Bequia
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 Flag of Bequia |
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Caribbean |
| Coordinates | 13°0′N 61°14′W / 13°N 61.233°W |
| Area | 7 sq mi (18 km2) |
| Country | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | about 4,300 |
| Ethnic groups | African, Scottish and Carib Indian |
Bequia (
/ˈbɛkwiː/ or /ˈbɛkweɪ/) is the largest island in the Grenadines. It is part of the country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and is approximately 15 km from the nation's capital, Kingstown.
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[edit] Geography
The island capital is Port Elizabeth 13°00′N 61°16′W / 13°N 61.267°W. Other villages on the island are Paget Farm, Lower Bay, La Pompe, Hamilton, Mount Pleasant and Belmont.
The total population is about 4,300, the native population being primarily a mixture of people of African, Scottish and Carib Indian descent. A substantial number of white Barbadians were also sent as settlers to Bequia in the 1860s. A number of them built homes in the Mount Pleasant area where many of their descendants still live today. The island is very small, measuring some 7 square miles (18 km2). The main population areas are Port Elizabeth and Paget Farm which host the Ferry Terminal and Airport respectively.
Other prominent areas of Bequia include Spring, site of a former coconut plantation and home to agricultural animals, Industry Bay , Lower Bay and Park Bay,The Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary is located here.
Princess Margaret, who had a home on nearby Mustique, visited Bequia and had a beach named in her honour. Princess Margaret Beach is next to Port Elizabeth and is situated inside Admiralty Bay.
Bequia means "island of the clouds" in the ancient Arawak. The island's name was also 'Becouya' as part of the Granadilles.
The islands' unofficial anthem is considered to be 'Only in Bequia,' by island native Raphael "Socony" Holder.
The island's hills are much lower than the peaks of St. Vincent, 10 miles (16 km) to the north, so they do not receive as many rain showers.
The main port Admiralty Bay, a large natural harbour, and the "town" Port Elizabeth are situated on the west coast.
[edit] Tourism
Bequia is popular among cruising yachts, expats and vacationers. One of the busiest times of the year being the annual Easter Regatta.
Two scuba diving stores run dive trips to twenty-eight identified dive sites around Bequia. There are several wrecks and shallow caves accessible to advanced divers. It is not unusual to see Hawksbill turtles, lobsters, moray eels and many kinds of fish when diving Bequia.
[edit] History
As a result of the Treaty of Utrecht which bought an end to the War of Spanish Succession and established peace between the Spanish and British empires, Great Britain obtained the lucrative monopoly over the Aciento slave trade. Runaway and shipwrecked slaves inhabited the island of St. Vincent in the 17th century and according to an early account of the French Antilles, to which Bequia was considered as being part of Grenada, Bequia was too inaccessible to colonize and Caribs or Arawaks used the island for fishing and some cultivation. A few Portuguese and Dutch slave ships on route to Sint Eustatius from West Africa reportedly shipwrecked on the Grenadines reefs.
Bequia was under French control in the 18th century and during the Seven Years War with England the island was used by the fleets of their allies, the Spanish and Dutch, to take on supplies, while those of British were banned. The Treaty of Paris (1763) produced a significant re-alignment in the map of the Caribbean. St. Vincent and the Grenadine islands, including Grenada, were ceded to the Britain in exchange for Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Lucia. Petit Martinique's name derives from this era, and so does Petit Saint Vincent. In 1779 the French seized the island, despite the Treaty of Paris, but were forced to relinquish control to Britain again soon after.
The early 18th century saw the development of a sugar industry and the production of related products including molasses and rum. Other major produce included coffee, indigo, and arrowroot. At one point in time, the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were the single largest producer of arrowroot starch in the world. Currently, Hairoun and Vincy strong rum are major export products primarily to the European Union.
James Hamilton, father of Alexander Hamilton moved from St. Croix, where he had raised Alexander as his son, to Bequia in 1774 under a programme instituted by Great Britain to give land to indigent settlers. The land granted to Hamilton lies along the shore of Southeast Bay. The elder Hamilton lived in Bequia until 1790 but was never visited by his son nor did he visit Alexander in America, despite the latter's frequent gifts of money and entreaties to immigrate or at least visit him.[1]
Some historians believe that the famous captain, Edward Teach, had his base in Bequia. The opening shot of the movie Blackbeard, Pirate of the Caribbean, made by the BBC, actually displays a replica of his first ship off the coast of Bequia in the St. Vincent passage. According to local legend, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was not only Capt. Edward Teach's base, but also the place from which Sir Francis Drake planned his attacks on the Spanish admiralty in Don Blas de Lezo's Cartagena. John Hawkins Indeed, it is thought that Henry Morgan may also have anchored in Admiralty Bay as it was then the safest natural harbour in the Eastern Caribbean during hurricane season.
Bequia was used as a repair facility for ships. Beside Nelson's Dockyard on Antigua, and the Carlyle in Bridgetown, Barbados, there were no other drydocks or shipyards in the area. Wooden shipbuilding and ship-repair on Bequia was, however, possible due to the presence of Cedar trees on the island, and a sufficiently deep and sheltered harbour.
[edit] Whaling
Bequia is one of the few places in the world where limited whaling is still allowed by the International Whaling Commission. Natives of Bequia are allowed to catch up to four humpback whales per year using only traditional hunting methods of hand-thrown harpoons in small, open sailboats. The limit is rarely met, with no catch some years.
A feature of the Port Elizabeth waterfront is the Whale Boner Bar & Restaurant. This bar has an entrance onto the beach consisting of an arch of two whale ribs as well as whale vertebrae mounted on the bar seats and a whale rib running the length of the bar.
Bequia has a long tradition of whaling as well as the building of whaling boats. There is a small whaling museum on the island chronicling local whaling's history.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Air
Erected in 1992, the James F. Mitchell international airport for small planes is located near Paget Farm. With a runway length capacity of 0.70 mi or 3696 feet, Bequia can be reached by plane with daily connections from Kingstown, Bridgetown, and destinations on surrounding islands.
[edit] Sea
Maritime travel is possible through the use of regularly scheduled ferries from the main island of Saint Vincent. Three ferries operate between the capital, Kingstown, and the local port of Port Elizabeth.
The other islands in the Grenadines can be reached by the last operational schooner in the Caribbean, the antique original Bequia build 'SS Friendship Rose', based in Port Elizabeth. The 'Friendship Rose' is often used by the local Bequia football (soccer) teams to sail to the other islands for matches. On board picnics are locally renowned, and day-time as well as overnight charters are offered.
More ideal for hitchhikers, backpackers, and other foot travellers is the Grenadines mail boat which travels to Port Elizabeth irregularly. Boarding can be difficult as the vessel remains in deeper waters with passengers being required to embark and leave through the use of smaller craft which land on the nearby beach.
An international inter-island ferry service (run by the Windward Lines) passes Bequia regularly. Besides local freight haulage, the ferry also carries local passengers from Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, via Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, and other islands in the Eastern Caribbean, to Port Elizabeth.
Convenient travel to Bequia is by local ferry departing daily from the main port in Kingstown, St. Vincent to Port Elizabeth, Bequia. The ferry pier is located 15 minutes from E.T. Joshua Airport and is served by two companies, Bequia Express and Admiralty Transport. Bequia Express uses a family-owned ferry that is 148 feet (45 m) long with a cargo space measuring 148 x 30 feet (9.1 m) of which 100 x 30 feet (9.1 m) is sheltered with a 14-foot (4.3 m) ceiling. The approximate capacity of the ship is 28 cars or 10 - 20’ containers and is licensed for 400 passengers. The Admiral II is a similarly sized vessel with a capacity for 250 passengers. Travellers on the Admiral II have a choice between air-conditioned indoor seating or covered outdoor seating. The passage between Kingstown and Port Elizabeth is a nine-mile (14 km) trip taking approximately one hour.
[edit] Communications
The island has a variety of communication systems including standard telephone and fax lines, a mobile network, and internet access. The old telex system still operates. Bequia has its own heavy duty long range shortwave (SW) radio antenna. Many inhabitants use the Marine VHF radio system for local communication.
[edit] Publications
Considering the size of the island, Bequia has a large publications industry. Various publishers, editors, and writers work on the island, as do painters and graphic designers.
[edit] References
- ^ St. Vincent Registry, deed book for 1784-1787. (from Chernow, Ron. Alexander Hamilton. Penguin Press, New York, 2004. Chapter 2, Note 21)
