Steep mountains covered in a tangle of lush vegetation, cool waterfalls, black and white sand beaches, colorful bougainvillea, and turquoise water - this is St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
» Saint Vincent and the Grenadines General Information
Area: 389 sq km (150 sq miles)
Capital: Kingstown
Currency: East Caribbean dollar
GNI per capita: US $5,140 (World Bank, 2008)
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Sir Frederick Ballantyne
Language: English
Main exports: Bananas, arrowroot (starch), nutmeg, mace, coconuts
» Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Practical Information
› Public Holidays
New Year's Day (01Jan); St. Vincent Day (22Jan); National Heroes Day (14Mar); Good Friday (14Apr); Easter (16Apr); Easter Monday (17Apr); Labour Day (01May); Whit Monday (05Jun); Emancipation Day (01Aug); Independence Day (27Oct); Christmas Day (25Dec); Boxing Day (26Dec).
› Visas
Not required. Length of stay is determined by immigration authority on arrival, if necessary. Check with Consulate or High Commission before departure. A return or onward ticket is required by all visitors, as well as proof of accommodation and adequate funds.
» Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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 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.
