Spanning a land area of 389 km2 (150 sq mi), most of its territory consists of the northernmost island ofSaint Vincent, which includes the capital and largest city,Kingstown. To the south lie the northern two-thirds of theGrenadines, a chain of 32 smaller islands; the remaining southern third make up Grenada. Seven of the islands are inhabited,[10] of which the largest and most populous areBequia,Mustique,Canouan, andUnion Island.[11][c]
With an estimated population of around 110,872, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population density of over 300 inhabitants/km2 (700 per sq mi).[5] The majority of its people are descendants of enslaved Africans brought by France and then later Great Britain, which contested the islands during the 18th century. SVG remained a colony of the British Empire from 1783 until 1979, when it peacefully achieved independence; the country's culture, language, government, and legal system reflect the long legacy of British rule, and it is part of theCommonwealth of Nations and is aCommonwealth realm, withKing Charles III as its official head of state.
In April 2021, theLa Soufrière volcanoerupted several times with "explosive events" continuing for two weeks, resulting in the evacuation of 16,000 residents.[12][13] Assistance and emergency financial support was provided by several nearby islands, theUnited Kingdom, and agencies such as theUnited Nations. The first significant offer of long-term funding of US$20 million, was announced on 13 April 2021 by theWorld Bank.[14]
Christopher Columbus, the first European to reach the island, named it afterSt. Vincent of Saragossa (San Vicente de Zaragoza) whosefeast day was on the day Columbus first saw it (22 January 1498). The name of the Grenadines refers to the Spanish city ofGranada, but to differentiate it fromthe island of the same name, the diminutive was used. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, theKalinago natives who inhabited the island of St. Vincent called it Youloumain, in honour of Youlouca, the spirit of the rainbows, who they believed inhabited the island.[15][16]
It is thought thatChristopher Columbus sighted the island in 1498, giving it the name St Vincent.[15][21] TheKalinago people aggressively opposed European settlement on Saint Vincent.[19][16]
French and British colonisation and First Carib War
Various attempts by the English and Dutch to claim the island proved unsuccessful, and it was the French who were first able to colonise the island, settling in the town ofBarrouallie on theleeward side of St Vincent in 1719.[19] The French imported Black slaves to work on plantations producing sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton and cocoa.[22]
Depiction of the 1773 treaty negotiations between the British and theGarifuna
The British captured the island and drove out the French from Barrouallie during theSeven Years' War, a claim confirmed by theTreaty of Paris (1763).[19] On taking control of the island in 1763, the British laid the foundations ofFort Charlotte and also continued the importation of slaves to work on the island's plantations. TheGarifuna, an Afro-Indigenous creole people on the island, were opposed to the British presence and entered into open conflict against the British, starting theFirst Carib War, which lasted from 1772 to 1773.[19][23]
The uneasy peace between the British and the Garifuna led to theSecond Carib War, which lasted from 1795 to 1797.[19] The Garifuna were led by paramount chiefJoseph Chatoyer and supported by the French, notablyVictor Hugues who was based on the island ofMartinique. They were eventually defeated in 1797 by British forces under the command SirRalph Abercromby; a peace treaty agreement was made which resulted in almost 5,000 Garifuna being deported toRoatán, an island off the coast ofHonduras, and toBelize andBaliceaux in the Grenadines.[16]
In 1806, the construction of Fort Charlotte was completed.[24][25]
TheLa Soufrière volcano erupted in 1812, resulting in considerable destruction.[26][16]
Colonial flag (to 1979)
The Britishabolished slavery in Saint Vincent (as well as in all otherBritish West Indies colonies) in 1834, and an apprenticeship period followed which ended in 1838.[16][19] After its end, labour shortages on the plantations resulted, and were initially addressed by the immigration of indentured servants; starting from 1845, manyPortuguese Catholic settlers arrived fromMadeira, with around 2,100 arrivals fromPortugal recorded from 1845 to 1850.[27] Between 1861 and 1888, a new wave of immigration occurred, with shiploads ofIndian labourers arriving.[19][28]
Residents of Saint Vincent makingcasabe (casava bread) in the 1910s
In 1902, theLa Soufrière volcano erupted again, killing 1,500–2,000 people; much farmland was damaged, and the economy deteriorated.[16][19][26]
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, alegislative council was created in 1925 with a limited franchise,[19] anduniversal adult suffrage was granted in 1951.[19] During the period of its control of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Britain made several attempts to unify the island with the other Windward Islands as a single entity, to simplify British control in the sub-region through a single unified administration.[19] In the 1960s, the British again tried to unify all of its regional islands, including Saint Vincent, into a single politically unified entity under British control. The unification was to be called theWest Indies Federation and was driven by a desire to gain independence from the British government. However, the attempt collapsed in 1962.[19]
Saint Vincent was granted "associate statehood" status by Britain on 27 October 1969.[19] This gave Saint Vincent complete control over its internal affairs but fell short of full independence in law.[29]
In April 1979,La Soufrière erupted once more. Although no one was killed, thousands were evacuated and extensive agricultural damage occurred.[26]
Milton Cato of the centre-leftSaint Vincent Labour Party (SVLP) was the country's first Prime Minister (he had been Premier since 1974), ruling until his defeat in the1984 Vincentian general election byJames Fitz-Allen Mitchell of the centre-rightNew Democratic Party (NDP).[19] During Cato's time in office, there was a brief rebellion onUnion Island in December 1979 led by Lennox 'Bumba' Charles. Inspired by the recent revolution on Grenada, Charles alleged neglect of the Union by the central government. However, the revolt was swiftly put down and Charles was arrested.[31][32] There were also a series of strikes in the early 1980s.[16] James Mitchell remained Prime Minister for 16 years until 2000, winning three consecutiveelections.[19] Mitchell was at the forefront of attempts to improve regional integration.[16] In1980 and 1987, hurricanes damaged many banana and coconut plantations. Hurricane seasons were also very active in 1998 and 1999, withHurricane Lenny in 1999 causing extensive damage to the west coast of the island.
In 2000,Arnhim Eustace became Prime Minister after taking over the leadership of the NDP following Mitchell's retirement; he wasdefeated a year later byRalph Gonsalves of theUnity Labour Party (successor party to the SVLP).[33][19] Gonsalves—a left-winger known in the country as "Comrade Ralph"[34][35]—argued that European nations owe Caribbean nationsreparations for their role in the Atlantic slave trade.[36] Gonsalves won a second term in 2005,[34] a third in 2010,[34] and a fourth in 2015.[37]
In 2009,a referendum was held on a proposal to adopt a new constitution that would make the country arepublic, replacing QueenElizabeth II as head of state with a non-executive President, a proposal supported by Prime Minister Gonsalves. A two-thirds majority was required, but the referendum was defeated 29,019 votes (55.64 per cent) to 22,493 (43.13 per cent).[38][19]
In November 2020, Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines since 2001, made history by securing the fifth consecutive victory of hisUnity Labour Party (ULP) in general election.[39]
In 2021, on 9 April, theLa Soufrière volcano erupted, sending ash several miles into the atmosphere. Approximately 16,000 people were evacuated in the days leading up to the eruption.[40]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lies to the west ofBarbados, south ofSaint Lucia and north ofGrenada in theWindward Islands of theLesser Antilles, anisland arc of theCaribbean Sea. The islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines include the main island ofSaint Vincent 344 km2 (133 sq mi) and the northern two-thirds of theGrenadines 45 km2 (17 sq mi), which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada.
There are 32 islands andcays that make up St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Nine are inhabited, including the mainland St Vincent and the Grenadines islands: Young Island,Bequia,Mustique,Canouan,Union Island,Mayreau, Petit St Vincent and Palm Island. Prominent uninhabited islands of the Grenadines includePetit Nevis, used bywhalers, andPetit Mustique, which was the centre of a prominent real-estate scam in the early 2000s.[41]
The capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines isKingstown, Saint Vincent.[15] The main island of Saint Vincent measures 26 km (16 mi) long, 15 km (9.3 mi) in width and 344 km2 (133 sq mi) in area. From the most northern to the most southern points, the Grenadine islands belonging to Saint Vincent span 60.4 km (37.5 mi), with a combined area of 45 km2 (17 sq mi).[42]
The island of Saint Vincent is volcanic and heavily forested and includes little level ground.[15] The windward side of the island is very rocky and steep, while the leeward side has more sandy beaches and bays.[citation needed] Saint Vincent's highest peak isLa Soufrière volcano at 1,234 m (4,049 ft).[15] Other major mountains on St Vincent are (from north to south) Richmond Peak,Mount Brisbane, Colonarie Mountain,Grand Bonhomme, Petit Bonhomme and Mount St Andrew.[43]
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 electedPrime Minister and their cabinet. The current Prime Minister isRalph Gonsalves, elected in 2001 as head of theUnity Labour Party.[48]
The legislative branch of government is the unicameralHouse of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, seating 15 elected members representing single-memberconstituencies and six appointed members known as Senators. The parliamentary term of office is five years, although the Prime Minister may call elections at any time.[15]
The two political parties with parliamentary representation are theNew Democratic Party (NDP) and theUnity Labour Party (ULP). The parliamentary opposition is made up of the largest minority stakeholder in the general elections, headed by theLeader of the Opposition. The current opposition leader isGodwin Friday.[15]
Map of the Parishes of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Administratively, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is divided into sixparishes. Five parishes are on Saint Vincent, while the sixth, Grenadines Parish, is made up of the northern two-thirds of theGrenadine islands.Kingstown is located in the Parish of Saint George and is the capital city and central administrative centre of the country.[15]
For census purposes, however, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is divided into thirteen census divisions, eleven of which are on Saint Vincent, and the other two comprising the Grenadines.[52]
"Acts of gross indecency", which may be defined to includehomosexual activity, are illegal in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[53] Section 148 of the Criminal Code states:
Any person, who in public or private, commits an act of gross indecency with another person of the same sex, or procures or attempts to procure another person of the same sex to commit an act of gross indecency with him or her, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for five years.[54]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines maintains close ties toCanada, theUnited Kingdom and theUS, and cooperates with regional political and economic organisations such as theOrganisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) andCARICOM.[55] The island nation's sixth embassy overseas was opened on 8 August 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan, after Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves's official visit to theRepublic of China (Taiwan);[56] the other five are located in London (a High Commission as Commonwealth countries have high commissions rather than embassies in each other's countries), Washington D.C., Havana, Caracas and Brussels.[57]
On 6 July 1994 at Sherbourne Conference Centre, St Michael, Barbados, as a representative of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, then (James Mitchell, who was subsequently knighted) signed theDouble Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaties.[55] There were seven other signatories to the agreement on that day. The countries which were represented were Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.[58][citation needed]
An eighth country signed the agreement on 19 August 2016, Guyana.[citation needed]
This treaty covered taxes, residence, tax jurisdictions, capital gains, business profits, interest, dividends, royalties and other areas.[55]
On 30 June 2014, St. Vincent and the Grenadines signed a Model 1 agreement with the United States of America with respect to Foreign Account Tax Compliance (Act) or FATCA.[59]
According to the updated site as of 16 January 2017, on 13 May 2016 the agreement went to "In Force" status.[citation needed]
International and regional bodies to which Saint Vincent and the Grenadines belong
In 2013, Saint Vincent called for European nations to pay reparations for theslave trade.[64] Upon a visit in April 2022, the BritishDuke andDuchess of Edinburgh were confronted with protesters calling for reparations for Britain's participation in the slave trade. Among the protesters was Jomo Thomas, former chair of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Reparations Committee, who called for reparations from the former colonial power.[65][66]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines electricity production by source
Agriculture, dominated bybanana 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 theunemployment rate remains high at 19.8% in the 1991 census[67] to 15% in 2001.[68] The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development as tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of bananas in many years.[citation needed]
There is a small manufacturing sector and a small offshore financial sector serving international businesses; its secrecy laws have caused some international concern. There are increasing demands for international financial services like stock exchange and financial intermediaries financial activities in the country. In addition, the natives ofBequia are permitted to hunt up to fourhumpback whales per year underIWC subsistence quotas.[69]
The tourism sector has considerable potential for development. The filming of thePirates of the Caribbean movies on the island has helped to expose the country to more potential visitors and investors. Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism.[71]
In 2010, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had 21,700 telephone land lines. Its land telephone system is fully automatic, covering the entire island and all of the inhabited Grenadine islands.[68] In 2002, there were 10,000 mobile phones.[74] By 2010, this number had increased to 131,800.[68] Mobile phone service is available in most areas of Saint Vincent as well as the Grenadines.[75]
Saint Vincent has two ISPs (Digicel,Flow) that provide cellular telephone and internet service.[76]
The population as estimated in 2021 was 104,332.[77][78] The ethnic composition was 66%African descent, 19% of mixed descent, 6% East Indian, 4%Europeans (mainly Portuguese), 2%Kalinago and 3% others.[15] Most Vincentians are the descendants of West-Central African people brought to the island to work onplantations. There are other ethnic groups, such asPortuguese (fromMadeira) andEast Indians, both brought in to work on the plantations after the abolishing of slavery by the British living on the island. There is also a growing Chinese population.[79]
English is the official language. Most Vincentians speak Vincentian Creole.[80] English is used in education, government, religion, and other formal domains, while Creole (or 'dialect' as it is referred to locally) is used in informal situations, such as in the home and among friends.[81]
According to the 2001 census, 81.5% of the population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines identified themselves asChristian, 6.7% had a different religion and 8.8% had no religion, or did not state one (1.5%).[82]
Between 1991 and 2001 the number of Anglicans, Brethren, Methodists and Roman Catholics decreased, while the number of Pentecostals, Evangelicals and Seventh-day Adventists increased.[84]
Cricket,association football, and athletics are most popular among men whereasnetball is most popular among women. Basketball, volleyball, rugby and tennis are also very popular.[86]
At the Olympics Games France 2024, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had two athletes, Shafiqua Maloney and Handal Roban.[90] Maloney became the first Vincentian athlete to reach the final stage of an Olympic event[91] when she placed 4th in the women's 800m.
Music popular in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes big drum,calypso,soca,steelpan andreggae. String band music, quadrille and traditional storytelling are also popular. One of the most successful St Vincent natives isKevin Lyttle. He was named Cultural Ambassador for the Island 19 September 2013.[92]The national anthem of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is "Saint Vincent, Land so beautiful", adopted upon independence in 1979.[93]
Saint Vincent has twelve FM radio stations: 88.9 Adoration Fm,[94] 89.1 Jem Radio, 89.7 NBC Radio, 95.7 and 105.7Praise FM, 96.7 Nice Radio, 97.1 Hot 97, 98.3 Star FM, 99.9 We FM, 103.7 Hitz, 102.7 EZee radio, 104.3 Xtreme FM and 106.9 Boom FM. There are several Internet radio stations including Chronicles Christian Radio.[95] It has one television broadcast station ZBG-TV (SVGTV)[96] and one cable television provider.
St Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation is the parent company for SVGTV, Magic 103.7.[97]
^As aCommonwealth realm, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines retains "God Save the King" as its royal anthem by precedent, with the song played on royal and vice-regal occasions.[1][2][3]
^Frere. Adrien Le Breton SJ. (1662–1736).Historic Account of Saint Vincent, the Kalinago Youroumayn, the island of the Karaÿbes. Paris: Museum of Natural History, Fonds Jussieu.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Ralph E. Gonsalves,The Making of "The Comrade": The Political Journey of Ralph Gonsalves: an Autobiographical Sketch of a Caribbean Prime Minister (SFI Books, 2010).
^"WHO WE ARE".svg-un.org. Permanent Mission of St Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved19 October 2022.
Bobrow, Jill & Jinkins, Dana. 1985.St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 4th Edition Revised and Updated, Concepts Publishing Co., Waitsfield, Vermont, 1993.
Cosover, Mary Jo. 1989. "St. Vincent and the Grenadines." InIslands of the Commonwealth Caribbean: A Regional Study, edited by Sandra W. Meditz and Dennis M. Hanratty. US Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
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