Saint Vincent (island)
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This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2013) |
| Native name: Yurumei or Hairouna | |
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 Satellite imagery of Saint Vincent |
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| Geography | |
| Location |
Caribbean Sea on the West Coast Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast. |
| Coordinates | 13°15′N 61°12′W / 13.250°N 61.200°W |
| Archipelago | Windward Islands |
| Area | 345 km2 (133.2 sq mi) |
| Length | 18 mi (29 km) |
| Width | 11 mi (18 km) |
| Highest point | La Soufrière 4048 ft (1234 m) |
| Country | |
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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| Parishes | 6 |
| Constituencies | 15 |
| Largest city | Kingstown (pop. 25,418) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 100,000 (as of 2012) |
| Density | 347.83 /km2 (900.88 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Black 66%, East Indian 6%, Carib people 2%, Mixed Race 19%, White 4%, Other 3%. |
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the country 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. Its largest volcano and the country's highest peak, La Soufrière, is active having last erupted in 1979[1]
The territory was disputed between France and the United Kingdom in the 18th century, before being ceded to the British in 1763 and again in 1783. It gained independence on October 27, 1979. Approximately 100,000 people live on the island. Kingstown (population 25,418) is the chief town. The rest of the population is dispersed along the coastal strip, which includes the other five main towns of Layou, Barrouallie, Chateaubelair, Georgetown, and Calliaqua.
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People [edit]
The people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are called Vincentians, or colloquially Vincies. There are also a few white descendants of English and French colonists, as well as a significant number of Indo-Vincentians, descendants of indentured workers with Indian heritage and there is a sizable minority of mixed race (19%).
The population of the island in 2012 was about 100,000. The main religions are Anglican (47%), Methodist (10%), Roman Catholic (13%), other Protestant denominations, Seventh-day Adventist, and Hindu.
Adult literacy was 88.1% in 2004. Infant mortality in 2006 was 17 per 1,000 live births and life expectancy for men stood at 69 years, with 74 years for women. The active workforce in 2006 was 57,695 and unemployment in 2004 was 12%.[2]
History [edit]
Long before Christopher Columbus spotted this island during his third voyage in 1498, it had been called Hairouna by the Caribs. Columbus named the island Saint Vincent, since it was discovered on 22 January, the feast day of the patron saint of Portugal, Vincent of Saragossa. However, some Vincentians[who?] speculate that this date is wrong because Columbus was nowhere near this island at the time.[citation needed]
Geography [edit]
The island of Saint Vincent 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 La Soufriere, which erupted violently in 1812 and 1902. The most recent eruption was on April 13, 1979, falling on the Christian Good Friday. The island is very mountainous and well-forested. Saint Vincent island belongs to the Lesser Antilles chain. The island has a total surface area of 344km², or about 88% of the total country area, 19 times that of the country's second largest island Bequia, and the coasts measure about 84km, The island is tropical humid, with an average of between 18 and 31 °C depending on the altitude.
Saint Vincent island is one of the few places on Earth that can boast having black-sand as well as white-sand beaches in the same country.[citation needed] More than 95% of the beaches on the mainland have black sand, while most of the beaches in the Grenadines have white sand.[citation needed]
For many years[when?] the black sand was used in the building industry. During recent times, because of destruction to the coastal areas, the government has restricted the amount of sand that may be removed from beaches, as well as the specific beaches from which sand may be removed. The sand is still used in construction of pitched roads, as it blends in with the colour of the asphalt used for road construction.[citation needed]
Government and politics [edit]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a sovereign parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth Realm, with its capital in Kingstown.
The executive branch of government includes the Governor General, representing the head of state Elizabeth II, the prime minister who is the head of government, and the cabinet. The Prime Minister is Ralph Gonsalves, elected in 2001 as head of the Unity Labour Party.
The legislative branch of government is the unicameral House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, seating 15 elected members representing single-member constiuencies and six appointed members known as Senators.
The judicial branch of government is divided into district courts, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the Privy Council in London being the court of last resort.
The parliamentary term of office is five years, although the Prime Minister may call elections at any time. The political parties with parliamentary representation are the New Democratic Party NDP and the Unity Labour Party (ULP).
Popular culture events [edit]
In 2002, Saint Vincent was the filming location for the American adventure fantasy film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Filming took place from October 2002 through to March 2003 and several hundreds of the local inhabitants were hired as cast members.[3]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Rogozinski, Jan (1999). A Brief History of the Caribbean (Revised ed.). New York: Facts on File, Inc. pp. 358–359. ISBN 0-8160-3811-2.
- ^ "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ "The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (1/4)". redmorgankidd. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
