Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Encyclopedia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles
chain
, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands
, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea
where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean
.
Its 389 square kilometres (150 sq mi) territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent
and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines
, which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent Island to Grenada
.
To the north of Saint Vincent lies Saint Lucia
, to the east Barbados
. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is densely populated (over 300 inhabitants/km2) with its 120,000 people.
Its capital is Kingstown
, also its main port
. The country has a French
and British
colonial history and is now part of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
, CARICOM
, the Commonwealth of Nations
and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas.
an settlement on Saint Vincent until 1719. Prior to this, formerly enslaved Africans, who had either been shipwrecked or who had escaped from Barbados, Saint Lucia and Grenada and sought refuge in mainland Saint Vincent, intermarried with the Caribs and became known as Garifuna or Black Caribs.
Beginning in 1719, French
settlers from Martinique
gained control of the island and began cultivating coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar on plantations. These plantations were worked by enslaved Africans. In 1763, France ceded control of Saint Vincent to Britain. However, France re-invaded the island in 1779. The French regained control
after landing at Calliaqua, near Fort Duvernette. The British then finally regained Saint Vincent under the Treaties of Versailles (1783)
. These treaties were ancillary treaties to the Treaty of Paris (1783)
, through which Great Britain officially recognised the end of the American Revolution.
Between 1783 and 1796, there was conflict between the British and the Black Caribs, who were led by defiant Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer
. In 1796 British General Sir Ralph Abercromby
put an end to the open conflict by crushing a revolt which had been fomented by the French radical Victor Hugues
. More than 5,000 Black Caribs were eventually deported to Roatán
, an island off the coast of Honduras
.
Slavery was abolished in Saint Vincent 1834. An apprenticeship period followed which ended in 1838. After its end, labour shortages on the plantations resulted, and this was initially addressed by the immigration of indentured servants. In the late 1840s many Portuguese immigrants arrived from Madeira
and between 1861 and 1888 shiploads of East Indian labourers arrived. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the turn of the century.
From 1763 until its independence in 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines passed through various stages of colonial status under the British. A representative assembly was authorised in 1776, Crown Colony government was installed in 1877, a legislative council was created in 1925, and universal adult suffrage was granted in 1951.
During the period of its control of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the British made several unsuccessful attempts to affiliate the island with other Windward Islands. This would have simplified Britain's control over the region through a unified administration. In the 1960s, several regional islands under British control, including Saint Vincent, also made an independent attempt to unify. The unification was to be called the West Indies Federation
and was driven by a desire to gain freedom from British rule. The attempt collapsed in 1962.
Saint Vincent was granted "associate statehood" status by Britain on October 27, 1969. This gave Saint Vincent complete control over its internal affairs but was short of full independence. On October 27, 1979, following a referendum under Milton Cato, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence. Independence came on the 10th anniversary of Saint Vincent's associate statehood status.
Natural disasters have featured in the country's history. In 1902, La Soufrière volcano
erupted, killing 2,000 people. Much farmland was damaged, and the economy deteriorated. In April 1979, La Soufrière erupted again. Although no one was killed, thousands had to be evacuated, and again there was extensive agricultural damage. In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes compromised banana and coconut plantations. 1998 and 1999 also saw very active hurricane seasons, with Hurricane Lenny
in 1999 causing extensive damage to the west coast of the island.
On November 25, 2009, a referendum
was held in which voters were asked to approve a new constitution, which would make the country a republic, replacing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state with a non-executive President. A two-thirds majority was required, but it was defeated by 29,019 votes (55.64 per cent) to 22,493 (43.13 per cent).
with Queen Elizabeth II
as head of state, bearing the title Queen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
. The Queen does not reside in the islands and is represented in the country by the Governor General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, currently Sir Frederick Ballantyne
.
The office of Governor General has mostly ceremonial functions including the opening of the islands' House of Assembly
and the appointment of various government officials. Control of the government rests with the elected Prime Minister and his or her cabinet
. The current Prime Minister is Ralph Gonsalves
. Parliamentary opposition made of the largest minority stakeholder in general elections, headed by the leader of the opposition
. The current opposition leader is Arnhim Eustace
.
The country has no formal armed forces, although the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force includes a Special Service Unit as well as a militia that has a supporting role on the island.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lies to the west of Barbados
south of Saint Lucia
and north of Grenada
in the Windward Islands
of the Lesser Antilles
, an island arc
of the Caribbean Sea
. The islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines include the main island of Saint Vincent
(344 km² (133 sq mi)) and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines
(45 km² (17 sq mi)), which are a chain of small islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada.
The island of Saint Vincent is volcanic and includes little level ground. The windward side of the island is very rocky, while the leeward side has more sandy beaches and bays. The country's highest peak is La Soufrière volcano
.
is located in the Parish of Saint George and is the capital city and central administrative centre of the country.
Agriculture
, dominated by banana
production, is the most important sector of this lower-middle-income economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and a high unemployment rate of 22% continues. The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in both 1994 and 1995.
The tourism
sector has considerable potential for development. The recent filming of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on the island has helped to expose the country to the wider world. Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism.
An international airport is currently under construction. There is a small manufacturing sector and a small offshore financial sector whose particularly restrictive secrecy laws have caused some international concern. In addition, the natives of Bequia
are permitted to hunt up to four Humpback Whale
s per year under IWC
subsistence quotas.
The population as established in July 2009 was 104,574. The ethnic composition was 66% African descent, 20% of mixed descent, 6% East Indian, 4% Caucasian
(mainly Portuguese), 2% Carib Amerindian and 2% others according to the CIA handbook de dato October 9, 2008. Most Vincentians are the descendants of African
people brought to the island to work on plantation
s. There are other ethnic groups such as Portuguese
(from Madeira
) and East India
ns, both brought in to work on the plantations after the abolishing of slavery by the British, and Syria
ns living on the island. There is also a growing Chinese
population.
known as Vincentian Creole
. Standard English
is the language used in education, government and other formal domains, while Vincentian Creole, commonly referred to as 'dialect', is used in informal situations such at home and among friends. The various ethnic groups may also still use their native languages such as Bhojpuri.
. A notable Vincentian footballer is Ezra Hendrickson
, former national team captain who played at several Major League Soccer clubs in the United States
and is now an assistant coach with the Seattle Sounders FC
.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also have their own national rugby union
team which are ranked 74th in the world.
, soca
, steelpan
and reggae
. String band music, quadrille and bele music and traditional storytelling are also popular.
The national anthem of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is "Saint Vincent Land so Beautiful", adopted upon independence in 1979.
The country has only ten FM radio stations. It has one television broadcast station ZBG-TV (SVGTV) and one cable television provider.
The country has two ISPs, Cable and Wireless and Karib Cable.
General information
Other
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
chain
Island arc
An island arc is a type of archipelago composed of a chain of volcanoes which alignment is arc-shaped, and which are situated parallel and close to a boundary between two converging tectonic plates....
, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Its 389 square kilometres (150 sq mi) territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines
Grenadines
The Grenadines is a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands.-Geographic boundaries:They are divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. They lie between the islands of Saint Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south. Neither...
, which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent Island to Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
.
To the north of Saint Vincent lies Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
, to the east Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is densely populated (over 300 inhabitants/km2) with its 120,000 people.
Its capital is Kingstown
Kingstown
Kingstown is the chief port of Saint Vincent, and the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. With a population of 25,418 Kingstown is a centre for the island's agricultural industry and a port of entry for tourists...
, also its main port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
. The country has a French
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
and British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
colonial history and is now part of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , created in 1981, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance between countries and dependencies in the Eastern Caribbean...
, CARICOM
Caribbean Community
The Caribbean Community is an organisation of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy...
, the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas.
History
The island now known as Saint Vincent was originally named Hairouna ("The Land of the Blessed") by the native Caribs. The Caribs aggressively prevented EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlement on Saint Vincent until 1719. Prior to this, formerly enslaved Africans, who had either been shipwrecked or who had escaped from Barbados, Saint Lucia and Grenada and sought refuge in mainland Saint Vincent, intermarried with the Caribs and became known as Garifuna or Black Caribs.
Beginning in 1719, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
settlers from Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
gained control of the island and began cultivating coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar on plantations. These plantations were worked by enslaved Africans. In 1763, France ceded control of Saint Vincent to Britain. However, France re-invaded the island in 1779. The French regained control
French capture of Saint Vincent
The Capture of Saint Vincent took place on 16–18 June 1779 during the American War of Independence. A French force commanded by Charles Marie, Chevalier de Trolong Durumain, arrived on the West Indies isle of Saint Vincent and quickly occupied its high ground...
after landing at Calliaqua, near Fort Duvernette. The British then finally regained Saint Vincent under the Treaties of Versailles (1783)
Peace of Paris (1783)
The Peace of Paris was the set of treaties which ended the American Revolutionary War. On 3 September 1783, representatives of King George III of Great Britain signed a treaty in Paris with representatives of the United States of America—commonly known as the Treaty of Paris —and two treaties at...
. These treaties were ancillary treaties to the Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
, through which Great Britain officially recognised the end of the American Revolution.
Between 1783 and 1796, there was conflict between the British and the Black Caribs, who were led by defiant Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer
Joseph Chatoyer
Joseph Chatoyer was a Garifuna chief who led a revolt against the British colonial government of Saint Vincent in 1795. He is now considered a national hero of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also Belize and other Carib countries he fought for during the war...
. In 1796 British General Sir Ralph Abercromby
Ralph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
put an end to the open conflict by crushing a revolt which had been fomented by the French radical Victor Hugues
Victor Hugues
Victor Hugues was a French politician and colonial administrator during the French Revolution, who governed Guadeloupe from 1794 to 1798, emancipating the island's slaves under orders from the National Convention.-Early life and appointment:Hugues was born in Marseille's salesmen family and was a...
. More than 5,000 Black Caribs were eventually deported to Roatán
Roatán
Roatán, located between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, is the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands. The island was formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan...
, an island off the coast of Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
Slavery was abolished in Saint Vincent 1834. An apprenticeship period followed which ended in 1838. After its end, labour shortages on the plantations resulted, and this was initially addressed by the immigration of indentured servants. In the late 1840s many Portuguese immigrants arrived from Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and between 1861 and 1888 shiploads of East Indian labourers arrived. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the turn of the century.
From 1763 until its independence in 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines passed through various stages of colonial status under the British. A representative assembly was authorised in 1776, Crown Colony government was installed in 1877, a legislative council was created in 1925, and universal adult suffrage was granted in 1951.
During the period of its control of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the British made several unsuccessful attempts to affiliate the island with other Windward Islands. This would have simplified Britain's control over the region through a unified administration. In the 1960s, several regional islands under British control, including Saint Vincent, also made an independent attempt to unify. The unification was to be called the West Indies Federation
West Indies Federation
The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived Caribbean federation that existed from January 3, 1958, to May 31, 1962. It consisted of several Caribbean colonies of the United Kingdom...
and was driven by a desire to gain freedom from British rule. The attempt collapsed in 1962.
Saint Vincent was granted "associate statehood" status by Britain on October 27, 1969. This gave Saint Vincent complete control over its internal affairs but was short of full independence. On October 27, 1979, following a referendum under Milton Cato, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence. Independence came on the 10th anniversary of Saint Vincent's associate statehood status.
Natural disasters have featured in the country's history. In 1902, La Soufrière volcano
Soufrière (volcano)
La Soufrière [The Sulfurer] or Soufrière Saint Vincent is an active volcano on the island of Saint Vincent in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean.- Geography and structure :...
erupted, killing 2,000 people. Much farmland was damaged, and the economy deteriorated. In April 1979, La Soufrière erupted again. Although no one was killed, thousands had to be evacuated, and again there was extensive agricultural damage. In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes compromised banana and coconut plantations. 1998 and 1999 also saw very active hurricane seasons, with Hurricane Lenny
Hurricane Lenny
Hurricane Lenny was the strongest November Atlantic hurricane on record. It was the twelfth tropical storm, eighth hurricane, and record-breaking fifth Category 4 hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Lenny formed on November 13 in the western Caribbean Sea, and maintained an...
in 1999 causing extensive damage to the west coast of the island.
On November 25, 2009, a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held in which voters were asked to approve a new constitution, which would make the country a republic, replacing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state with a non-executive President. A two-thirds majority was required, but it was defeated by 29,019 votes (55.64 per cent) to 22,493 (43.13 per cent).
Politics
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchyCommonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
with Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
as head of state, bearing the title Queen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, forming the core of the country's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The Crown is thus is the...
. The Queen does not reside in the islands and is represented in the country by the Governor General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, currently Sir Frederick Ballantyne
Frederick Ballantyne
Sir Frederick Nathaniel Ballantyne, GCMG is the Governor-General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He has been in this office since 2 September 2002, and was knighted in November. He replaced Monica Dacon who had been interim Governor General after the death of Charles Antrobus.-External links:*...
.
The office of Governor General has mostly ceremonial functions including the opening of the islands' House of Assembly
House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a unicameral legislature that serves as the legislative body for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines....
and the appointment of various government officials. Control of the government rests with the elected Prime Minister and his or her cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. The current Prime Minister is Ralph Gonsalves
Ralph Gonsalves
Ralph Everard Gonsalves , also known as "Comrade Ralph", is the fourth and current Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and leader of the Unity Labour Party . Gonsalves became Prime Minister after his party won a majority government in the 2001 general election...
. Parliamentary opposition made of the largest minority stakeholder in general elections, headed by the leader of the opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
. The current opposition leader is Arnhim Eustace
Arnhim Eustace
Arnhim Ulric Eustace is a Vincentian politician and economist, who was the third Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and is the current leader of the New Democratic Party ....
.
The country has no formal armed forces, although the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force includes a Special Service Unit as well as a militia that has a supporting role on the island.
Geography
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
south of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
and north of Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
in the Windward Islands
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
of the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
, an island arc
Island arc
An island arc is a type of archipelago composed of a chain of volcanoes which alignment is arc-shaped, and which are situated parallel and close to a boundary between two converging tectonic plates....
of the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. The islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines include the main island of Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
(344 km² (133 sq mi)) and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines
Grenadines
The Grenadines is a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands.-Geographic boundaries:They are divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. They lie between the islands of Saint Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south. Neither...
(45 km² (17 sq mi)), which are a chain of small islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada.
The island of Saint Vincent is volcanic and includes little level ground. The windward side of the island is very rocky, while the leeward side has more sandy beaches and bays. The country's highest peak is La Soufrière volcano
Soufrière (volcano)
La Soufrière [The Sulfurer] or Soufrière Saint Vincent is an active volcano on the island of Saint Vincent in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean.- Geography and structure :...
.
Administrative divisions
Administratively, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is divided into six parishes. Five parishes are on Saint Vincent, while the sixth is made up of the Grenadine islands. KingstownKingstown
Kingstown is the chief port of Saint Vincent, and the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. With a population of 25,418 Kingstown is a centre for the island's agricultural industry and a port of entry for tourists...
is located in the Parish of Saint George and is the capital city and central administrative centre of the country.
| Parish | Area (km²) | Population (2000) | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Parish Charlotte Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Charlotte is an administrative parish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on the island of Saint Vincent. Its capital is Georgetown. Charlotte Parish is the largest parish in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in terms of area.* Area: 149 km²... |
149 | 38,000 | Georgetown Georgetown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Georgetown is a town located on the island of Saint Vincent. It is the largest city in Charlotte Parish.-See also:* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines... |
| Grenadines Parish Grenadines Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Grenadines is an administrative parish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Its capital is Port Elizabeth.* Area: 43 km² * Population: 9,200 The parish includes the northern Grenadine Islands:* Bequia* Moonhole Rock* Petite Nevis... |
43 | 9,200 | Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Port Elizabeth is a town located on the island of Bequia, which is part of the Grenadines island chain. It is the capital of Grenadines Parish.-See also:* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines... |
| Saint Andrew Parish Saint Andrew Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Andrew is an administrative parish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on the island of Saint Vincent. Its capital is Layou.* Area: 29 km² * Population: 6,700 -External links:* , Statoids.com... |
29 | 6,700 | Layou Layou Layou is a small town located on the island of Saint Vincent, in Saint Andrew Parish. There is a post office, a police station and a library. There are also two quarries.-History:... |
| Saint David Parish Saint David Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint David is an administrative parish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on the island of Saint Vincent. Its capital is Chateaubelair.* Area: 80 km² * Population: 6,700 -External links:* , Statoids.com... |
80 | 6,700 | Chateaubelair Chateaubelair Chateaubelair is a large fishing village on the Leeward coast of the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent, the main island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located just south of the volcano of Soufrière. Commonly referred to as just "Chateau", it is the focus and largest community in the... |
| Saint George Parish Saint George Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint George is an administrative parish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on the island of Saint Vincent. Its capital is Kingstown, also the country’s capital... |
52 | 51,400 | Kingstown Kingstown Kingstown is the chief port of Saint Vincent, and the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. With a population of 25,418 Kingstown is a centre for the island's agricultural industry and a port of entry for tourists... |
| Saint Patrick Parish Saint Patrick Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Patrick is an administrative parish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on the island of Saint Vincent.. The parish consists of the middle portion of the leeward side of the main island. Its capital is Barrouallie.* Area: 37 km²... |
37 | 5,800 | Barrouallie Barrouallie Barrouallie is a town located on the island of Saint Vincent. Within Saint Patrick Parish Barrouallie is both the largest city and the parish capital. Once it was the capital of St.Vincent and the Grenadines.... |
Economy
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, dominated by banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
production, is the most important sector of this lower-middle-income economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and a high unemployment rate of 22% continues. The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in both 1994 and 1995.
The tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
sector has considerable potential for development. The recent filming of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on the island has helped to expose the country to the wider world. Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism.
An international airport is currently under construction. There is a small manufacturing sector and a small offshore financial sector whose particularly restrictive secrecy laws have caused some international concern. In addition, the natives of Bequia
Bequia
Bequia is the largest island in the Grenadines. It is part of the country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and is approximately 15 km from the nation's capital, Kingstown.-Geography:The island capital is Port Elizabeth...
are permitted to hunt up to four Humpback Whale
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
s per year under IWC
International Whaling Commission
The International Whaling Commission is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling , which was signed in Washington, D.C...
subsistence quotas.
Demographics
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
(mainly Portuguese), 2% Carib Amerindian and 2% others according to the CIA handbook de dato October 9, 2008. Most Vincentians are the descendants of African
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
people brought to the island to work on plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s. There are other ethnic groups such as Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
(from Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
) and East India
East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The states of Orissa and West Bengal share some cultural and linguistic characteristics with Bangladesh and with the state of Assam. Together with Bangladesh, West Bengal formed the...
ns, both brought in to work on the plantations after the abolishing of slavery by the British, and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
ns living on the island. There is also a growing Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
population.
Languages
While the official language is English, most Vincentians speak a creole languageCreole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
known as Vincentian Creole
Vincentian Creole
Vincentian Creole is an English-lexified creole language spoken in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The number of speakers of Vincentian Creole is about 100 000. Vincentian Creole does not have the status of an official language.-See also:*Antiguan Creole...
. Standard English
Standard English
Standard English refers to whatever form of the English language is accepted as a national norm in an Anglophone country...
is the language used in education, government and other formal domains, while Vincentian Creole, commonly referred to as 'dialect', is used in informal situations such at home and among friends. The various ethnic groups may also still use their native languages such as Bhojpuri.
Sport
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has its own soccer league, the NLA Premier League, and also a national (association) football teamSaint Vincent and the Grenadines national football team
The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national football team is the national team of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is controlled by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation....
. A notable Vincentian footballer is Ezra Hendrickson
Ezra Hendrickson
Ezra Hendrickson is a retired Vincentian footballer. He played professionally in the United States' Major League Soccer with New York MetroStars, Los Angeles Galaxy, Dallas Burn, and Chivas USA, and was also a member of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national team...
, former national team captain who played at several Major League Soccer clubs in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is now an assistant coach with the Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also have their own national rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team which are ranked 74th in the world.
Music
Music popular in Saint Vincent and the Grenadine includes big drum, calypsoCalypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
, soca
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
, steelpan
Steelpan
Steelpans is a musical instrument originating from The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. String band music, quadrille and bele music and traditional storytelling are also popular.
The national anthem of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is "Saint Vincent Land so Beautiful", adopted upon independence in 1979.
Communications
In 2005, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had 22,500 telephone land lines. Its land telephone system is fully automatic and covers the entire island and all of the inhabited Grenadine islands. In 2004, there were 57,000 mobile phones. There is mobile phone coverage for most of Saint Vincent as well as the Grenadines.The country has only ten FM radio stations. It has one television broadcast station ZBG-TV (SVGTV) and one cable television provider.
The country has two ISPs, Cable and Wireless and Karib Cable.
See also
- Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
Further reading
- Bobrow, Jill & Jinkins, Dana. 1985. St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 4th Edition Revised and Updated, Concepts Publishing Co., Waitsfield, Vermont, 1993.
- CIA Factbook entry
- Gonsalves, Ralph E. 1994. History and the Future: A Caribbean Perspective. Quik-Print, Kingstown, St. Vincent.
- US Dept of State Profile
- Williams, Eric. 1964. British Historians and the West Indies, Port-of-Spain.
External links
Government- Official website of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Website of the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Chief of State and Cabinet Members
General information
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from UCB Libraries GovPubs
Other
- St. Vincent Paper Money
- Saint Vincent Bank
- hairouna
- National Insurance Services of St Vincent and the Grenadines