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Saint Vincent & Grenadines
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an
independent sovereign state of the Caribbean,
part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
History
Main article: History of Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines
Carib Indians aggressively prevented European
settlement on St. Vincent until the 18th
century. Enslaved Africans -- whether
shipwrecked or escaped from Barbados, St. Lucia
and Grenada and seeking refuge in mainland St.
Vincent, or Hairoun as it was originally named
by the Caribs -- intermarried with the Caribs
and became known as Garifuna or Black Caribs.
Beginning in 1719, French settlers cultivated
coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar on
plantations worked by enslaved Africans. In
1763, St. Vincent was ceded to Britain. Restored
to French rule in 1779, St. Vincent was regained
by the British under the Treaty of Paris (1783)
in which Great Britain officially recognized the
end of the American Revolution. Ancillary
treaties were also signed with France and Spain,
known as the Treaties of Versailles of 1783,
part of which put St. Vincent back under British
control. Conflict between the British and the
Black Caribs, led by defiant Paramount Chief
Joseph Chatoyer, continued until 1796, when
General Sir Ralph Abercromby crushed a revolt
fomented by the French radical Victor Hugues.
More than 5,000 Black Caribs were eventually
deported to Roatan, an island off the coast of
Honduras.
Slavery was abolished in 1834; the resulting
labour shortages on the plantations attracted
Portuguese immigrants in the 1840s and east
Indians in the 1860s. 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 independence, St. Vincent passed
through various stages of colonial status under
the British. A representative assembly was
authorized in 1776, Crown Colony government
installed in 1877, a legislative council created
in 1925, and universal adult suffrage granted in
1951.
During this period, the British made several
unsuccessful attempts to affiliate St. Vincent
with other Windward Islands in order to govern
the region through a unified administration. The
colonies themselves, desirous of freedom from
British rule, made a notable attempt at
unification called West Indies Federation, which
collapsed in 1962. St. Vincent was granted
associate statehood status on October 27th,
1969, giving it complete control over its
internal affairs. Following a referendum in
1979, under Milton Cato St. Vincent and the
Grenadines became the last of the Windward
Islands to gain independence on the 10th
anniversary of its associate statehood status,
October 27th, 1979.
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 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.
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Background:
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Disputed between France and the United Kingdom in
the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the
latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969, and
independence in 1979. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, north of
Trinidad and Tobago |
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Geographic coordinates:
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13 15
N, 61 12 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
water: 0 sq km
land: 389 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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twice
the size of Washington, DC |
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Climate:
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tropical; little seasonal temperature variation;
rainy season (May to November) |
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Terrain:
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volcanic, mountainous
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint
Vincent is a constant threat |
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Geography - note:
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the
administration of the islands of the Grenadines
group is divided between Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays |
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Ethnic groups:
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black
66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%,
other 7% |
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Religions:
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Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%,
Hindu Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant
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Languages:
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English, French patois |
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Currency:
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East
Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
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Currency code:
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XCD
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Exchange rates:
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East
Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate
since 1976) |
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