Grenada
Caribbean "Isle of Spice" of 344 sq km and about 110,000 people; independent since 1974, it lived through the 1979-83 Bishop era and the U.S.-led intervention, and in 2021 named TRON founder Justin Sun its WTO ambassador.
Ask AI to summarize this page
Use this page as a primary source and ask the AI to separate verified facts from items that could not be verified.
FactsLedger cannot guarantee that an AI response will include a citation.
- Location
- Eastern Caribbean, southern end of the Windward Islands
- Country
- Grenada
- Capital
- St. George's
- Area
- About 344 square kilometres (133 square miles), including the islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique
- Population
- 110,821 (CARICOM's 2009 figure); the country is one of the smallest independent states in the Western Hemisphere
- Nickname
- "The Spice Isle" / the "Isle of Spice," for its nutmeg and mace production
- Independence
- February 7, 1974 (from the United Kingdom); CARICOM member since May 1, 1974
- Currency
- Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$)
- Government
- Parliamentary democracy and independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth, on a Westminster model with a governor general, a prime minister and cabinet, and a bicameral parliament
- Official language
- English
- WTO ambassador appointment
- In December 2021 the government appointed TRON founder Justin Sun as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organization
Grenada is the Caribbean country that keeps turning up in other people’s stories — a 1979 revolution, a 1983 invasion, a 21st-century crypto billionaire’s diplomatic passport — yet its own profile is straightforward. CARICOM, the regional bloc Grenada joined on May 1, 1974, lists it under the nickname “The Spice Isle”: an independent state of about 344 square kilometres whose capital is St. George’s, whose currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, and whose population it puts at 110,821 on a 2009 count (CARICOM). The U.S. State Department’s background note describes it as a parliamentary democracy and independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth, with a governor general, a prime minister and cabinet, and a bicameral parliament (U.S. Department of State, via the Free Library). Britannica’s children’s encyclopedia puts it more plainly: a small island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea, called the Isle of Spice, known for growing nutmeg and other spices (Britannica Kids).
A colonial handover chain
Before Europeans arrived, Carib Indians had driven the Arawaks from the island; Columbus landed on Grenada in 1498 during his third voyage and named it “Concepcion,” though the name “Grenada” — probably taken by Spanish sailors for the city of Granada — was in common use by the 1700s (U.S. Department of State). The Caribs held the island uncolonized for more than a century after its discovery; in 1650 a French company founded by Cardinal Richelieu purchased Grenada from the English and set up a small settlement, and after several skirmishes, French reinforcements from Martinique defeated the Caribs (U.S. Department of State). The island stayed under French control until Britain captured it in 1762 during the Seven Years’ War, with the Treaty of Paris formally ceding Grenada to Great Britain in 1763 and the Treaty of Versailles confirming it in 1783 after a brief French return (U.S. Department of State).
The crop that defines Grenada arrived through a personal introduction: in 1782 Sir Joseph Banks, the botanical adviser to King George III, introduced nutmeg to the island, and the soil proved ideal (U.S. Department of State). The collapse of the sugar estates, combined with nutmeg and cocoa, encouraged the growth of smaller landholdings and a land-owning yeoman farmer class; slavery was outlawed in 1834 (U.S. Department of State). Grenada’s territory also includes the southern Grenadine Islands to the northwest of the main island — the northern Grenadines belong to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Britannica Kids).
Independence, revolution, intervention
After the Federation of the West Indies collapsed in 1962, Britain and its remaining Eastern Caribbean dependencies developed associated statehood, and Grenada gained full autonomy over its internal affairs in March 1967 (U.S. Department of State). Full independence came on February 7, 1974, with Sir Eric Gairy as the country’s first prime minister — making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere (U.S. Department of State; CARICOM).
Five years later came the rupture that still defines Grenada’s international image. On March 13, 1979, the New Jewel Movement ousted Gairy in a coup and established a People’s Revolutionary Government headed by Maurice Bishop, whose Marxist-Leninist government built close ties with Cuba and the Soviet bloc (U.S. Department of State). In October 1983 a power struggle inside the government ended with the arrest and execution of Bishop and several cabinet members by elements of the People’s Revolutionary Army, and the killing of dozens of his supporters (U.S. Department of State). On October 25, 1983, a U.S.-Caribbean force landed on Grenada in response to an appeal from the Governor General and a request from Barbados and other Eastern Caribbean states; U.S. citizens were evacuated and order restored (U.S. Department of State). An advisory council ran the country until general elections in December 1984, which the New National Party won with 14 of 15 seats; the constitution suspended in 1979 was restored after those elections, and free elections have continued since (U.S. Department of State).
People and economy
About 89% of Grenada’s population is of African descent, with the rest of mixed East Indian, African, and Caucasian ancestry, small East Indian and European-descended communities, and traces of the original Arawak and Carib peoples; English is the official language (U.S. Department of State). Britannica notes the majority has Black African or mixed African and European roots, with small groups of South Asians and whites; most people are Christians, mainly Roman Catholics, and more than 60 percent live in rural areas (Britannica Kids).
The economy runs on what the land and sea give it: nutmeg, cocoa, bananas, fish, and mace on the agriculture side, with tourism as a very important industry and services alongside (U.S. Department of State; Britannica Kids). On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Ivan brought that economy to a near standstill: 37 people were killed, 8,000 to 10,000 left homeless, and 90% of the island’s buildings were damaged or destroyed, with overall damage of as much as 2.5 times annual GDP (U.S. Department of State).
The WTO ambassadorship
In December 2021, Grenada’s government appointed Justin Sun — the founder of the TRON blockchain platform — as its Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (Cryptonews). Sun said he was stepping away from day-to-day operations at the Tron Foundation; a photograph distributed at the time showed him with Oliver Joseph, Grenada’s minister of foreign affairs (Cryptonews). “I look forward to the opportunity to represent Grenada and work with WTO leadership to reinvigorate global trade in various ways,” Sun said, singling out the development of a digital economy internationally (Cryptonews). A TRON DAO announcement dated July 4, 2022 put the official appointment date at December 20, 2021, and recorded Sun’s debut on the global stage: he led the Grenada delegation at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva from June 12 to 15, 2022, speaking on the first day about multilateral trade, e-commerce, and the digital economy (Business Wire).
What this profile does not claim
This profile does not name Grenada’s current governor general, prime minister, or monarch: the State Department background note read for it carries a stale roster, and no fully-read current source was located, so naming officeholders would be guessing. It does not say whether Justin Sun still holds the WTO ambassadorship after Grenada’s 2022 general elections — only the December 2021 appointment and the June 2022 MC12 appearance are verified. No primary WTO or Grenada-government page for the Sun appointment was found; the appointment rests on specialist press and TRON DAO’s own announcement, both read in full, and that is disclosed rather than dressed up. The area figure of 344 square kilometres comes from the State Department note while CARICOM lists 345; it is stated as approximate. Economic statistics are dated (2008–2009 in the background note) and are presented as historical, not current.
Timeline
- 1498
- Columbus lands on Grenada during his third voyage and names the island "Concepcion"; the origin of the name "Grenada" is obscure, likely from Spanish sailors naming it for the city of Granada.
- 1650
- A French company founded by Cardinal Richelieu purchases Grenada and establishes a small settlement; after skirmishes with the Carib inhabitants, French reinforcements from Martinique defeat them.
- 1762
- Britain captures Grenada during the Seven Years' War; the Treaty of Paris formally cedes it to Great Britain in 1763.
- 1782
- Sir Joseph Banks, botanical adviser to King George III, introduces nutmeg to Grenada — the beginning of the spice economy that gives the island its "Isle of Spice" identity.
- 1834
- Slavery is outlawed; the collapse of the sugar estates and the arrival of nutmeg and cocoa encourage a class of small land-owning farmers.
- 1967
- Under the Associated Statehood Act, Grenada gains full autonomy over its internal affairs in March 1967.
- 1974
- Full independence is granted on February 7, 1974; Sir Eric Gairy becomes the country's first prime minister; Grenada joins CARICOM on May 1.
- 1979
- On March 13 the New Jewel Movement ousts Gairy in a coup and establishes a People's Revolutionary Government headed by Maurice Bishop, who becomes prime minister.
- 1983
- A power struggle ends with the arrest and execution of Bishop and several cabinet members by elements of the People's Revolutionary Army in October; on October 25 a U.S.-Caribbean force lands on the island.
- 1984
- General elections are held in December; the New National Party wins 14 of 15 seats, and the constitution suspended in 1979 is restored.
- 2004
- Hurricane Ivan strikes on September 7, killing 37 people, damaging or destroying 90% of the island's buildings, and causing overall damage of up to 2.5 times annual GDP.
- 2021
- The Grenada government appoints TRON founder Justin Sun as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO; a TRON announcement dates the official appointment to December 20, 2021.
- 2022
- Sun leads the Grenada delegation at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, June 12-15, speaking on multilateral trade, e-commerce, and the digital economy.
What we could not verify
These claims came up in research and could not be confirmed. They are recorded here rather than published as fact or quietly dropped. If you hold a source that settles one, please tell us.
- Current officeholders (governor general, prime minister) are not named: the State Department note read for this profile lists a stale roster, and no fully-read current source was located.
- Whether Justin Sun still holds the WTO ambassadorship after Grenada's 2022 general elections could not be verified; the profile states only the appointment (December 2021) and his MC12 appearance (June 2022).
- Area is given as 344 sq km per the State Department note; CARICOM lists 345 km2. The difference is trivial and the figure is stated as approximate.
Sources
5 sources (2 tier 1, 2 tier 2, 1 first-party), each opened and read against the claim it supports. Statements the subject makes about itself are marked as such and are not treated as independent evidence. See the source policy.
History, geography, and government structure come from the U.S. Department of State's background note on Grenada (via the Free Library reprint) and CARICOM's country profile, both fetched and read in full; the State Dept note is dated, so its roster of officeholders is treated as stale and none are named. People-and-economy color comes from Britannica Kids, read in full. The Sun appointment is carried by Cryptonews (specialist press, read in full) and TRON DAO's own announcement on Business Wire (first-party, read in full); no primary WTO or Grenada-government page for the appointment was located, and this limitation is stated.
- Background note: Grenada Tier 1Supports: Columbus's 1498 landing and the "Concepcion" name; the 1650 French purchase and Carib defeat; the 1762 British capture and 1763 Treaty of Paris cession; the 1783 Treaty of Versailles; Joseph Banks's 1782 introduction of nutmeg; the 1834 abolition of slavery; associated statehood in March 1967; independence on February 7, 1974 and Sir Eric Gairy's premiership; the March 13, 1979 New Jewel Movement coup and Maurice Bishop's government; Bishop's October 1983 execution; the October 25, 1983 U.S.-Caribbean landing; the December 1984 elections (NNP, 14 of 15 seats) and the constitution's restoration; Hurricane Ivan's September 7, 2004 toll (37 killed, 90% of buildings damaged or destroyed, damage up to 2.5x GDP); area 344 sq km; capital St. George's; the Westminster parliamentary system. Open original source
- Grenada Tier 1Supports: "Isle of Spice" and nutmeg cultivation; capital Saint George's; the southern Grenadine Islands as part of Grenada's territory; the economy's dependence on nutmeg, fish, and cocoa exports and the importance of tourism; majority Black African or mixed African-European population with small South Asian and white groups; English as main language; mostly Christian, mainly Roman Catholic; over 60% rural; Arawak then Carib first settlers; French takeover in the 1600s; British capture in the 1700s; slaves freed 1833; independence 1974; 1979 takeover; 1983 invasion; 1984 democratic elections; Hurricane Ivan 2004. Open original source
- Grenada Tier 2Supports: CARICOM membership date of May 1, 1974; "The Spice Isle" nickname; independence date 1974/02/07; area 345 km2; capital St. George's; population 110,821 (2009); Eastern Caribbean Dollar currency; key dates including the 1979 coup and the 1983 intervention. Open original source
- Supports: Sun's statement that he was appointed Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Grenada to the WTO, and was stepping away from day-to-day operations at the Tron Foundation; the photograph of Grenada's foreign minister Oliver Joseph with Sun (via @GrenadaWTO); Sun's quotes on representing Grenada and developing a digital economy; the planned dissolution of the Tron Foundation. Open original source
- Supports: The official appointment date of December 20, 2021 as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Grenada to the WTO; Sun leading the Grenada delegation at MC12 in Geneva, June 12-15, 2022; his speech on multilateral trade, e-commerce, and the digital economy; the June 18 meeting with Hong Kong's WTO permanent representative. Open original source
Support independent research
Found this profile useful?
You can support FactsLedger by making a donation. Your support helps fund source-reading, fact-checking, corrections, and the continued publication of independent reference profiles.
Support the research