Saint Vincent

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Saint Vincent

Villa, St. Vincent, 1890s
Geography
Location	Caribbean Sea
Coordinates	13°15′N 61°12′W / 13.25°N 61.2°W / 13.25; -61.2
Archipelago	Windward Islands
Area	345 km2 (133 sq mi)
Length	18 mi (29 km)
Width	11 mi (18 km)
Highest point	La Soufrière (4,048 ft (1,234 m))
Country
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Largest city	Kingstown (19,300)
Demographics
Population	120,000
Density	347.83 /km² (900.9 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Black 66%, East Indians 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, Mixed Race 19%, White (including Portuguese) 4%, Other 3%.

Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean, the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains. La Soufrière is still an active volcano .^[1]

The territory was disputed between France and the United Kingdom in the 18th century, before being ceded to the British in 1783. It gained independence on October 27, 1979. Approximately 120,000 people live on the island. Kingstown (population 19,300) is the chief town. The rest of the population resides in the other five main towns of Layou, Barrouallie, Chateaubelair, Georgetown, and Calliaqua.

People

The people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are called Vincentians. Afro-Vincentians are the majority ethnic group (66%) and are the descendants of African slaves brought to work on the plantations. There are also a few white descendants of English & French colonists, as well as a small number of Indo-Vincentians, desendants of indentured workers from India, and there is a sizable minority of mixed race (19%). The population of the island 2005 was 119,100 and the annual growth rate is 0.5%. The main religions are Anglican (47%), Methodist (28%), Roman Catholic (13%), other Protestant denominations, Seventh-day Adventist, and Hindu. Adult literacy was at 88.1% in 2004. Infant mortality 14 per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy for men stands at 72 years, with 75.8 years for women. The active workforce is 55,531, and unemployment is at 12%. ^[2]

History

See main article History of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Long before Christopher Columbus spotted this island during his third voyage in 1498, it had been called Hairoun by the Caribs. Columbus named the island St. Vincent, since it was “discovered” on 22 January, the feast day of the patron saint of Portugal, Vincent of Saragossa.

Geography of the island

Saint Vincent island is 18 miles long and 11 miles wide and is located 100 miles west of Barbados. It is dominated by the 4,048-foot-high, active volcano, called La Soufriere, which erupted violently in 1812 and 1902. The most recent eruption was on "Black Friday" [which was actually the Christian 'Good Friday' for that year], April 13, 1979. The island is mountainous and well-forested. Saint Vincent island belongs to the Lesser Antilles chain. Its territory has a total surface of 345 km², and the coasts measure about 84 km. The island is tropical humid, with an average of between 18 and 31 °C depending on the altitude.

Mainland St Vincent is one of the few places on Earth that can boast about having black-sand beaches and white-sand in the same country^{[citation needed]}.

There are places where there is just a rock that borders the black-sand beach from the white-sand beach. The black sand, which was formed by the action of the volcano, is said to be able to provide one of the minerals that is needed by the human body. The majority of the beaches on the mainland have black sand (more than 95%), while all of the beaches in the Grenadines have white sand.

For many years the black sand was used in the building industry. During recent times, because of the destruction to the coastal areas, the government has restricted the amount of sand that can be removed from the beaches, and the beaches from which sand could be removed. This sand is still used in the construction of pitched roads, as it blends in nicely with the colour of the asphalt used for road construction^{[citation needed]}.

Government and politics

The capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown. St. Vincent's government is a parliamentary independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations. The executive branch of government is divided in: the executive-governor general (representing Queen Elizabeth II, head of state), the prime minister (head of government) and the cabinet. The current prime minister is Dr Ralph E Gonsalves. The legislative branch of government is a divided 15-member elected House of Assembly and six-member appointed Senate. The judicial branch of government is divided into district courts, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (High Court and Court of Appeals), with final appeal to the Privy Council in London. The parliamentary term of office is five years, although the prime minister may call elections at any time. The most important political parties are " The New Democratic Party (NDP)",and " The Unity Labor Party (ULP)".

Kingstown, St. Vincent, 2006

Footnotes

^[1]

See also

• 1898 Windward Islands Hurricane

References

1. ^ "Government of Saint Vincent". http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2345.htm. Retrieved on 2008-29-01. 

External links

• US Department of State Profile
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines / San Vicente y Las Granadinas Constitution of 1979
• Map

Coordinates: 13°15′N 61°12′W / 13.25°N 61.2°W / 13.25; -61.2