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St. Vincent is one of the lesser known Caribbean island countries. It is locted in the southern portion of the the Lesser Antilles, one of the southerly placed Windward islands--of some importance in the age of sail. The country is made up of Saint Vincent and most of the Grenadine Islands, a chain of islnds and cays stretching southward toward Grenada. Saint Vincent is situated netween the better known islnds of Saint Lucia (20 miles north, Barbados ( 100 miles east), and Grenada (85 mmiles south) with the Grenadines in between. There are 32 remote islands and cays. The islands have all the other small Caribbean countries have to offer, but with less tourist bussle. There are beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, emerald hills, and charming harbors. St. Vincent is the largest most populated island. The capital city and major port is Kingstown along the southern coast of Saint Vincent. Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, and Mustique are some of the major islands in the Grenadines. Tobago Cays, east of Mayreau are maintained as wildlife reserve. The southern-most Grenadines are part of Grenada. St Vincent was largely ignored in the ealy colonial period. Columbus viaited (1498). The Spanish claimed it, but did not develop it. Which mean tht unlike the Dutch, English, and French islnds there was no sugar plantations and the Amer-Indian population was left alone except for occasional slave raids for nearly two centuries. This changed with the Seven Years/French and Indian War and the Trearty of Paris (1763). Britain wa granted possession and after a brief period the Aer-Ondin were deported. Sugar cane devedlopment began and cptive Africans imported to work as slaves on the sugar plantations under brutal conditions. The island thus began the sad pattern of other Caribbean islands, although over a much shorter time frame. Britatin using the Royal Navy begn to supress the skve trde (1807) and emansipated the alaves (1835). Britain granted independencec (1981). This was somewhat later than oher countries, primarily because the islnders did not push for it as aggressivly as many oher countries.
St. Vincent is one of the lesser known Caribbean island countries. It is locted in the southern portion of the the Lesser Antilles, one of the southerly placed Windward islands--of some importance in the age of sail. The country is made up of Saint Vincent and most of the Grenadine Islands, a chain of islnds and cays stretching southward toward Grenada. Saint Vincent is a volcanic island. There are well wooded volcanic mountains running north-south. The mounabeous terraune limited the area that could be converted to sugar cane. There are many, short swift streams, but no real rivers. The island is situated netween the better known islnds of Saint Lucia (20 miles north, Barbados ( 100 miles east), and Grenada (85 mmiles south) with the Grenadines in between. There are 32 remote islands and cays. The islands have all the other small Caribbean countries have to offer, but with less tourist bussle. There are beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, emerald hills, and charming harbors. St. Vincent is the largest most populated island. The capital city and major port is Kingstown along the southern coast of Saint Vincent. Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, and Mustique are some of the major islands in the Grenadines. Tobago Cays, east of Mayreau are maintained as wildlife reserve. The southern-most Grenmadines are part of Grenada.
The Caribs reached St. Vincent only shortly before the European discovery. Columbus explored the Island (1498). St Vincent was largely ignored in the early colonial period. The Spanish did not settle the Island. Which meant that unlike the Dutch, English, and French islands, there was no sugar plantations and the Amer-Indian population was left alone except for occasional slave raids for nearly two centuries. St. Vincent was claimed by both the British and French. The British claim was settled by the Treaty of Paris whih ended the Seven Years War (1763). St. Vincent as well as Grenada and the Grenidines between them along with Dominica abd Tobago, substntially increasiung Britain's presence in the Caribben and potential for sugar production. St. Vincent was one of the few islands where the Caribs continued to hold out into the 18th century. Negotiations between the British and Caribs resulted in a division of the Islands (1773). This did not prevent conflicts. The Caribs revolted and were decisively defeated by the Britush (1776). (Disrtractions in the Cariibean were a major problem the British faced in comcentrating their forces to fight the American Revolutionary War.) The British deported most of the surviving Caribs to the Bay Islands in the Gulf of Honduras. The British introduced the sugar industry Sugar cane devedlopment began and captive Africans were imported to work as slaves on the sugar plantations under brutal conditions. Portuguese and East Indian laborers were also brought to the Islands. The island thus began the sad pattern of other Caribbean islands, although over a much shorter time frame than many other Caribbean islands. This meant at the time of emancipatuion, many freed slaves actually had menories of Africa, something that was unusual in the United States. Britain using the powerful Royal Navy began to supress the slave trade (1807) and emancipated the slaves (1835). The Islands was part of the West Indies Federation (1958-62). Britain granted home rule as part of the West Indies Associated States (1969). Britain granted full indepensence (1979). The country faced some terrible natural disasters. Mount Soufrière erupted (April 1979) and the norther part of the Island had to be evacuated. The result was a total disruption of the economy. Prime Minister Milton Cato had to deal with a rebellion (December 8, 1979). This was followed by Hurricane Allen (1980) which futher damaged the fragil economy--destroying the important banana harvest. Britain granted independencec (1981). This was somewhat ater than many other countries, primsrily because the islanders did not push for it as aggressivly as many other countries and the failed efforts at West Indian federation. The economy has slowly recovered. The European Union's more favoral treatment of St. Vincent bananas was an important step (1999). The Government has been working to diversify the economy and has made some progress with tourism. The country has established a stable partimentary democracy. The Unity Labour Party (ULP) unexpectely upset the ruling party (2001). The ULP was led by Ralph Gonsalves, a lawyer, who became the new prime minister. He was reelected (2005).
The island's volcanic origin is both a curse and benefiy. Soufrière erupted disastrously (1812 and 1902), seriously damaging the economy and temporarily displacing people living around the foothills of the volcano. The 1902 eruption occured at the samne time as that if Mount Pelée on Martinique. Soufrière became active again (1979), again causing damage to the gicukltural economy and massive evacuation. The benefit is that the ash prodiuced and which spread as far as Barbados to th east bcause of the prevailing winds, grearly enhanced the fertility of the soil, inceasingb agricultral production. Saint Vincent lies in the path of the northeast trade winds and has a tropical maritime climate and is well watered suporting agriculture. Rainfall varies sesinally and with ekevatuon. . Rainfall and temperature vary with elevation. Precipitation is heaviest on the windward (eastern) side of the island. The islabnd was largely in the hands of the Aner-Indian population during the Spanish colonial period. As a British colony, the economy wa based on sugar and the excployation of African slaves. With emancipation (1835), the sugar indudstry which had been the only important industry on the ialand declined. Much of the former slave population adopted peasant subsistence farming, but some became agriculture worker, often a mixtue of the two activities. The volcanic enriched sol is very fertile and permiting the easy cultivation of a variety of vegetables and fruits thus supporting subsistence farming. This perhaps explains the formerly high birth rate on the island which has now fallen to Caribbean averages. The Labor shortage after Emancipation attracted South Asians, Portuguese, and Barbasian whites. It recent years banana farming has become importnt. St Vincent was hard hit by back to back disasters, the eruption of Mount Soufrière (1979) Hurricane Allen (1980). The economy has slowly recovered. The European Union's more favoral treatment of St. Vincent bananas was an important step (1999). The Government has been working to diversify the economy and has made some progress with tourism. Agriculture and tourism continue to dominate the economy. Saint Vincent is a major world producer of arrowroot, tropical tuber native to Indonesia with nutritional value. Fidsheries is also impotant, primarily supplying the local market, but there are exports of high value species to the Unmoited States (conch, lobster, swordfish, and tuna).
School of course is the most imprtnt activity for children. St Vincent offers free primary education, but rather unusually it is not compulsory. mWe do not have recent literacy data, but when last assessed it was 96 percent, basicallt the same as in most other Caribbean countries. The state primary schools dominate the school system. There are a few private schoolds. Following the British system, secondary education begins at age 11 years. There are also a few Catholic and Anglican religious schools which receive government assistance. As in many Caribbean children, most of the schools have requird uniforms. In addition to the primary and secondary school systems there re a variety of other schools. this includes technical and vocational schools, a school for children with special needs, and Saint Vincent Community College, which has prograns for for nursing and teacher training in zddition o other vocations. The University of the West Indies Open Campus has a faciity on Saint Vincent. Most Vicentians are Christians, reflecting their British heritage, primrily Protestant denomintions. The most important denomination is Anglican, followed by Seven Day Adventists and Baptists. Catholics are a relatively minor denomimation. The churches support a few schools. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are notable for the for the clarity and calm of the leeward waters. This has attracted yachtsmen, sailors, surfers, and scuba divers to the islands from all over the world. These are mostly foreigners. Vincentians, however, themselves engage in various sports, especially cricket. The Arnos Vale Sports Complex, in Kingstown, in fact is noted for one-day international cricket matches. (FGor our non British readers, cricket matches often go on dior severl days.) Vincentian cricketers despite the island's small populztion have an excellent reputation in the cricket world. They play as part of West Indies team in international cricket tournaments and played professionally in Britainm. Soccer is also popular hd for boys easiet to oplay than crucket which requires equipment. St. Vincent's national team has played in the Caribbean Cup and the Gold Cup world competition. Girls are becoming more involved in sport, fornerly a preserve for the boys. St. Vincent has fielded mational teams in the girl's sport of netball. Basketball and women's cricket and football are growing in popularity. Saint Vincent aparticipated in the Olympics for the first time at the 1988 Seoul Games. The Olympics is, however, a challenge for a small country like St. Vincnt. They do trgularly participate and place in the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.
St. Vincent's ethnic make up is largely the result of the sugar industry and the importation of captive Africns to work as slves on the plantions under unbelievably brutal conditions. As a result the popultion od St.r Vincent is prtimrily composed of the descendants of these Africn slaves (65 percent). The next largest category is people of mixed ancestry (20 percent). People of mixed African and Amer-Indian ddescent are known as the Garifuna. East Asians meaning souther Asians from British controlled India are also important (5 percent). After Emancipaion, few formr slaves wanted to work on the sugar plantations. There is a small minority of European discent (3 percent). The Portuguese are an imprtant part of the European popualtion. Amer-Indians are a snall minority (2 percent). While snall this is larger than the survivung Amer-Indian population on many Caribbean islands. Escaped African slaves arrived on St Vincent before European settlement adding to the ethnic diversity of the usland's native population. One author relates describing DSt.Vincent's modern situation that "Each of the ethnic minorities has been successfully integrated into the nation state and a Vincentian identity. All ethnicities intermarry with the black majority, although the Barbados-descended local whites of Dorsetshire Hill are said to be more reclusive." This is interesting becuse in sime other Caribbean countries the East Asins (South Asisns) are resisted assimilation and inter-marriage.
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