Location
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is part of the Windward Islands located in the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean Sea. Closest neighbours are Grenada to the south, St. Lucia to the north and Barbados to the east. The largest island is St. Vincent and two thirds of the Grenadines to the south belong to this island nation The habited islands in the Grenadines include Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, and the resort islands of Palm Island, Petit St. Vincent and Young Island.

Size
Total area is 389 sq. km (150 sq. miles).

History
Carib Indians aggressively prevented European settlement on St. Vincent until the 18th century. Enslaved Africans intermarried with the Caribs and became known as Garifuna or Black Caribs. The French settlers began cultivation of crops in 1719. In 1763, St. Vincent was ceded to Britain and then went back and forth until 1783, when the British regained control under the Treaty of Paris. Conflict between the British and the Black Caribs continued until 1796 when 5,000 Black Caribs were eventually deported to Roatan, Honduras. Due to the shortage of help, indentured servants came from Portugal in the 1840s and from East India in the period between 1861 - 1880 to be agricultural workers on the plantations. From 1763 until independence in 1979, St. Vincent passed through various stages of colonial status under the British. Natural disasters have featured in the country's history. In 1902 La Soufrière erupted, killing 2,000. Again in April 1979 another volcanic eruption caused extensive agricultural damage. Hurricanes in 1980, 1987, 1998, and Hurricane Lenny in 1999 caused extensive damage to the west coast of the island and compromised banana and coconut plantations.

Population
120,000

Capital
Kingstown located on the southwest coast of the island

Government
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth of Nations. Queen Elizabeth II is head of state and is represented on the island by a governor general, an office with mostly ceremonial functions. Control of the government rests with the prime minister and the cabinet. St. Vincent & the Grenadines is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

Language
English is the official language but many locals speak a dialect called Vincentian Creole.

Climate
Average temperatures range from 75-87 degrees F. Driest season is January to April. Rainy season is June to October. Rain is frequent in the mountains of St. Vincent with the annual average rainfall between 380 cm (150 inches) inland and 200 cm (80 inches) on the coast.

Tourism Activities & Sightseeing
Day sailing is a popular activity for visitors. Hardy sailors enjoy chartering a yacht and sailing through the Windward Grenadine islands. Many festivals throughout the year center around religious and traditional culture; Bequia Easter Regatta, Nine Mornings (in December) The churches at "four corners" have great architectural interest; includes St. George's Anglican Cathedral, St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral and the Kingstown Methodist Church. The vibrant Kingstown Market on Fridays and Saturdays. Unique local arts and crafts can be found at the Artisans Craft Shop, The Bounty Art Gallery, Kingstown Market, Wallilabou Craft Centre and Fibreworks in the Buccament Valley. Golfing at the 18-hole Trump International Golf Course on Canouan Botanic Gardens. Fort Charlotte. La Soufrière Volcano. Carib Petroglyphs. Falls of Baleine. Dark View Falls. Trinity Falls. Wallilabou Falls. Montreal Gardens. Vermont Nature Trail. Owia Salt Pond. Black Point Tunnel. Pirates of the Caribbean Film set. Snorkelling in the Tobago Cays. White sand beaches in the Grenadines.

Airports
E.T. Joshua Airport (SVD), 2 miles drive from the capital, Kingstown
J.F. Mitchell (BQU) in Bequia - a domestic airport
Canouan Island Airport (CIW) - a domestic airport
Mustique Airport (MQS) - a domestic airport
Union Island (UNI) - a domestic airport

Currency
Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
Current conversion rate is EC $2.67 for US$1 cash.

Electricity
Electricity is generally 220/240 volt, 60 cycles. Appliances rated at 110 volts (North American standard) normally work with a transformer.

Time zone
Atlantic Standard Time zone, one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (except when Eastern Daylight Savings time is in effect then it's the same) GMT-4

Driving
On the left.

Flag

The Official Tourism Website of the St.Vincent & The Grenadines Tourist Office
www.svgtourism.com