and Soviet airplanes loaded with
weapons destined for Central American communist insurgents.
On October 25, Grenada was invaded by combined forces from the United
States, the Regional Security System (RSS) and Jamaica, in an operation
codenamed Operation Urgent Fury. The U.S. stated this was done at the
behest of Dame Eugenia Charles, of Dominica. While the Governor-General,
Sir Paul Scoon, later stated that he had also requested the invasion, it
was highly criticised by HM Queen Elizabeth II and the governments of
the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago and Canada. The United Nations
General Assembly condemned it as "a flagrant violation of international
law" by a vote of 108 in favor to 9, with 27 abstentions. The
United Nations Security Council considered a similar resolution, which
failed to pass when vetoed by the United States.
After the invasion of the island nation, the pre-revolutionary Grenadan
constitution was resumed. Eighteen members of the PRG and the PRA (army)
were arrested after the invasion on charges related to the murder of
Maurice Bishop and seven others. The eighteen included the top political
leadership of Grenada at the time of the execution as well as the entire
military chain of command directly responsible for the operation that
led to the executions. Fourteen were sentenced to death, one was found
not guilty and three were sentenced to forty-five years in prison. The
death sentences were eventually commuted to terms of imprisonment. Those
in prison have become known as the Grenada 17.
Since 1983
In 2000–2002, much of the controversy of the late 1970s and early 1980s
was once again brought into the public consciousness with the opening of
the truth and reconciliation commission. The commission was chaired by a
Roman Catholic priest, Father Mark Haynes, and was tasked with
uncovering injustices arising from the PRA, Bishop’s regime, and before.
It held a number of hearings around the country. Brother Robert
Fanovich, head of Presentation Brothers’ College (PBC) in St. George’s
tasked some of his senior students with conducting a research project
into the era and specifically into the fact that Maurice Bishop’s body
was never discovered. See Maurice Paterson's book, published before this
event, called Big Sky Little Bullet. Paterson also uncovered that there
was still a lot of resentment in Grenadian society resulting from the
era, and a feeling that there were many injustices still unaddressed.
In 2004, after being hurricane-free for forty-nine years, the island was
directly hit by Hurricane Ivan (September 7). Ivan struck as a Category
3 hurricane and caused 90 percent of the homes to be damaged or
destroyed. The following year, 2005, Hurricane Emily (July 14), a
Category 1 hurricane at the time, struck the northern part of the island
with 80 knots (150 km/h; 92 mph) winds, causing an estimated USD $110
million (EC$ 297 million) worth of damage. This was much less damage
than Ivan had caused.
Grenada has recovered with remarkable speed, due to both domestic labour
and financing from the world at large and the work done by the New
National Party Administration of Dr. Keith Mitchell and his team. By
December 2005, 96% of all hotel rooms were to be open for business and
to have been upgraded in facilities and strengthened to an improved
building code. The agricultural industry and in particular the nutmeg
industry suffered serious losses, but that event has begun changes in
crop management and it is hoped that as new nutmeg trees gradually
mature, the industry will return to its pre-Ivan position as a major
supplier in the Western world.
In April 2007, Grenada jointly hosted (along with several other
Caribbean nations) the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The island's then Prime
Minister was at the time CARICOM Representative on cricket and was
instrumental in having the World Cup Games brought to the region. After
Hurricane Ivan, the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC)
paid for the new $40 million national stadium, and provided the aid of
over 300 labourers to build and repair it. During the opening
ceremony, the anthem of the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) was
accidentally played instead of the PRC's anthem, leading to the firing
of top officials.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Grenada
A view of Carriacou. Other Grenadine islands in distanceThe island
Grenada itself is the largest island; smaller Grenadines are Carriacou,
Petit Martinique, Ronde Island, Caille Island, Diamond Island, Large
Island, Saline Island, and Frigate Island. Most of the population lives
on Grenada itself, and major towns there include the capital, St.
George’s, Grenville and Gouyave. The largest settlement on the other
islands is Hillsborough on Carriacou.
The islands are of volcanic origin with extremely rich soil. Grenada’s
interior is very mountainous with Mount St. Catherine being the highest
at 2,756 feet (840 m). Several small rivers with beautiful waterfalls
flow into the sea from these mountains. The climate is tropical: hot and
humid in the rainy season and cooled by the trade winds in the dry
season. Grenada, being on the Southern edge of the hurricane belt, has
suffered only three hurricanes in fifty years.
Hurricane Janet passed over Grenada on Friday 23 September 1955 with
winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), causing severe damage. The most recent
storms to hit have been Hurricane Ivan on Tuesday 7 September 2004
causing severe damage and thirty-nine deaths and Hurricane Emily on
Thursday 14 July 2005, causing serious damage in Carriacou and in the
north of Grenada which had been relatively lightly affected by Hurricane
Ivan.
Parishes
Main article: Parishes of Grenada
Parishes of GrenadaGrenada is divided into 6 parishes:
1.Saint Andrew
2.Saint David
3.Saint George
4.Saint John
5.Saint Mark
6.Saint Patrick
Carriacou and Petite Martinique, two of the Grenadines, have the status
of dependency.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Grenada
As a Commonwealth realm, Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Grenada and Head
of State. The Crown is represented by a Governor-General, who is
currently Mr. Carlyle Glean. Day-to-day executive power lies with the
Head of Government, the Prime Minister. Although appointed by the
Governor-General, the Prime Minister is usually the leader of the
largest party in the Parliament.
The Parliament consists of a Senate (thirteen members) and a House of
Representatives (fifteen members). The senators are appointed by the
government and the opposition, while the representatives are elected by
the population for five-year terms. With 51% of the votes and eleven
seats in the 2008 election, the National Democratic Congress won the
July 8, 2008 election. The opposition New National Party won the
remaining four seats.
Grenada is a full and participating member of both the Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
(OECS).
Economy and tourism
Nutmeg fruit in mace.Main article: Economy of Grenada
Economic progress in fiscal reforms and prudent macroeconomic management
have boosted annual growth to 5%–6% in 1998–99; the increase in economic
activity has been led by construction and trade. Tourist facilities are
being expanded; tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner. Major
short-term concerns are the rising fiscal deficit and the deterioration
in the external account balance. Grenada shares a common central bank
and a common currency (the East Caribbean dollar) with seven other
members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
Grenada is called The Spice Isle because it is a leading producer of
several different spices. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, allspice,
orange/citrus peels, wild coffee used by the locals, and especially
nutmeg, providing 20% of the world supply, are all important exports.
The nutmeg on the nation's flag represents the economic crop of Grenada;
the nation is the world’s second largest producer of nutmeg (after
Indonesia).
Devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan in Grenada.Tourism is Grenada’s
main economic force. Conventional beach and water-sports tourism is
largely focused in the southwest region around St Georges, the airport
and the coastal strip; however, ecotourism is growing in significance.
Most of these small ecofriendly guesthouses are located in the Saint
David and Saint John parishes. You will find a lot of different
accommodations from luxury like the Spice Island Beach Resort to small
cottages resorts like Mango Bay Cottages.The tourism industry is
increasing dramatically with the construction of a large cruise ship
pier and esplanade. Up to 4 cruise ships per day were visiting St.
Georges in 2007–8 during the cruise ship season.
Grand Anse Beach, St. George'sThe island has also pioneered the
cultivation of organic cocoa which is also processed into finished bars
by the Grenada Chocolate Company.
Tourism is concentrated in the southwest of the island, around St.
Georges, Grand Anse, Lance Aux Epines, and Point Salines. Grenada has
many idyllic beaches around its coastline including the 3 km (1.9 mi)
long Grand Anse Beach in St George's which is considered to be one of
the finest beaches in the world, and often appears in countdowns of the
world's top 10 beaches.
Grenada is linked to the world through the Maurice Bishop International
Airport and the St. George’s harbour. International flights connect with
other Caribbean islands, the United States, and Europe. There is also a
daily fast ferry service between St. George’s and Hillsborough.
Beginning in October, 2009, new passenger ferry service between Grenada,
Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Trinidad provided by Grenada-based
BEDY Ocean Line is scheduled to begin.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Grenada
A majority of the citizens are descendants of the African slaves brought
by the English and French; few of the indigenous Carib and Arawak
population survived the French purge at Sauteurs. A small percentage of
descendants of East Indian indentured workers were brought to Grenada
mainly from the North Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh between
Friday 1 May 1857–Saturday 10 January 1885. There is also a small
community of French and English descendants. The rest of the population
is of mixed descent.
A school on Grand Anse beachGrenada, like many of the Caribbean islands
is subject to a large amount of migration, with a large number of young
people wanting to leave the island to seek life elsewhere. With just
110,000 people living in Grenada, estimates and census data suggest that
there are at least that number of Grenadian-born people in other parts
of the Caribbean (such as Barbados and Trinidad) and at least that
number again in First World countries. Popular migration points for
Grenadians further north include New York City, Toronto, the United
Kingdom (London and Yorkshire predominantly — see Grenadians in the UK)
and sometimes Montreal, or as far south as Australia. This means that
probably around a third of those born in Grenada still live there.
The official language, English, is used in the government, but Grenadian
Creole is considered the lingua franca of the island. French Patois
(Antillean Creole) is also spoken by about 10%–20% the population. Some
Hindi/Bhojpuri terms are still spoken amongst the Indian descendants,
mostly those pertaining to the kitchen; such as aloo, geera, karela,
seim, chownkay, and baylay. The term bhai, which means 'brother' or
'partner' in Hindi, is a common form of greeting amongst Indo-Grenadians
males of equal status.
Religion
Grenada is a very religious country. Aside from a marginal community of
Rastafarians living in Grenada, nearly all of the population belong to
Christian churches. About half of the population are Roman Catholics;
Anglicanism is the largest Protestant denomination with Presbyterian and
Seventh Day Adventist taking up the remainder. Most churches have
denomination-based schools but are open to all. There is a small Muslim
population descended mostly from Gujarati Indian immigrants who came
during the colonial period and set up merchant shops.
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Grenada and Music of Grenada
See also: Cricket in the West Indies
1965 carnivalAlthough French influence on Grenadian culture is much less
visible than on other Caribbean islands, surnames and place names in
French remain, and the every day language is laced with French words and
the local dialect or Patois. Stronger French influence is found in the
well seasoned spicy food and styles of cooking similar to those found in
New Orleans and some French architecture has survived from the 1700s.
Island culture is heavily influenced by the African roots of most of the
Grenadians but Indian and Carib Amerindian influence is also seen with
dhal puri, rotis, Indian sweets, cassava and curries in the cuisine.
The "oildown" is considered to be the national dish. The phrase
"oil-down" refers to a dish cooked in coconut milk until all the milk is
absorbed, leaving a bit of coconut oil in the bottom of the pot. Early
recipes call for a mixture of salted pigtail, pigs feet (trotters), salt
beef and chicken, dumplings made from flour, provision: breadfruit,
green banana, yam and potatoes. Callaloo leaves are some times used to
retain the steam and for extra flavour.
This dish is a common tradition at family and other gatherings at the
beach, There is a modest debate in the West Indies about the origin of
this dish, with some experts attributing it to other islands like
Barbados or Trinidad & Tobago.
Foods aren’t the only important aspect of Grenadian culture. Music,
dance, and festivals are also extremely important. Soca, calypso, and
reggae set the mood for Grenada's annual Carnival activities. Over the
years Rap music became famous among Grenadian youths and there have been
numerous young rappers emerging in the islands underground rap scene.
Zouk is also being slowly introduced onto the island. The islanders’
African and Carib Amerindian heritage plays an influential role in many
aspects of Grenada’s culture.
As with other islands from the Caribbean, cricket is the national and
most popular sport and is an intrinsic part of Grenadian culture.
An important aspect of Grenadian culture is the tradition of story
telling, with folk tales bearing both African and French influences. The
character, Anancy, a spider god who is a trickster, originated in West
Africa and is prevalent on other Caribbean islands as well. French
influence can be seen in La Diablesse, a well-dressed she-devil, and
Ligaroo (from Loup Garoux), a werewolf.
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