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| Scuba St. Vincent Coral Reef |
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Resources Overview
St. Vincent is a relatively young volcanic island. To the north, Mount Soufriere most recently erupted in 1979. The relatively young coastline, together with new volcanic sediments, have prevented the development of extensive reefs. There are no reef developments around the north and east coasts, and only a few coral communities are found on rocky headlands along the west coast. Small areas of fringing reefs occur on the south and southeast coasts. Running south from the main island is the chain of the Grenadines, where there are considerable areas of reef. Large bank barrier reef complexes have developed on the windward side of some islands. Among the best developed reefs are those around the small islands of the Tobago Cays. Each island has a fringing reef, the larger Horseshoe Reef encircles them to the east, while beyond this there is the larger World’s End Reef. The reefs of St. Vincent, and particularly the Grenadines, support important fishing and tourism, while large numbers of yachts visit these waters. The Tobago Cays are particularly important, but their condition has deteriorated recently because of storm damage, white band disease, physical damage from fishing gear and boat anchors, and pollution from visiting yachts.
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Geography
Area: 340 sq. km. (130 sq. mi.); slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC. The Grenadines include 32 islands, the largest of which are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, and Union. Some of the smaller islands are privately owned.
Cities: Capital--Kingstown.
Terrain: Volcanic and mountainous, with the highest peak, Soufriere, rising to 1,219 meters (4,000 ft.).
Climate: Tropical. |
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Vincentian.
Population (1998): 111,800.
Annual growth rate (1998): 0.1%.
Ethnic groups: African descent (66%), mixed (19%), West Indian (6%), Carib Indian (2%).
Religions: Anglican (47%), Methodist (28%), Roman Catholic (13%), other Protestant denominations, Seventh-day Adventist, Hindu.
Language: English (official); some French Patois spoken.
Education: Literacy--98%. Years compulsory--up to age 15.
Health (1998): Infant mortality rate--22.2/1,000. Life expectancy--females 72 yrs.; males--68 yrs.
Work force: About 40,000. Agriculture--60%. |
Economy
GDP: $342.7 million.
Per capita GDP: $3,059.
Natural resources: Timber, beaches.
Industry: Types--plastic products, food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch, and detergents.
Trade: Exports--$164.8 million (bananas, eddoes and dasheen, arrowroot starch). Major markets--U.K., CARICOM, U.S. Imports--$223.4 million (foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers). Major suppliers--U.S., CARICOM, U.K., Japan. |
Profile
Most Vincentians are the descendants of African slaves brought to the island to work on plantations. There also are a few white descendants of English colonists, as well as some East Indians, Carib Indians, and a sizable minority of mixed race. The country's official language is English, but a French patois may be heard on some of the Grenadine Islands. St. Vincent has a high rate of emigration. With extremely high unemployment and under-employment, population growth remains a major problem.
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History
Carib Indians aggressively prevented European settlement on St. Vincent until the 18th century. African slaves--whether shipwrecked or escaped from St. Lucia and Grenada and seeking refuge in St. Vincent--intermarried with the Caribs and became known as "black Caribs." Beginning in 1719, French settlers cultivated coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar on plantations worked by African slaves. In 1763, St. Vincent was ceded to Britain. Restored to French rule in 1779, St. Vincent was regained by the British under the Treaty of Versailles in 1783. Conflict between the British and the black Caribs continued until 1796, when General Abercrombie crushed a revolt fomented by the French radical Victor Hugues. More than 5,000 black Caribs were eventually deported to Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras.
Slavery was abolished in 1834; the resulting labor shortages on the plantations attracted Portuguese immigrants in the 1840s and east Indians in the 1860s. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the turn of the century.
From 1763 until independence, St. Vincent passed through various stages of colonial status under the British. A representative assembly was authorized in 1776, Crown Colony government installed in 1877, a legislative council created in 1925, and universal adult suffrage granted in 1951.
During this period, the British made several unsuccessful attempts to affiliate St. Vincent with other Windward Islands in order to govern the region through a unified administration. The most notable was the West Indies Federation, which collapsed in 1962. St. Vincent was granted associate statehood status in 1969, giving it complete control over its internal affairs. Following a referendum in 1979, St. Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence. Natural disasters have plagued the country throughout the 20th century.
In 1902, La Soufriere volcano erupted, killing 2,000 people. Much farmland was damaged, and the economy deteriorated. In April 1979, La Soufriere erupted again. Although no one was killed, thousands had to be evacuated, and there was extensive agricultural damage. In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes devastated banana and coconut plantations; 1998 and 1999 also saw very active hurricane seasons, with hurricane Lenny in 1999 causing extensive damage to the west coast of the island. |
| Information provided by CIA Worldfactbook, US Department of State, Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). ReefBase: Oliver, J. and M. Noordeloos. Editors. 2002, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center, |
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