Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, island nation (2005 est. pop. 118,000), 150 sq mi (388 sq km), West Indies, in the Windward Islands. It comprises the island of Saint Vincent (140 sq mi/363 sq km) and about two thirds of the small Grenadine islands to the south. The capital is
Kingstown Kingstown, town (1989 est. pop. 19,300), capital of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies. The chief port of St. Vincent, Kingstown is an export center for the island's agricultural industry as well as a port of entry for tourists.
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Saint Vincent island is mountainous, rising to 4,048 ft (1,234 m) at Soufrière volcano, which erupted in 1902 and 1979, causing considerable damage to the island. The people are mainly descendants of Africans who were brought as slaves during the colonial period; there are also people of European, Asian Indian, and Carib descent. English is the predominant language, and a French patois is also spoken. The main religions are Methodism, Anglicanism, and Roman Catholicism. The climate is well-suited to agriculture, which is an important part of Saint Vincent's economy. Bananas, arrowroot, and copra are the chief exports, followed by other agricultural products such as sea-island cotton. Tourism is also economically important.
History
Presumably visited by Columbus in 1498, Saint Vincent remained uncolonized by Europeans until a British settlement was made in 1762. The French captured it in 1779 but it was restored to Britain in 1783. Attempts at overwhelming the native Caribs failed; the British deported most of them in 1797. Portuguese and Asian Indian laborers were introduced there in the 19th cent. after the emancipation of African slaves. Saint Vincent was part of the British colony of the Windward Islands (1880–1958) and of the West Indies Federation (1958–62). In 1979 it gained full independence. The islands were governed by the centrist New Democratic party under prime ministers James Mitchell and Arnhim Eustace from 1984 to 2001, when the center-left United Labor party (ULP), led by Ralph Gonsalves, won control of parliament in the March elections. Gonsalves and the ULP were returned to office in Dec., 2005.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Island country,
Windward Islands, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is composed of Saint Vincent island and the northern
Grenadines. Area: 150 sq mi (389 sq km). Pop. (2005 est.): 119,000. Capital:
Kingstown. Most of the population is of African descent. Languages: English (official), French patois. Religions: Christianity (mostly Protestant; also other Christians, Roman Catholic); also Hinduism, Islam. Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar. The islands are composed of volcanic rock. Thickly wooded volcanic mountains run north-south and are cut by many swift streams. Soufrière (4,048 ft [1,234 m]), the highest of the mountains, has had devastating volcanic eruptions. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, and export crops include bananas and arrowroot. Tourism is also important. The country is a constitutional monarchy with one legislative house; its chief of state is the British monarch represented by the governor-general, and the head of government is the prime minister. The French and the British contested for control of Saint Vincent until 1763, when it was ceded to England by the Treaty of
Paris. The original inhabitants, the
Caribs, recognized British sovereignty but revolted in 1795. Most of the Caribs were deported; many who remained were killed in volcanic eruptions in 1812 and 1902. In 1969 Saint Vincent became a self-governing state in association with the United Kingdom, and in 1979 it achieved full independence.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines an island state in the Caribbean, in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles: comprises the island of St Vincent and the Northern Grenadines; formerly a British associated state (1969--79); gained full independence in 1979 as a member of the Commonwealth. Official language: English. Religion: Protestant majority. Currency: Caribbean dollar. Capital: Kingstown. Pop.: 121 000 (2004 est.). Area: 389 sq. km (150 sq. miles)
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