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This created a loss of confidence in the industry's long-term future. Even so, recent years have witnessed an attempt to improve the regularity and quality of banana exports through an irrigation and rehabilitation scheme initiated by the government and the Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company WIBDECO. Recent governments have tried to encourage diversification into other agricultural exports, and Saint Vincent exports a wide range of fruits and vegetables both to the United Kingdom and to regional that is, Caribbean markets.
The traditional cultivation of arrowroot has been expanded as an export industry, and fishing is an important sector within the economy. Industry is divided between manufacturing for the local and regional market and that destined for export to North America. The former includes food processing flour and rice and brewing, while the latter includes some garment and electronic components assembly, as well as the manufacture of sporting goods such as tennis rackets.
There is a mixture of small local companies and local subsidiaries of foreign corporations. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has also sought to develop a range of service industries, of which tourism is the most important. Tourist facilities range from extremely exclusive, mostly privately-owned resorts and villas on islands such as Mustique and Canouan to a growing cruise ship facility in Kingstown. Yachting is also extremely popular around the beautiful Grenadine island chain. In recent years, the country has entered the financial services sector, with a large number of banks and other financial institutions present in Kingstown.
This sector has attracted some controversy on account of its alleged secrecy. Saint Vincent has also been subject to criticism from the United States , both for its large-scale marijuana cultivation and for the alleged role played by the southern Grenadine islands as shipment points for cocaine en route from South America to the United States.
The country's major economic problem, however, remains a high level of unemployment, affecting at least 22 percent of the workforce in According to the World Bank , some 30 percent of people in the English-speaking Windward Islands live in conditions of poverty. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent state within the British Commonwealth. It claims as its head of state Queen Elizabeth, who is represented on the islands by a governor general. The nation's form of government is a parliamentary democracy. The governor general selects the prime minister , usually the leader of the majority party in the unicameral one-house House of Assembly.
The House of Assembly consists of 21 seats 15 representatives chosen by popular election and 6 appointed senators. One judge from the court is based in Saint Vincent.
Elections in gave the NDP its fourth consecutive victory, but there was considerable controversy. The NDP won 8 out of 15 seats in parliament but only After political unrest and subsequent mediation from representatives of the Caribbean Community CARICOM in , it was agreed that fresh elections would be brought forward by 2 years to March In those elections the ULP took Ralph Gon-salves was subsequently appointed as prime minister. There is little ideological difference between the 2 main parties in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and both support a mixed economy in which government encourages and regulates private-sector growth and foreign investment.
Differences tend to be as much personal as political, although the ULP puts particular emphasis on the need to reduce unemployment through the continued rehabilitation of agriculture and government spending on infrastructure. Governments are able to exert particular influence on the economy, in part because it is so small and in part because there is a relatively large public sector. Taxation is made up of a mixture of income tax , indirect sales taxes, and taxes levied on companies and foreign-owned financial institutions. In an attempt to increase fiscal revenues from International Business Companies IBCs , the government introduced legislation in ensuring almost complete secrecy concerning their financial transactions.
The government has also attempted to raise revenues by acting as a flag of convenience, offering registration facilities for foreign shipping companies. Both of these measures have led to criticism not only from the political opposition but also from in ternational bodies concerned with money-laundering and marine safety. The infrastructure of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is not fully developed, although recent government initiatives have involved improvements in roads, port facilities, and hospitals.
Of 1, kilometers miles of roads only kilometers miles were paved in Roads in rural areas, particularly in the north of Saint Vincent, are often poor. There are no railways, and the single international airport, near Kingstown, is unable to receive wide-bodied jets. Discussions have taken place with potential foreign investors concerning the runway's extension, while opponents of this scheme favor a new airport. Lack of infrastructure has hampered the growth of tourism, even though the government has recently invested in a cruise ship jetty landing wharf at Kingstown as well as an airport on Canouan.
Small farmers also complain that poor roads are an obstacle to transporting fragile commodities such as bananas to dock or to inland collection points. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also suffers from having to import most of its energy supplies, mainly petroleum, from Trinidad and Tobago. About one-third of the country's annual electricity production of 64 million kilowatt hours kWh is derived from hydro-electric schemes, while annual consumption is estimated at 60 million kWh.
There were an estimated 20, main line telephones in use in , but Internet use is as yet relatively underdeveloped. The most recent available statistics show that agriculture accounted for The most recent employment statistics, dating from , show that approximately 22 percent of Vincentians worked in agriculture. Industry accounted for Even so, it is still a relatively small sector, comprising mainly food processing for local markets and some export-oriented manufacturing.
In , some 9 percent of the labor force was employed in manufacturing, with a further 11 percent working in construction. Services accounted for Other growing segments of the service sector were those related to offshore financial transactions and related informatics information science or electronic data processing. In , before the financial sector grew, about 5 percent of the working population were employed in hotels and restaurants, while less than 2 percent were classified as involved in "financial intermediation.
Saint Vincent's mountainous terrain made it less suitable as a sugar-producing center than most other Caribbean islands, but the banana industry, beginning in the s, was well suited to a territory mostly made up of small, family-run farms. A combination of protective quotas and stable prices guaranteed by Britain and then the European Union EU underpinned the steady growth of the banana industry in the s and early s, despite occasional hurricanes and other natural disasters.
In the s, bananas contributed, on average, 60 percent of export earnings and were the island's single biggest economic activity. A series of legal rulings ensued, with the U. As a result, the late s were marked by considerable uncertainty in Saint Vincent's banana industry and a drop in production from almost 80, tons in to 37, tons in According to the World Bank , the banana crisis has already caused "a decline in the central government's revenue growth, a slowdown in the pace of domestically financed investment, a rise in unemployment, and major financial difficulties for the Banana Growers' Association.
One possible strategy is to concentrate on the organic and "fair trade" markets in Europe. Other important crops include coconuts, sweet potatoes, and ornamental flowers, some of which are exported to "niche markets" in the UK and U. The government has encouraged diversified small farming by splitting up some 7, acres of state-owned land into 1, small-holdings. Arrowroot, traditionally used as a food thickener, is now grown as a dressing for computer paper, and acreage of this crop has expanded in recent years, making Saint Vincent and the Grenadines the world's largest producer.
Less well documented is the significant cultivation of marijuana, which is believed to be grown in the mountainous interior of Saint Vincent. In January , U. Marines participated in a controversial crop eradication program, in which millions of plants were reportedly destroyed. The fishing sector has benefited from extensive foreign development funding, most notably from Japan. There are now jetties and fish refrigeration facilities in Saint Vincent, Bequia, and Canouan, the large complex in Kingstown having been dubbed "Little Tokyo.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a small industrial sector, but one that has grown in importance in recent years. Most manufacturing revolves around food processing, such as rice milling and flour production, for the local and regional market. The major producer is the East Caribbean Group of Companies.
There is also large-scale production of chicken feed and polypropylene bags, while the local brewery, the Saint Vincent Brewery Ltd. The other industrial sector is geared towards exports into the North American market and includes a handful of assembly plants producing garments and sports goods, especially tennis rackets. Saint Vincent's industrial growth there is no industry on the Grenadines is hampered by several factors, including poor infrastructure, relatively high wages, and fierce competition from lower-wage areas elsewhere in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Increasingly, Saint Vincent's industrial output has been directed towards other territories in the Eastern Caribbean. Saint Vincent came relatively late to tourism, although its dependencies such as Bequia and Mustique had developed a reputation for exclusive luxury tourism as early as the s. In recent years, the main island of Saint Vincent has tried to capitalize on its spectacular natural beauty by encouraging cruise ship companies to include it on their itineraries and by developing the yachting sector.
In , according to the Caribbean Development Bank, these 2 sectors showed a marked increase in visitor arrivals, bringing total arrivals to , On the other hand, stayover arrivals declined slightly by 1. The government has sought to expand tourism by opening a new cruise ship pier at Kingstown, upgrading the airport on Canouan, and improving the Leeward Highway on the west coast. Deliberations on the enlargement of the existing airport or the building of a new one continue.
But Saint Vincent, which has few white sand beaches and an otherwise underdeveloped infrastructure, is not suitable for mass tourism and has wisely concentrated on attracting a small "upmarket" tourist clientele. The other major service sector deals with overseas financial business. The legislation ensuring near total secrecy on taxation and other financial activity encouraged the arrival of many IBCs, totaling 2, in But there have been persistent allegations that the country's stringent secrecy provisions have served to conceal illegal financial operations such as tax evasion and drug money laundering.
Related to the financial sector is a small data processing sub-sector, in which there is limited employment in computerized financial dealings. The retail sector is underdeveloped, with few large stores or supermarkets. Markets, both in Kingstown and Bequia, are busy, and many rural Vincentians depend on small village corner stores. The growth of tourism and yacht chartering in particular has produced a noticeable increase in specialist retail outlets.
Its main source of imports in was the United States, which contributed some 35 percent of the total. The main imports of foodstuffs, fuel, and machinery are distributed among those suppliers. The main export, bananas, is directed towards the United Kingdom, which accounts for 42 percent of Vincentian exports. The other main export market is.
Rice, flour, and other food items are also exported regionally. The deficit in the balance of trade is partly offset by tourism receipts and by revenue from the financial sector. Another important source of foreign exchange is the regular remittance payments sent back by Vincentians working overseas. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has experienced steady growth in GDP in recent years except in , averaging over 3 percent annually since the mids. In , GDP growth stood at 4. This economic progress reflects a steady increase in tourism and the revenues generated by financial services, which has partly counter-balanced problems in the banana industry.
Inflation has been low in recent years and, in , was estimated at less than 1 percent. As a result, consumer prices are relatively low, and visitors from neighboring islands such as Grenada and Barbados now come to Saint Vincent to take advantage of lower prices. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' financial stability is in part because of its membership in regional financial institutions. This means that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is not particularly vulnerable to fluctuating exchange rates , although transactions with Europe have been affected by the low value of the euro.
There are plans for ECCB member countries to participate in a regional stock exchange , further integrating the economies of the small islands, but by early little real progress had been made. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is not a country of social extremes. There is a small middle class, traditionally involved in retailing and the professions, while a significant group of small farmers benefited from the "banana boom" of the s, resulting in much improved housing conditions in many rural communities.
Society is not prohibitively stratified, and educational opportunities exist for upward mobility. The literacy rate is high at 98 percent for both men and women. There are no recent figures relating to income distribution in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, but World Bank and other sources suggest that at least 30 percent of the population still lives in poverty, including the large numbers of unemployed. The most underdeveloped and marginalized area of the main island is the north, where villages such as Sandy Bay, Owia, and Fancy are still without electricity although a project to connect them was underway in Here, the volcanic terrain limits the development of agriculture and there are few economic opportunities other than cultivating marijuana.
The inhabitants of the poorest north coast settlements include the last descendants of the Black Caribs, a community descended from the island's indigenous population and slaves who escaped the sugar plantations in the 18th century and revolted against the British. On the east coast, the once thriving town of Georgetown is now almost deserted, abandoned since the government-owned sugar mill was closed.
Here, as elsewhere beyond the Kingstown area, educational and medical services are basic. In contrast, the wealthier middle-class suburbs around Kingstown have a full range of amenities and facilities. The more prosperous banana-growing villages of the fertile inland valleys are also evidence of economic success. The wealthiest sectors of the population include those involved in the tourism industry, the new financial services sector and, according to critics, those with political connections.
Figures from the most recent available showed a total employed workforce of 33,, with unemployment standing at More recent statistics, from , suggest that unemployment stood at 22 percent. Figures cited by the newly elected Unity Labour Party say unemployment may be as high as 45 percent although this number may be inflated for political reasons. Pay and working conditions are average by regional standards, and workers in agriculture, manufacturing, and the large public sector enjoy the protection of well-organized growers' associations and trade unions. The large civil service is well represented by trade unions and is able to negotiate substantial salary increases.
Conditions are toughest in agriculture, where many small farmers work remote and usually mountainous holdings without adequate irrigation or other inputs. Much of this work is carried out by families, and women, as well as some children, are widely involved in agricultural production as well as retailing.
Islands claimed but not settled by Great Britain. Jointly administered by Great Britain and France as neutral territory. Islands declare independence from United Kingdom and become part of the British Commonwealth. James Mitchell of the conservative New Democratic Party becomes prime minister and dominates politics until Mitchell resigns amidst political controversy; Ralph Gonsalves, head of the United Labour Party, is elected in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' short-term economic prospects depend to a large extent on the fate of its banana industry.
If preferential access into the EU is removed or substantially reduced, the industry will not be able to compete with large Latin American producers and will collapse, creating widespread poverty among small farmers. Attempts to diversify away from dependency on bananas have begun, but will need to be accelerated over the next decade. The country's food processing and export industry also faces potential threats from cheaper regional competitors such as the Dominican Republic , which are now involved in reciprocal free-trade agreements with CARICOM countries.
Tourism seems to have a more healthy future, and the potential of the main island and its dependencies has yet to be fully realized. The authorities will have to balance the need for increased visitor arrivals with keeping the islands' reputation as an unspoiled and exclusive destination for the wealthier tourist. More doubtful is the outlook for the financial services sector, especially if the government is forced to remove secrecy provisions through international pressure.
Overall, the medium-term future for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not look particularly bright, and the government will face an uphill task in reducing current levels of unemployment and poverty. The Unity Labour Party, which attained a majority in the parliamentary elections in March of , has stated that its aim is to add 1, jobs to the economy right away, invest in infrastructure to allow for the creation of more jobs in the medium and long term, boost the information technology and tourism industries, and provide more support for the production of bananas, sugar, and arrowroot.
However, it is too early to say whether these ambitious plans can be realized, especially as many of these plans rely on government expenditures which may not be possible given existing government funding. Economist Intelligence Unit, Vincent and the Grenadines and the IMF. One EC dollar equals cents. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents and 1 EC dollar, and notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, and EC dollars.
Agrarian Arawaks immigrated from South America. The Caribs eventually conquered the Arawaks, killing all the men and incorporating the women into their group. Christopher Columbus allegedly sighted the island on January 22, , the feast day of the island's namesake. European settlers later arrived with African slaves.
In , slaves from a Dutch shipwreck made it to the island of Bequia and were given shelter by the native, or Yellow Caribs. Slaves from Barbados and St. Lucia later managed to escape to the island. The mixture of slaves and Yellow Caribs created a new group known as the Black Caribs. The Caribs ardently fought off European settlement on St. Vincent until the 18th century. Tensions between the Yellow Caribs and the Black Caribs led to conflict and territorial division. The perpetual hostilities delayed colonial development of the island, while several nearby islands already had an advanced sugar industry.
In the French divided St. Vincent, with the west going to the Yellow Caribs and the east going to the Black Caribs. French settlers began cultivating coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar on plantations worked by African slaves starting in Great Britain controlled St. Vincent from until French rule was restored in The British got control back in Under the British, sugar production fell throughout the s, and arrow-root became the leading cash crop by Vincent is still the world's leading producer of arrow-root, which is used to make starch.
Vincent became a crown colony in , and a legislative council was created in The island was granted associate statehood status in and became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence on October 27, Kingstown, the capital, is located on the southwestern coast of the island of St. Vincent and has a population of about 27, Cruise ships put into Kingstown Harbour. Joshua Airport is located on the southern tip of St. Local transportation is provided by open-air buses and small minibus taxis sporting colorful hand-painted names and designs.
Campden Industrial Park , about three miles west of the city, is a acre enclave that serves as the principal industrial area of the country. The East Caribbean Group of Companies has operations there that handle animal feed processing, bag production, and flour and rice milling. In a fire destroyed much of Kingstown's center, but reconstruction in emphasized increasing tourism. Vincent has numerous beaches for swimming and surfing.
The waters along the black sand beaches of the Atlantic coast are choppy and conducive to surfing and windsurfing, while the waters along the golden sand beaches of the Caribbean coast are calm and more pleasant for swimming. Cricket is played throughout the islands, and several local players have gone on to represent the West Indies at the international level. International sports are played at the Arnos Vale Playing Field. Soccer, netball, volleyball, and basketball are also popular.
Soccer is the most widely played sport, and there are 14 local leagues that organize team play. Indoor sports such as squash and table tennis are played in the suburbs of Kingstown. Weight training, karate, and taekwondo are also becoming popular. Swimming, sailing, and windsurfing are popular aquatic activities. Dominoes is a popular game among groups of men. Bay Street is Kingstown's water-front district, with shops and a few hotels.
The Cobblestone Inn was built in as a sugar warehouse and was restored to its original Georgian style. George's Anglican Cathedral also is an example of Georgian architecture , and contains several Kempe and Munich stained glass windows. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral originally was built in , and was most recently renovated in the s. The cathedral is a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, and Moorish designs. The General Post Office in Kingstown features stamps produced by the government that are prized by international collectors.
Vincent Philatelic Services, Ltd. Kingstown's vegetable market is one of the island's main commercial centers. Vincent Botanic Gardens and Museum on the outskirts of Kingstown features tropical foliage and brightly colored songbirds. It is the most ornate garden in the Caribbean and the oldest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
The gardens occupy 20 acres and were founded in as a nursery for plants useful to medicine and commerce. The French introduced exotic Asian spices such as cinnamon to the gardens. Cloves were brought from Martinique and nutmeg and black pepper plants from French Guiana. Breadfruit trees brought from the South Pacific by Captain Bligh were introduced in Vincent National Museum at the gardens contains stone, ceramic, and shell artifacts dating from BC to AD left behind by the pre-Columbian inhabitants of St. Vincent and some of the other islands in the Grenadines.
The Parrot Breeding Center at the Botanic Gardens is trying to increase the population of the islands' national bird, the St. Vincent parrot Amazona guildingi. Fort Charlotte, west of Kingstown, sits atop a ridge feet above sea level and was completed in A museum at the fort depicts the history of the Black Caribs on the island. Cultural activities on St. Vincent include several festivals, arts and crafts exhibitions, dancing, and folksinging.
The national carnival festival, known as Vincy Mas, is celebrated in early July. Costumed, steel, and calypso bands give performances, and there are beauty shows. The Music Festival has been held every other year since and features vocal, choral, and instrumental performances. There is also an annual school drama festival. There are plans to build a performing arts center in Kingstown. The Kingstown Free Library has a display of Carib artifacts. Vincent and the Grenadines is located 21 miles southwest of St. Lucia and about miles west of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea.
Vincent and Grenada are more than small islands called the Grenadines, half of which belong to St. Vincent has an area of square miles, with a coastline of 52 miles. Bequia, the largest of the Grenadines, has an area of 7 square miles. Vincent is a rugged island with dark volcanic sand beaches. The low-lying Grenadines have wide beaches and shallow bays and harbors. The rainfall on St. Vincent averages about 91 inches per year, but more than inches may fall in the mountains. The islands lie in the Caribbean hurricane belt and were devastated in , , and Only about a dozen of the country's islands are populated.
Some scholars believe that the African origin of the Black Caribs came from escaped slaves, while others believe they descended from a stranded group of 13th century West African explorers. Today, the few remaining descendants of the Yellow Caribs live at Sandy Bay. The majority of the population is Anglican or Methodist. There is also a significant Roman Catholic minority. English is the official language of the country.
Some islanders speak a French patois, which uses a mixture of African and French grammar, with a vocabulary using mostly French words, with some English and a few Spanish words.
A minority of the islanders speak French as a first language. Vincent was one of the last of the West Indies to be settled by Europeans. The British and French agreed to leave the island to the native Caribs in , and the island had a sizable Carib population until the s. The island was formally taken by the British in , who ruled thereafter except during , when its was under French control. Vincent was administered as a crown colony from until Upon independence in , St. Vincent and the Grenadines kept the British monarch as the nominal head of state, represented by a governor-general.
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. The parliament is a unicameral body with a member elected house of assembly and a six-member appointed senate. The governor general appoints senators, four on the advice of the prime minister and two on the advice of the leader of the opposition.
The parliamentary term of office is 5 years, although the prime minister may call elections at any time. As in other English-speaking Caribbean countries, the judiciary in St. Vincent is rooted in British common law. There are 11 courts in three magisterial districts. Vincent as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines supreme court. There is no local government in St. Vincent, and all six parishes are administered by the central government. The flag consists of three vertical bands of blue, yellow and green; centered on the yellow band are three green diamonds arranged in a V-pattern.
Primary education lasts for seven years and is provided by the government but not compulsory. There are about 65 primary schools. At the secondary level, there are a teachers' training college and a technical college. Government agencies sponsor adult education , vocational training, and agricultural training.
Vincent economy has traditionally been dependent on agriculture, but the government has attempted to diversify the economy in recent years. Such reliance on a single crop makes the economy vulnerable to external factors. Vincent's banana growers benefit from preferential access to the European market. In view of the European Union 's announced phase-out of this preferred access, economic diversification is a priority.
Tourism has become a very important part of the economy. In , tourism supplanted banana exports as the chief source of foreign exchange. The Grenadines have become a favorite of the up-market yachting crowd. The trend toward increasing tourism revenues will likely continue. In , new cruiseship and ferry berths came on-line, sharply increasing the number of passenger arrivals. In , total visitor arrivals were about , A relatively small number of Americans--under 1,reside on the islands.
The ECCB also manages monetary policy and regulates and supervises commercial banking activities in its member countries. Vincent and the Grenadines is a beneficiary of the U. Vincent is on the main air routes of the Caribbean, with direct flights to Trinidad and Barbados as well as other islands to the north. The international airport is located on St.
Vincent near Kingstown and there is another on the east coast, near Georgetown. All of the Grenadines have excellent harbors served by a ferry service out of Kingstown. Harbors in the Grenadines are being expanded to increase potential tourism. There is a road on St. Vincent that connects all of the main towns with the capital.
Vehicles travel on the left, and traffic approaches from the right. Taxis and buses tend to be relatively safe, but the buses are often overcrowded. Vans are generally overcrowded and frequently travel at high rates of speed. Rural mountainous roads are the more dangerous areas for road travel. Night driving should be done with great caution and is discouraged in mountainous areas because the roads are not well marked, there are few, if any, guardrails, and the roads are often steep and winding.
Cable and Wireless West Indies operates the islands' telecommunications services. There are two AM radio stations, one television station, and four weekly newspapers. The general hospital in Kingstown has over beds and is equipped with x-ray, dental, and eye clinics. There are three rural hospitals, two on St. Vincent and another on Bequia. Sandals are an important beach accessory, as the sand can become very hot. Comfortable, casual clothing is the norm, but it is considered improper to wear swimwear when in town. A raincoat and light sweater may be needed for the higher altitudes of St.
Vincent, where it can get wet, windy, and cool. May 6 … Labor Day. For stays up to six months, U. Vincent and The Grenadines without a passport. For further information concerning entry requirements, travelers can contact the Embassy of St. The United States does not maintain an Embassy in St. Vincent and The Grenadines. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados; telephone 1 Americans are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the Embassy in Bridgetown and obtain updated information on travel and security in St.
Vincent and The Grenadines and within the area. Bobrow, Jill and Dana Jinkins. Vincent and the Grenadines: Gems of the Caribbean. After the arrival of the white man, the history of education in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was inextricably bound up with the other Anglophonic people of the Caribbean region — including the Bahamas where Christopher Columbus first made landfall , Trinidad, Jamaica, and Tobago — and England herself. This still holds true; in the year , Queen Elizabeth II was the nominal head of state and English was the official language of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Prior to Columbus, the aboriginal Carib and Arawak peoples regarded education as the inculcation in their young of tribal values such as courage in adversity and skill in tracking game.
The earliest attempts at European education in the area took the form of missionaries attempting to convert the Indians to Christianity , almost totally unsuccessfully. However, with the coming of the British and the advent of plantation society and slavery, the aboriginals virtually disappeared only 2 percent of the population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was Amerind in and, by the end of the seventeenth century, the population of the West Indies consisted of five major elements: Non-whites were overwhelmingly in the numerical, but not political, majority. Since Caucasian blood was considered the defining hallmark of true humanity, little attempt was made to educate the non-white population.
Great Britain abolished slavery in and, in , the Negro Education Grant was established to educate the former slaves by creating primary and secondary schools in the West Indies , a plan that had the backing of colonial officials and clergy. Funds calculated in ratio to the number of ex-slaves on each island were supplied through the grant and charitable donations. The Negro Education Grant was terminated in , and its role was taken by the governments of the various islands, although clerical support continued throughout all the West Indies until when among the more Protestant populations Barbados or Antigua, for example it was ended and the responsibility devolved completely upon the legislatures.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, however, there were many more Roman Catholics, so the church continued its educational involvement, funding its schools unilaterally, while the public schools relied solely upon governmental funding — not unlike the system that developed in the United States of America. Gradually, government support for nongovernmental education evolved.
In the decades following, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines followed the lead of other Commonwealth members by replacing the secondary school examinations sent from the United Kingdom with the Caribbean Council Secondary School Examination. The language of instruction was and remains English. By , about 96 percent of the total population was literate, as defined by the percentage of those citizens aged 15 and over who had ever attended school.
Twenty years later, 55 percent of the total population had achieved both the primary and secondary level of education; another 49 percent qualified for the primary only. In , there were private preprimary schools on the islands; in the same year, there were 1, teachers engaged in primary education. In , there were 60 primary schools, with approximately one-third being denominational or private.
Students who passed moved on to an academic secondary school. Students who failed were permitted to attend a "junior" secondary school, which was less prestigious. Students who did not wish to attend any secondary school were tested by the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination 50 percent English, 20 percent mathematics and, if they passed, were given a certificate of graduation that allowed them egress into entry level jobs. Government secondary schools of both classes were free; the private schools charged a nominal fee, primarily because of government assistance.
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By , several true colleges and universities also existed, both on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and other West Indian principalities. The University of West Indies offered a three-year degree program, with a first-year site on Saint Vincent, while Saint Vincent Teachers College prepared primary school teachers. For the mechanically-minded, Saint Vincent Technical College offered the equivalent of what would be a two-year Associate's Degree from a community college in the United States in vocational fields, such as air conditioning.
Additionally, Kingstown Technical Centre proffered a popular tertiary education in such things as woodworking and mechanics. However, in an increasingly technology-and computer-driven twenty-first century, educators throughout the world have needed to rethink their missions, and the governments of the West Indies, including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, have taken several approaches to educate their workforces and prepare for the future.
Additional help has been forthcoming from the European Union and United States. The educational policies once dictated by a plantation economy, one not particularly conducive to higher and more sophisticated education, are being refocused on producing people skilled in the new industries of tourism, hospitality, information technology, and the ubiquitous computer.
These governments, including that of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, have now moved to refocus and retool their workforces at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. There is additional government money for higher education and training programs for young people who are not going to college or for scholarships to those wanting to attend universities in various countries outside of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, such as Cuba.
In order for the Windward Islands in general, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in particular, to remain competitive in the emerging sectors of Caribbean economy such as tourism, information processing, and banking, retraining is and must continue to be conducted through a well-structured and coherent approach. Planning will be required for the year and beyond. The World Factbook Directorate of Intelligence, 1 January Society, Schools, and Progress in the West Indies.
Adaptive Strategies in a Caribbean Village. Statistical Yearbook 43rd Issue. United Nations , Statistical Yearbook for Latin America. Para America Latina, A Case Study of the Windward Islands. Highest point on mainland: With an area of about square kilometers square miles , the country is twice the size of Washington, D.
Saint Vincent is divided into six parishes. The island of Saint Vincent itself is by far the largest of these; with an area of square kilometers square miles , it accounts for almost 90 percent of the country's total area. On Saint Vincent, yearly rainfall averages centimeters 91 inches ; in the mountainous regions, however, rainfall averages more than centimeters inches.
The rainy season occurs from May or June through December. In most of the Grenadines, rainfall is the only source of fresh water. The remainder of the island contains rugged land, except for the lowlands and a valley in the interior, which are home, respectively, to tropical rainforests and Saint Vincent's best farmland. The Grenadines are generally rugged but low-lying. Coral reefs surround the Grenadines. An underwater depression called the Tobago Basin lies to the east of the islands.
The Saint Vincent Passage is found north of that island. The Martinique Channel is situated to the south and separates the country from Grenada. Greathead Bay is located on the southern coast of Saint Vincent Island. The capital city of Kingstown is located on the shores of Kingstown Bay, also on the southern coaSaint. The island of Saint Vincent itself is by far the largest in the country, with an area of square kilometers square miles.
The Grenadines are a group of low-lying islands south of Saint Vincent, with wide beaches and coral reefs surrounding them. Union Island, Mayreau, Mustique, Canouan, Bequia, and many other uninhabited rocks, reefs, and cays are part of the Grenadines that belong to Saint Vincent. The remaining islands of the Grenadines belong to Grenada. Saint Vincent's eastern and western coasts are comprised of alternating rock cliffs and stretches of black sand beaches. The Grena-dines have low-lying land, wide beaches, and shallow harbors and bays.
Rivers in Saint Vincent tend to be short and straight. The longest river is the Colonarie. It lies slightly northeast of Kingstown and is the site of a hydroelectric power plant. The Falls of Baleine, located on the northern end of Saint Vincent, can be reached only by boat. These freshwater cascades drop about 18 meters 60 feet to a natural pool. The area is a designated wildlife reserve. The lowlands on Saint Vincent are covered with coconut and banana trees and arrowroot. Some of the island's most fertile farmland is housed in the Mesopotamia Valley, which is northeast of Kingstown.
Forests and woodlands comprise 36 percent of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with most of Saint Vincent's interior containing tropical rainforest. Saint Vincent is dominated by a central volcanic range of mountains with four peaks: It is 1, meters 4, feet high. A rugged landscape with steep slopes comprises most of the remaining areas of Saint Vincent. A volcanic ridge between Saint Vincent and Grenada that runs north to south forms the Grenadines. British slaves constructed the tunnel to provide a transportation route for sugar exports.
The Windward and Leeward Islands of the eastern Carribean are named for their relationship to the prevailing eastern blowing winds. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, located in the Caribbean Sea north of Trinidad and Tobago , is a study in contrasts. The main island, Saint Vincent, is rugged with volcanic mountains and is relatively underdeveloped, while the 30 islands and cays that comprise the Grena-dines boast bare coral reefs and cater to well-heeled tourists and yachters.
In the eighteenth century, ownership of the islands was disputed between France and Britain , but control finally ceded to Britain in The country declared independence in , but the administration of the Grenadines is divided between Saint Vincent and Grenada. Heading the state is the British monarch, represented locally by a Governor General. A Prime Minister heads the government. The legislative branch is comprised of a member House of Assembly.
The official language is English, but many speak French patois. The population is approximately ,, and the literacy rate is 96 percent. Agriculture, especially banana production, dominates the economy, but tourism also plays a major role and represents the country's best chance to diversify its economy and increase prosperity. The press is independent and free, but there are some restrictions levied on the government-owned radio station — specifically, call-in shows are prohibited. Although equal access to radio broadcasting is mandated, the government in power does not always adhere to this rule.
The Herald is the only daily newspaper in the country, and it bills itself as the first. It publishes in print and online. There are six independent weekly newspapers: Justice, a weekly, is the mouthpiece of the United People's Movement. There are four radio stations, one AM and three FM, serving 77, radios. One television station broadcasts to 18, televisions. There are 15 Internet service providers. Vincent and the Grenadines," Freedom House Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corp. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, island nation est.
The capital is Kingstown. 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 Anglicanism, Methodism, and Roman Catholicism. The climate is well-suited to agriculture, which is an important part of Saint Vincent's economy.
Bananas, taro, and arrowroot are the chief agricultural exports. There is light industry and offshore banking. Tourism is also economically important. The main trading partners are the United States and France. The country, a parliamentary democracy, is governed under the constitution of The unicameral legislature, the House of Assembly, has of 15 elected and 6 appointed members; the members all serve five-year terms.
The government is headed by the prime minister. The monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , represented by a governor-general, is the head of state. Administratively, the country is divided into six parishes. History Presumably visited by Columbus in , Saint Vincent remained uncolonized by Europeans until a British settlement was made in The French captured it in but it was restored to Britain in Attempts at overwhelming the native Caribs and black Caribs or Garifuna, persons of mixed Carib and African descent failed for many years, but the British deported most of them in Portuguese and Asian Indian laborers were introduced there in the 19th cent.
In it gained full independence. The islands were governed by the centrist New Democratic party under prime ministers James Mitchell and Arnhim Eustace from to , 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. Although the government and opposition agreed St.
Vincent should cut its ties with the British monarch, they disagreed strongly over other aspects of the constitution. The capital is Kingstown pop. It comprises the volcanic island of St Vincent and five islands of the Grenadine group, the best known of which is Mustique. St Vincent remained uncolonized until British settlement in After wresting control from the French in , the British deported most of the native Carib population, who were replaced by African slave labour. It gained self-government in , followed by full independence within the Commonwealth in Agriculture dominates the economy; major crops include arrowroot, bananas, and coconuts.
See West Indies map http: English official , French Creole. Columbus visited the area in Europeans could only settle in St Vincent after making treaties with the local Caribs. The British and French competed for the island until , when it became British by the Treaty of Paris. In , the Caribs agreed to divide the island with the British, but grew resentful and with French help rebelled in Most were deported in to islands in the Gulf of Honduras.
St Vincent became part of the Windward Island colony in and the group became independent in The locals sometimes call the main island "Hairoun," its Carib name. The term "Saint Vincent" is often used for the whole group, including the Grenadines. The name "Saint Vincent" was bestowed by Columbus on his discovery of the island on 22 January , in honor of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, a Spanish saint.
The name "Grenadines" derives from the Spanish for "pomegranate" in reference to the distribution of the smaller islands; pomegranate fruits do not grow on the islands. The area of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is square miles square kilometers , with the square miles comprising the mainland and 17 square miles in the Grenadines. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population of approximately , estimate , with about , residing on Saint Vincent and the remainder distributed among the Grenadines. On Saint Vincent, most of the population lives in the southern two thirds of the island because the volcano occupies the northern third of the island.
The capital, Kingstown, and its suburbs have a population of around 25, The official language of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is English. Most, however, normally speak a creole known locally as "dialect. The national flag is a tricolor of green, gold, and blue, with a stylized V in the center — representing the rich foliage of the island, the sun, and the sea.
All public buildings display the flag, as do many private homes. Vincentians dwell on the natural beauty of the islands: Emergence of the Nation. Saint Vincent was one of the last Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans. The aboriginal Caribs existed there in sufficient force to hold off European incursions until the eighteenth century. In the early seventeenth century, the Black Caribs — a population composed of the descendants of Caribs and African maroons from other islands — emerged on Saint Vincent. In , the Treaty of Paris granted Saint Vincent to the British who quickly set up plantations with large numbers of slaves.
The Carib lands in the northern part of the island had been excluded from expropriation by the British, but the promise of profitable sugar cultivation led to encroachment by planters and eventually to two Carib wars. The "Red" Caribs, whose descendants still live in Saint Vincent, were allowed to stay. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the British colony had settled into a sugar plantation economy maintained by the importation of slaves. Slavery ended on 1 August The importation of Africans by Europeans established the basic Afro-European foundation of Vincentian society.
The labor shortage created by emancipation occasioned the immigration of East Indians, Portuguese, and Barbadian whites. Many of the freed slaves were turned into agricultural wage earners, but most became peasants. A combination of peasant and plantation agriculture remains the character of Saint Vincent in modern times. In the latter half of the twentieth century, Vincentians gradually came to have more control over their own political life. Universal suffrage granted by the British Crown in gave common people a measure of power that was formerly possessed by the planters.
Independence was granted in Due to the reliance on an export economy of bananas, Saint Vincent remains dependent on the trade policies of the United States , Great Britain , and the European Union. The poor people in Saint Vincent, whether of African, European, Native American, or Asian descent, derive a strong sense of identity from the history of the resistance activities of the Caribs in the eighteenth century, while the wealthier Vincentians identify with English or North American models of behavior.
More than that, the environmental features of Saint Vincent unify the country. The national anthem emphasizes the natural beauty of the islands. Each of the ethnic minorities has been successfully integrated into the nation state and a Vincentian identity. All ethnicities intermarry with the black majority, although the Barbados-descended local whites of Dorsetshire Hill are said to be more reclusive.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is primarily rural. Most of the population lives in small villages of to people. The only large town in the country is the capital, Kingstown. Saint Vincent has a reliable electric supply to the entire island, along with telephone service and safe drinking water. Many people cannot afford utilities in their homes, and the government has supplied most villages with public showers and water taps. Most buildings are made of cinder block or wood frames, painted white or the pastel colors common to the Caribbean.
Food in Daily Life. The daily dish of most Vincentians is pilau, a preparation of rice and pigeon peas to which is added any meat or fish available. Locally grown vegetables, "ground provision," include yams and sweet potatoes, dasheens, eddoes, tannies, and cassava. Among the island's abundant fruits are bananas, mangos, breadfruit, guavas, plumrose, coconuts, passion fruits, and pineapples. The main meal is usually eaten in the early evening when the heat of the day has dissipated.
A light lunch or snacks of fruit make up the midday meal. Breakfast is normally a hearty affair, typically consisting of fried salt fish with onions and peppers, bread, and a pot of cocoa or coffee. Fish of all kinds are caught by the local fishermen. Cetaceans also are hunted and eaten, the most common being porpoises, killer whales, and pilot whales. Fishsellers travel to the villages in pickup trucks when a catch is in, blowing conch shells to announce that fish are for sale.
On holidays, it is common for everyone to fish for crawfish in the mountain streams or to catch land crabs to add to the evening meal. Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. Whenever guests are invited for a meal, they must be fed until they are satisfied. Rum is drunk before or after a special meal, or even during a break in the day.
Strong rum 70 percent alcohol is the Vincentian drink and is offered to all male guests. Women may have beer, but usually they do not drink strong alcohol. Sea moss — a mixture of milk, seaweed, and spices — is considered an aphrodisiac and appears at Christmas and other special occasions. For birthdays and other celebrations cakes are usually eaten.
Bananas and tourism are the main forces in the Vincentian economy: Plantations continued to exist after the end of slavery and remained powerful, but small farming employed more people in contemporary times. Few households can subsist entirely from their farming, and most have some members engaged in wage labor. Remittances from abroad have become an essential part of the Vincentian economy.
Land Tenure and Property. The current pattern of land distribution and use began during slavery, and a few families own most of the land. Let us wish you a happy birthday! Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Year Please fill in a complete birthday Enter a valid birthday. Skin care Face Body. What happens when I have an item in my cart but it is less than the eligibility threshold? Should I pay a subscription fee to always have free shipping?
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