If you go to the Antilles, you will also find the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Together with other islands in the archipelago, both form an independent state.
The main and by far the largest island in the archipelago is Saint Vincent. The Grenadines comprise 32 islands. The islands of Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, Union and Mustique are among the largest in the Grenadines. The total area of the Grenadines covers 389 square kilometers, but you have to note that Saint Vincent alone occupies 344 square kilometers. The capital and largest port city is Kingstown in the southwest of St. Vincent.
According to philosophynearby, the island of St Vincent is of volcanic origin, this can still be seen today. A high volcanic chain stretches across the island from north to south. These volcanoes are forested. The active volcano Soufrière is 1,234 meters high and also the highest mountain on St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Even if it is currently quiet, there were violent volcanic eruptions in 1821, 1902 and 1979.
The landscape is simply breathtaking and invites many hikers to take part in activities. The annual average temperature is 24 degrees. But it’s not just the lush tropical landscape that makes these islands in the Caribbean so popular with vacationers. Especially the white sandy beaches of the Grenadines and the clear water attract tourists.
The most important economic pillar of the country is without question tourism. The number of jobs in this sector is steadily increasing. About 61 percent of the workforce in St Vincent and the Grenadines work in tourism or service industries. Another important industry on the islands in addition to tourism is export. Bananas, which shape agriculture, have the largest share in this. The sweet, yellow fruits are followed by flour and rice. The trade relations with Great Britain are important here,Trinidad and Tobago as well as St. Lucia and Barbados.
St Vincent and the Grenadines – country data
Area: 389 km² (St. Vincent: 344 km², Grenadines: 45 km²)
Population: 103,869 (July 2011, CIA). Black 66%, mixed ancestry 19%, East Indian 6%, Caribs 2%, others 7%.
Population density: 267 people per km²
Population growth: – 0.327% per year (2011, CIA)
Capital: Kingstown (18.160 residents, 2006)
Highest point: La Soufriere, 1,234 m
Lowest point: Caribbean, 0 m
Form of government: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been a parliamentary monarchy since 1979, which is represented in the Commonwealth. The unicameral parliament consists of 21 members. Independence from Great Britain was achieved on October 27, 1979.
Administrative division: 6 parishes (Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George and Saint Patrick).
Head of Government: Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, since March 29, 2001.
Head of State: British Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor General Sir Frederick Ballantyne since September 2, 2002.
Language: The official language in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is English. Creole English is also spoken as a colloquial language and French patois is spoken.
Religion: Anglicans 47%, Methodists 28%, Catholics 13% Others (such as Hindus, Seventh-Day Adventists, other Protestants) 12%.
Local time: CET – 5 h.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines there is no change between summer and winter time.
The time difference to Central Europe is -5 hours in winter and -6 hours in summer.
International phone code: +1 (784)
Internet ID:.vc
Mains voltage: 220/240 V, 50 Hz. In hotels, 110 V are often also switched. Adapters are recommended.
St Vincent and the Grenadines – Map and Geography
The Caribbean island state of St Vincent and the Grenadines is located in the south of St. Lucia and belongs to the group of West Indies.
The state consists of the island of St. Vincent and 32 inhabited and uninhabited islands (including Battowia, Bequia, Petit Nevis, Isle à Quatre, Baliceaux, Pigeon Island, Petit Mustique, Mustique, Canouan, Savan, the Tobago Keys, Petit Canouan, Mayreau, Palm Island, Union Island and Petit St. Vincentin) of the long chain of the northern Grenadines that lead to the Windward Islands within the Lesser Antilles belong.
The largest city and also the capital of the country is Kingstown.
Like many Caribbean islands, the origin of the island of St. Vincent is volcanic. Mountains with more tropical vegetation and black sand beaches shape the surface of the islands. At 1,234 m, the volcano La Soufrière is the highest peak.
The main crops are bananas, cotton, sugar, coconuts and arrowroot.
The Grenadine Islands are increasingly attracting tourists with their white sandy beaches, clear sea and lush vegetation.
