Forgotten World (208): Grenada
Grenada and six smaller islandsĀ – a Caribbean nation of only 100,000 – made world headlines in 1983 when a split in the governing Left-wing party led to the overthrow and execution of the charismatic leader Maurice Bishop and provided the pretext for a US invasion. The country was dealt a serious blow in 2004 when Hurricane Ivan swept through killing dozens of people, damaging 90% of the island’s buildings and devastating the nutmeg crop.
Although Grenada now has one of the fastest-growing economies in the Caribbean, poverty is widespread. Growth in investment and tourism, and a construction boom, have helped to reduce unemployment, but tourism has generated its own problems, in the form of threats to the rainforest and beach erosion caused by resort projects.