Grenada
Island country in the Caribbean, the southernmost of the Windward Islands.
Government
The constitution, which dates from full independence in 1974, provides
for a system modelled on that of Britain, with a resident governor general,
representing the British monarch, as the formal head of state, and a
prime minister and cabinet drawn from and collectively responsible to
parliament. Parliament consists of two chambers, a 15-member House of
Representatives, elected by universal suffrage, and a Senate of 13,
appointed by the governor general, seven on the advice of the prime
minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and three
after wider consultation. Both serve five-year terms.
History
Prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1498, Grenada was inhabited
by Carib Indians. The island was eventually colonized by France
in 1650 and ceded to Britain in 1783. Grenada remained a British
colony until 1958, when it joined the Federation of the West Indies
until its dissolution in 1962. Internal self-government was achieved
in 1967 and full independence within the Commonwealth in 1974.
The early political life of the nation was dominated by two figures:
Eric Gairy (1922-97), a trade-union leader who founded the Grenada
United Labour Party (GULP) in 1950, and Herbert Blaize, of the
Grenada National Party (GNP).
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