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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

   Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Coat of arms of Saint Vincent
                                            and the Grenadines
   Flag                                     Coat of arms
   Motto: Pax et justitia
   ( Latin: Peace and justice)
   Anthem: St Vincent Land So Beautiful
   Location of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
   Capital
   (and largest city) Kingstown
   13°10′N 61°14′W
   Official languages English
   Government Parliamentary democracy
   Commonwealth Realm
    - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
    - Governor-General Sir Frederick Ballantyne
    - Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves
   Independence From the United Kingdom
    - Date 27 October 1979
   Area
    - Total 389 km² ( 201st)
   150 sq mi
    - Water (%) Negligible
   Population
    - 2005 estimate 119,000 ( 190th)
    - Density 307/km² ( 39th)
   792/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2002 estimate
    - Total $342 million ( 212nd)
    - Per capita $7,493 ( 82nd)
   HDI  ( 2003) 0.755 (medium) ( 87th)
   Currency East Caribbean dollar ( XCD)
   Time zone ( UTC-4)
   Internet TLD .vc
   Calling code +1-784

   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent sovereign state in
   the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean Sea. Its 389- km² territory
   consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and the northern
   two-thirds of the Grenadines. The country has a British colonial
   history and now part of the Commonwealth of Nations and CARICOM. Its
   capital is at Kingstown on Saint Vincent.

History

   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 Roatán, an island
   off the coast of Honduras.

   Slavery was abolished in 1834. After the apprenticeship period, which
   ended prematurely in 1838, labour shortages on the plantations resulted
   in the immigration of indentured servants. The Portuguese came from
   Madeira starting in the 1840s and shiploads of East Indian labourers
   arrived between 1861-1880. 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.

Politics

   St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a parliamentary democracy within the
   Commonwealth of Nations. Queen Elizabeth II is head of state and is
   represented on the island by a governor general, an office with mostly
   ceremonial functions. Control of the government rests with the prime
   minister and the cabinet. There is a parliamentary opposition made of
   the largest minority stakeholder in general elections, headed by the
   leader of the opposition.

   The country has no formal armed forces, though Royal Saint Vincent and
   the Grenadines Police Force includes a Special Service Unit.

   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are a full & participating member of
   the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern
   Caribbean States (OECS).

Administrative divisions

   Administratively, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is divided into six
   parishes, with five on Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines together
   comprising the sixth.
     * Charlotte
     * Grenadines
     * Saint Andrew
     * Saint David
     * Saint George
     * Saint Patrick

Geography

   Map of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
   Enlarge
   Map of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is lies between Saint Lucia and
   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 include the main island of Saint Vincent (344 km²) and the
   northern two-thirds of the Grenadines (45 km²), a chain of small
   islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada.

Economy

   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 over the next decade. Recent growth has been stimulated by
   strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in
   tourism. There is a small manufacturing sector and a small offshore
   financial sector whose particularly restrictive secrecy laws have
   caused some international concern.

Demographics

   Most Vincentians are the descendants of African slaves brought to the
   island to work on plantations. There also are a few white descendants
   of English colonists, as well as some East Indians, Carib Indians, and
   a sizable minority of mixed race. The country's official language is
   English. St. Vincent has a high rate of emigration. With extremely high
   unemployment and under-employment, population growth remains a major
   problem.
   Port Elizabeth, Bequia
   Enlarge
   Port Elizabeth, Bequia

Communications

   In 2005, St. 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 St. Vincent as well as the Grenadines.

   In 2004 it had seven radio stations (1 AM, 6 FM). It has one television
   broadcast station.

   The country has two ISP's: Cable and Wireless and Karib Kable.

   Retrieved from "
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   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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