Greetings! We recently returned from a day trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines (country #89), where we were able to get an overview of this island nation. Below, you will find information and photos from our trip.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. It is a multi-island nation that is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Grenadines is made up of 32 islands, including the exclusive islands of Mustique (muss-TEEK) and Bequia (beh-quee-yah). Many of the names on the islands are French, which is a reflection of the French influence, though there is still some British influence. The islands cover 150sqmi/389sqkm, and stretch south towards Grenada (greh-NAY-duh). Grenada is a 30 minute flight away, while Barbados is 100miles/160km to the east (about a 30-minute flight), and Trinidad and Tobago is a 40-minute flight away.
SVG (as it is referred to in written shorthand) has a population of 110,000 people, 10,000 of whom live on Bequia, 20,000 of whom live in St. Vincent’s capitol of Kingstown, and the rest of whom live on the other Grenadines islands.
HISTORY of ST. VINCENT and the GRENADINES
Early inhabitants of SVG were Amerindians from Venezuela, who displaced the Caribs, who also originated from South America, descendants of whom still live in the northern part of St. Vincent. The Caribs were on the island from the 17th century, and were the product of intermarriage between native Caribs and African slaves who had escaped from plantations primarily in Barbados through the Black Point Tunnel.
There were several attempts by the British, French, and Dutch to settle the island and the Caribs were able to resist them, though ultimately allowed limited French settlement, possibly to help defend against the British. However, the Treaty of Paris (1763) resulted in the British gaining control over the island. While the island was seized (again) by the French in 1779, the British regained power in 1783 with the Treaty of Versailles. The Caribs continued to fight the British (including two wars) and they were ultimately exiled after the second war and deported to an island off of the coast of Honduras. The Caribs who were still on the island retreated to the interior until they were pardoned (for their rebellion) in 1805. It should be noted that slavery was subsequently abolished on St. Vincent by the British in 1834.
St. Vincent was granted independence on October 27, 1979, and shortly thereafter, it became known as St. Vincent and the Grenadines. While they have had several different types of government since independence, SVG currently has a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. This is a fancy way of saying that SVG falls under the crown (King Charles III is the king of SVG), which is represented by a head of state (a Governor-General), and they also have a Prime Minister, the current of which has been in office since 2001, making him the longest-serving Prime Minister since SVG gained independence.
Interesting Fact: The Soufrière Volcano is on the north part of St. Vincent and has erupted several times, each time devastating the landscape. St. Vincent is known for its banana trees and its subsequent export of bananas and banana products, and the eruption of 1979 resulted in significant agricultural damage (Soufrière erupted most recently in April of 2021). Then, in 1980, Hurricane Alan also significantly impacted the banana industry.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
The St. Vincent village of Wallilabou (wah-lee-lah-boo) was the site of filming for the motion picture Pirates of the Caribbean I, II, and III. The movies were shot within a two-year span, and the actors stayed on the island for six months the first time, three months the second time, and six weeks the third time. While most of the actors stayed on St. Vincent, we were told that Johnny Depp had his own yacht take him back and forth each day to/from Bequia (1 hour ferry ride each way).
Interesting Fact: Houses and buildings are not numbered (i.e., they have no addresses). People describe where they live or where they are going by describing the colors of the structures around their destination (e.g., the red house by the blue galvanized building across from the bus stop in St. Patrick Parish). However, they do have GPS and Google Maps, which gets them to the general area (e.g., GPS gets them to Anes Bay, and then they use specific directions from the person once they arrive in Anes Bay). That said, there is no organized mail system on the island aside from having a post office box.
Vincentians (as inhabitants of St. Vincent are called) eat a lot of fish, pork, chicken, and rabbit. Animals that are native to SVG include mongoose, iguanas, manacu (big rat), and some sea and land turtles. In addition to bananas, the island is also known for its tobacco, beer, and sunset rum. They have historically relied on sugar cane, and this is what has contributed to their production of rum (they use sweet molasses).
This was a quick trip that resulted in a desire to return to learn more about this fascinating island. I look forward to returning one day to explore some of the surrounding islands. Until next time, take care and be well…