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Vernacular language| languages = Vincentian Creole| conventional_long_name = Saint Vincent and the Grenadines| common_name = Saint Vincent and the Grenadines| image_flag = Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg| image_coat = Coat of arms of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg| coa_size = 75| symbol = Coat of arms of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines| symbol_type = Coat of arms| image_map = File: VCT_orthographic.svg| image_map2 = laitalics=off}}"Peace and Justice"| royal_anthem = "God Save the King"(File:United States Navy Band - God Save the King.oga)Saint Vincent, Land so Beautiful"{{center>(File:National anthem of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, performed by the United States Navy Band.oga)}}English language>English| ethnic_groups = {hide}unbulleted list Demographics of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines>Vincentian and GrenadinianVincy (colloquial)| capital = Kingstown13N14type:city}}| largest_city = capital| government_type = Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchyMonarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines>Monarch| leader_name1 = Charles IIIGovernor-General}}| leader_name2 = Susan DouganList of Prime Ministers of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines>Prime Minister| leader_name3 = Ralph GonsalvesHouse of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines>House of Assembly| sovereignty_type = IndependenceAssociated Statehood Act 1967>Associated State| established_date1 = 27 October 1969| established_event2 = from the United Kingdom| established_date2 = 27 October 1979| area_rank = 184th| area_magnitude = | area_km2 = 389| area_sq_mi = | percent_water = negligible PUBLISHER=STATISTICAL OFFICE, GOVERNMENT OF SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES ARCHIVE-DATE=22 APRIL 2023, | population_estimate_rank = 180th| population_estimate_year = 2022 DATE=2012 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20230422191346/HTTPS://STATS.GOV.VC/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2017/01/2012-HOUSING-AND-POPULATION-CENSUS-REPORT-FINAL-DRAFT-4.PDF, 22 April 2023, | population_census_year = 2012| population_density_km2 = 307| population_density_sq_mi = 792| population_density_rank = 39th| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $2 billion| GDP_PPP_year = 2023DATE=OCTOBER 2023 TITLE=WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK OCTOBER 2023 (SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES), | GDP_nominal = {{increase}} $1 billion| GDP_nominal_year = 2023| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $9,360| Gini_year = | Gini_change = | Gini = | Gini_ref = | Gini_rank = | HDI_year = 2022| HDI_change = decrease| HDI = 0.772LANGUAGE=ENUNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME>DATE=13 MARCH 2024, 13 March 2024, | HDI_rank = 81stEast Caribbean dollar>E.C dollar| currency_code = XCDAtlantic Standard Time>AST| utc_offset = -4| time_zone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | drives_on = leftArea code 784>+1 784| cctld = .vc| today = }}Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.ogg|ˌ|ɡ|r|ɛ|n|ə|ˈ|d|iː|n|z}} {{respell|GREH|nə|DEENZ}}) is an island country in the eastern Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies, at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea, where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean.Its {{convert|369|km2|abbr=on}} territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and, south of that, two-thirds of the northern part of the Grenadines, a chain of 32 smaller islands. Some of the Grenadines are inhabited—Bequia, Mustique, Union Island, Canouan, Petit Saint Vincent, Palm Island, Mayreau, Young Island—while others are not: Tobago Cays, Baliceaux, Battowia, Quatre, Petite Mustique, Savan and Petit Nevis. Most of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lies within the Hurricane Alley.To the north of Saint Vincent lies Saint Lucia, to the east is Barbados, and Grenada lies to the south. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population density of over 300 inhabitants/km2 (700 per sq mi), with an estimated population of 110,872.WEB,weblink "Mid Year Total Population Estimates by Age and Sex, 2018 to 2022", Statistical Office, Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,weblink 22 April 2023, Kingstown is the capital and main port. Saint Vincent has a British colonial history, and is now part of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, CARICOM, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).In April 2021, the La Soufrière volcano erupted several times with "explosive events" continuing. By 12 April, 16,000 residents had evacuated the area.WEB,weblink Everything We Know About the Volcano Eruption on St. Vincent, Town&Country magazine, 12 April 2021, 13 April 2021, WEB,weblink From Bad To Worse: La Soufrière Volcano Continues To Erupt, NPR, 12 April 2021, 12 April 2021, Jones, Dustin, Assistance and emergency financial support was being provided by several nearby islands, the United Kingdom, and agencies such as the United Nations. The first significant offer of long-term funding, of US$20 million, was announced on 13 April 2021 by the World Bank.WEB,weblink US$20m for St. Vincent volcano response from World Bank, NY Carib News, 13 April 2021, 11 July 2022,weblink dead,

Etymology

Christopher Columbus, the first European to reach the island, named it after St. Vincent of Saragossa (San Vicente de Zaragoza) whose feast day was on the day Columbus first saw it (22 January 1498). The name of the Grenadines refers to the Spanish city of Granada, but to differentiate it from the island of the same name, the diminutive was used. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Kalinago natives who inhabited the island of St. Vincent called it Youloumain, in honour of Youlouca, the spirit of the rainbows, who they believed inhabited the island.WEB,weblink CIA World Factbook – St Vincent, 7 July 2019, WEB,weblink The Commonwealth – St Vincent and the Grenadines, 7 July 2019, 22 January 2020,weblink dead,

History

Pre-colonial period

Before the arrival of Europeans and Africans in the 16th century, various Amerindian groups passed through or settled on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including the Ciboney, Arawak, and Kalinago people.WEB,weblink Review of the Indigenous Caribbean, indigenousreview.blogspot.com.au, The island now known as Saint Vincent was originally named YouloumainBOOK, Historic Account of Saint Vincent, the Kalinago Youroumayn, the island of the Karaÿbes, Frere. Adrien Le Breton SJ. (1662–1736), Museum of Natural History, Fonds Jussieu, Paris, by the native Island Caribs who called themselves Kalina.

European arrival and early colonial period

It is thought that Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1498, giving it the name St Vincent. The Kalinago people aggressively opposed European settlement on Saint Vincent.ENCYCLOPEDIA,weblink David Lawrence Niddrie, Richard Tolson, Adrian Fraser, Encyclopædia Britannica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 21 October 2019, 7 July 2019,

French and British colonisation and First Carib War

Various attempts by the English and Dutch to claim the island proved unsuccessful, and it was the French who were first able to colonise the island, settling in the town of Barrouallie on the leeward side of St Vincent in 1719. The French imported Black slaves to work on plantations producing sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton and cocoa.WEB,weblink St Vincent Genealogy Resources, svgancestry.com,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120321165131weblink">weblink 21 March 2012, File:SaintVincent Carib Treaty Negotiation 1773.jpg|thumb|upright|Depiction of the 1773 treaty negotiations between the British and the GarifunaGarifunaThe British captured the island and drove out the French from Barrouallie during the Seven Years' War, a claim confirmed by the Treaty of Paris (1763). On taking control of the island in 1763, the British laid the foundations of Fort Charlotte and also continued the importation of slaves to work on the island's plantations. The Garifuna, an Afro-Indigenous creole people on the island, were opposed to the British presence and entered into open conflict against the British, starting the First Carib War, which lasted from 1772 to 1773.During the Anglo-French War (1778–1783), the French recaptured St Vincent in 1779. However, the British regained control under the Treaty of Versailles (1783).

British colonial period and Second Carib War

The uneasy peace between the British and the Garifuna led to the Second Carib War, which lasted from 1795 to 1797. The Garifuna were led by paramount chief Joseph Chatoyer and supported by the French, notably Victor Hugues who was based on the island of Martinique. They were eventually defeated in 1797 by British forces under the command Sir Ralph Abercromby; a peace treaty agreement was made which resulted in almost 5,000 Garifuna being deported to Roatán, an island off the coast of Honduras, and to Belize and Baliceaux in the Grenadines. In 1806, the construction of Fort Charlotte was completed.WEB,weblink St Vincent's Fort Charlotte to undergo extensive restoration, upgrades, 5 September 2022, St Vincent Times, stvincenttimes.com, The La Soufrière volcano erupted in 1812, resulting in considerable destruction.WEB,weblink A volcanic retrospective: eruptions of the Soufrière, St Vincent, Pyle, David, 8 May 2014, 7 July 2019, (File:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1907-1979).svg|thumb|Colonial flag (to 1979))The British abolished slavery in Saint Vincent (as well as in all other British West Indies colonies) in 1834, and an apprenticeship period followed which ended in 1838. After its end, labour shortages on the plantations resulted, and were initially addressed by the immigration of indentured servants; in the late 1840s, many Portuguese immigrants arrived from Madeira, and between 1861 and 1888 shiploads of Indian labourers arrived.

20th century

File:Baking bread in the West Indies.png|thumb|Residents of Saint Vincent making casabecasabeIn 1902, the La Soufrière volcano erupted again, killing 1,500–2,000 people; much farmland was damaged, and the economy deteriorated.Saint Vincent and the Grenadines passed through various stages of colonial status under the British. A representative assembly was authorised in 1776, Crown Colony government was installed in 1877, a legislative council was created in 1925 with a limited franchise, and universal adult suffrage was granted in 1951. During the period of its control of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Britain made several attempts to unify the island with the other Windward Islands as a single entity, to simplify British control in the sub-region through a single unified administration. In the 1960s, the British again tried to unify all of its regional islands, including Saint Vincent, into a single politically unified entity under British control. The unification was to be called the West Indies Federation and was driven by a desire to gain independence from the British government. However, the attempt collapsed in 1962.Saint Vincent was granted "associate statehood" status by Britain on 27 October 1969. This gave Saint Vincent complete control over its internal affairs but fell short of full independence in law.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}In April 1979, La Soufrière erupted once more. Although no one was killed, thousands were evacuated and extensive agricultural damage occurred.On 27 October 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gained full independence; the date is now the country's Independence Day, a public holiday. The country opted to remain within the Commonwealth of Nations, retaining the then-Queen Elizabeth II as Monarch, represented locally by a Governor-General.WEB, Sir David Smith "An Australian Head of State: An Historical and Contemporary Perspective [1]",weblink 12 August 2020, www.aph.gov.au, en-AU,

Post-independence era

Milton Cato of the centre-left Saint Vincent Labour Party (SVLP) was the country's first Prime Minister (he had been Premier since 1974), ruling until his defeat in the 1984 Vincentian general election by James Fitz-Allen Mitchell of the centre-right New Democratic Party (NDP). During Cato's time in office, there was a brief rebellion on Union Island in December 1979 led by Lennox 'Bumba' Charles. Inspired by the recent revolution on Grenada, Charles alleged neglect of the Union by the central government. However, the revolt was swiftly put down and Charles was arrested.NEWS,weblink St. Vincent Suppresses Short-Lived Rebellion On Isle in Grenadines, The New York Times, 9 December 1979, 7 July 2019, WEB,weblink Union remembers December 7 uprising, 9 December 2005, 7 July 2019, There were also a series of strikes in the early 1980s. James Mitchell remained Prime Minister for 16 years until 2000, winning three consecutive elections. Mitchell was at the forefront of attempts to improve regional integration. In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes damaged many banana and coconut plantations. Hurricane seasons were also very active in 1998 and 1999, with Hurricane Lenny in 1999 causing extensive damage to the west coast of the island.{{fact|date=December 2021}}In 2000, Arnhim Eustace became Prime Minister after taking over the leadership of the NDP following Mitchell's retirement; he was defeated a year later by Ralph Gonsalves of the Unity Labour Party (successor party to the SVLP).WEB,weblink Caribbean Elections | St. Vincent and the Grenadines General Elections 2010, 12 September 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111006195247weblink">weblink 6 October 2011, Gonsalves—a left-winger known in the country as "Comrade Ralph"St Vincent and the Grenadines profile – Leaders, BBC News (27 November 2014).Ralph E. Gonsalves, The Making of "The Comrade": The Political Journey of Ralph Gonsalves: an Autobiographical Sketch of a Caribbean Prime Minister (SFI Books, 2010).—argued that European nations owe Caribbean nations reparations for their role in the Atlantic slave trade.NEWS,weblink Caribbean nations consider push for slavery reparations, Reuters, 6 March 2014, 7 July 2019, Torres, Aileen, Gonsalves won a second term in 2005, a third in 2010, and a fourth in 2015.St Vincent and the Grenadines country profile, BBC News (31 May 2018).In 2009, a referendum was held on a proposal to adopt a new constitution that would make the country a republic, replacing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state with a non-executive President, a proposal supported by Prime Minister Gonsalves. A two-thirds majority was required, but the referendum was defeated 29,019 votes (55.64 per cent) to 22,493 (43.13 per cent).WEB,weblink Constitutional reform referendum defeated in St Vincent & the Grenadines, Antillean, 26 November 2009, 16 December 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100218004358weblink">weblink 18 February 2010, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council 2020–21.In November 2020, Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines since 2001, made history by securing the fifth consecutive victory of his Unity Labour Party (ULP) in general election.NEWS, Ralph romps to fifth straight election win in St Vincent and the Grenadines,weblink jamaica-gleaner.com, 6 November 2020, en, In 2021, on 9 April, the La Soufrière volcano erupted, sending ash several miles into the atmosphere. Approximately 16,000 people were evacuated in the days leading up to the eruption.WEB,weblink Explosive eruption rocks volcano on Caribbean's St. Vincent, NBC News, 9 April 2021,

Geography

File:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg|thumb|A map of Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesGrenadinesSaint Vincent and the Grenadines lies to the west of Barbados, south of Saint Lucia and north of Grenada in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, an island arc of the Caribbean Sea. The islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines include the main island of Saint Vincent {{convert|344|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines {{convert|45|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada. There are 32 islands and cays that make up St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Nine are inhabited, including the mainland St Vincent and the Grenadines islands: Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union Island, Mayreau, Petit St Vincent and Palm Island. Prominent uninhabited islands of the Grenadines include Petit Nevis, used by whalers, and Petit Mustique, which was the centre of a prominent real-estate scam in the early 2000s.WEB,weblink L'enfer d'une société belge au paradis terrestre, Balboni, Julien, 10 October 2018, L'Echo, fr, live,weblink 8 January 2019, 11 December 2019, The capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown, Saint Vincent. The main island of Saint Vincent measures {{convert|26|km|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|15|km|abbr=on}} in width and {{convert|344|km2|abbr=on}} in area. From the most northern to the most southern points, the Grenadine islands belonging to Saint Vincent span {{convert|60.4|km|abbr=on}}, with a combined area of {{convert|45|km2|abbr=on}}.WEB, North America - Grassland, desert, and tundra soils {{!, Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/North-America/Grassland-desert-and-tundra-soils |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}The island of Saint Vincent is volcanic and heavily forested and includes little level ground. The windward side of the island is very rocky and steep, while the leeward side has more sandy beaches and bays.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} Saint Vincent's highest peak is La Soufrière volcano at {{convert|1234|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Other major mountains on St Vincent are (from north to south) Richmond Peak, Mount Brisbane, Colonarie Mountain, Grand Bonhomme, Petit Bonhomme and Mount St Andrew.WEB, 2017-04-25, Largest Islands In Saint Vincent And The Grenadines,weblink 2022-06-19, WorldAtlas, en-US, The country is home to two terrestrial ecoregions: Windward Islands moist forests and the Lesser Antillean dry forests.JOURNAL, Dinerstein, Eric, Olson, David, Joshi, Anup, Vynne, Carly, Burgess, Neil D., Wikramanayake, Eric, Hahn, Nathan, Palminteri, Suzanne, Hedao, Prashant, Noss, Reed, Hansen, Matt, Locke, Harvey, Ellis, Erle C, Jones, Benjamin, Barber, Charles Victor, Hayes, Randy, Kormos, Cyril, Martin, Vance, Crist, Eileen, Sechrest, Wes, Price, Lori, Baillie, Jonathan E. M., Weeden, Don, Suckling, Kierán, Davis, Crystal, Sizer, Nigel, Moore, Rebecca, Thau, David, Birch, Tanya, Potapov, Peter, Turubanova, Svetlana, Tyukavina, Alexandra, de Souza, Nadia, Pintea, Lilian, Brito, José C., Llewellyn, Othman A., Miller, Anthony G., Patzelt, Annette, Ghazanfar, Shahina A., Timberlake, Jonathan, Klöser, Heinz, Shennan-Farpón, Yara, Kindt, Roeland, Lillesø, Jens-Peter Barnekow, van Breugel, Paulo, Graudal, Lars, Voge, Maianna, Al-Shammari, Khalaf F., Saleem, Muhammad, 1, An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, 67, 6, 2017, 534–545, 0006-3568, 10.1093/biosci/bix014, 28608869, 5451287, free, It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.95/10, ranking it 61st globally out of 172 countries.JOURNAL, Grantham, H. S., Duncan, A., Evans, T. D., Jones, K. R., Beyer, H. L., Schuster, R., Walston, J., Ray, J. C., Robinson, J. G., Callow, M., Clements, T., Costa, H. M., DeGemmis, A., Elsen, P. R., Ervin, J., Franco, P., Goldman, E., Goetz, S., Hansen, A., Hofsvang, E., Jantz, P., Jupiter, S., Kang, A., Langhammer, P., Laurance, W. F., Lieberman, S., Linkie, M., Malhi, Y., Maxwell, S., Mendez, M., Mittermeier, R., Murray, N. J., Possingham, H., Radachowsky, J., Saatchi, S., Samper, C., Silverman, J., Shapiro, A., Strassburg, B., Stevens, T., Stokes, E., Taylor, R., Tear, T., Tizard, R., Venter, O., Visconti, P., Wang, S., Watson, J. E. M., 1, Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material, Nature Communications, 11, 1, 2020, 5978, 2041-1723, 10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3, 33293507, 7723057, 2020NatCo..11.5978G, free,

Government and politics

{{multiple image| align = right| perrow = | direction = | total_width = 500| header = Main office-holders| footer = | caption_align = center| image1 = King Charles III (July 2023).jpg| width1 = King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:Charles IIIsince{{nowrap>8 September 2022}}| image2 = Susan Dougan 2019.jpg| width2 = Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:Susan Dougan>Dame Susan Dougansince{{nowrap|1 August 2019}}| image3 = Ralph Gonsalves 2023.jpg| width3 = Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:Ralph Gonsalvessince{{nowrap>28 March 2001}}}}Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, with Charles III as King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He does not reside in the islands and is represented as head of state in the country by the Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, currently Susan Dougan (since 1 August 2019).WEB,weblink SVG's First Female Head of State Sworn In, Searchlight.vc, 1 August 2019, 23 August 2019, The office of Governor-General has mostly ceremonial functions including the opening of the islands' House of Assembly and the appointment of various government officials. Control of the government rests with the elected Prime Minister and their cabinet. The current Prime Minister is Ralph Gonsalves, elected in 2001 as head of the Unity Labour Party.Profile {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006195237weblink |date=6 October 2011 }}, caribbeanelections.com; accessed 1 September 2014.The legislative branch of government is the unicameral House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, seating 15 elected members representing single-member constituencies and six appointed members known as Senators. The parliamentary term of office is five years, although the Prime Minister may call elections at any time.The judicial branch of government is divided into district courts, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in London being the court of last resort.

Political culture

The two political parties with parliamentary representation are the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Unity Labour Party (ULP). The parliamentary opposition is made up of the largest minority stakeholder in the general elections, headed by the Leader of the Opposition. The current opposition leader is Godwin Friday.

Military

{{Further|Military of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}Saint Vincent has no formal armed forces, although the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force includes a Special Service Unit as well as a militia that has a supporting role on the island.WEB, Special Services Unit (SSU) Overview,weblink 10 April 2021, rsvgpf.gov.vc, en-GB, 7 April 2022,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20220407145048weblink">weblink dead, WEB, 9 September 2019, Food safety and quality: Country page,weblink 10 April 2021, www.fao.org, In 2017, Saint Vincent signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.WEB,weblink Chapter XXVI: Disarmament â€“ No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, United Nations Treaty Collection, 7 July 2017,

Administrative divisions

Administratively, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is divided into six parishes. Five parishes are on Saint Vincent, while the sixth is made up of the Grenadine islands. Kingstown is located in the Parish of Saint George and is the capital city and central administrative centre of the country.

LGBT rights

"Acts of gross indecency", which may be defined to include homosexual activity, are illegal in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.NEWS, Daniel, Avery, 71 Countries Where Homosexuality is Illegal,weblink Newsweek, 4 April 2019, Section 148 of the Criminal Code states:Any person, who in public or private, commits an act of gross indecency with another person of the same sex, or procures or attempts to procure another person of the same sex to commit an act of gross indecency with him or her, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for five years.WEB,weblink Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Situation and treatment of homosexuals; legislation; availability of state protection and support services (2007 – September 2009), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Refworld, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110728143803weblink">weblink 28 July 2011, dmy-all,

Foreign relations

{{Further|Foreign relations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}

International and regional relationships

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines maintains close ties to Canada, the United Kingdom and the US, and cooperates with regional political and economic organisations such as the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and CARICOM.JOURNAL,weblink The Double Taxation Relief (Caricom) Order, Legal Supplement, 33, 273, 28 December 1994, The island nation's sixth embassy overseas was opened on 8 August 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan, after Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves' official visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan); the other five are located in London (a High Commission as Commonwealth countries have high commissions rather than embassies in each other's countries), Washington D.C., Havana, Caracas and Brussels.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty

{{Overly detailed|section|details=|date=December 2021}}On 6 July 1994 at Sherbourne Conference Centre, St Michael, Barbados, as a representative of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, then (James Mitchell, who was subsequently knighted) signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaties. There were seven other signatories to the agreement on that day. The countries which were represented were Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.WEB, No Double Taxation on Earnings Under CSME,weblink Jamaica Information Service, 8 December 2021, 12 October 2005, {{citation needed|date=October 2020}}An eighth country signed the agreement on 19 August 2016, Guyana. {{citation needed|date=October 2020}}This treaty covered taxes, residence, tax jurisdictions, capital gains, business profits, interest, dividends, royalties and other areas.

FATCA

On 30 June 2014, St. Vincent and the Grenadines signed a Model 1 agreement with the United States of America with respect to Foreign Account Tax Compliance (Act) or FATCA.WEB,weblink Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Treasury.gov, 8 July 2017, According to the updated site as of 16 January 2017, on 13 May 2016 the agreement went to "In Force" status. {{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

International and regional bodies to which Saint Vincent and the Grenadines belong

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).In September 2017, at the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, the Prime Ministers of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines called for UN action on alleged human rights abuses committed by Indonesia on Western New Guinea's indigenous Papuans.NEWS, Fiery debate over West Papua at UN General Assembly,weblink Radio New Zealand 2017, 27 September 2017, In 2019, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became the smallest country to ever be elected to the UN Security Council.

Organisation of American States

St Vincent and the Grenadines joined the Organisation of American States on 27 October 1981.WEB,weblink Member State: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 1 August 2009, Organization of American States, 8 July 2017, It participates in the Summits of the Americas and the Indigenous Leaders Summits of Americas.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

European nations

In 2013, Saint Vincent called for European nations to pay reparations for the slave trade.WEB, 14 Caribbean nations sue European countries for slavery reparations,weblink 10 March 2021, america.aljazeera.com, Upon a visit in April, 2022, the British Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were confronted with protesters calling for reparations for Britain's participation in the slave trade. Among the protesters was Jomo Thomas, former chair of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Reparations Committee, who called for reparations from the former colonial power.NEWS, Das, Shanti, Chance, Kenton, 2022-04-23, Slavery protesters target royal tour in St Vincent,weblink 2024-01-18, The Observer, en-GB, 0029-7712, WEB, 2022-04-26, The Backlash to Prince Edward and Sophie's Caribbean Royal Tour Grows,weblink 2024-01-18, Town & Country, en-US,

Venezuela

Saint Vincent protests against Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves (Bird) Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea.

Economy

(File:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines electricity production.svg|thumb|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines electricity production by source)(File:St. Vincent, Karibik - Kingstown - Looking north from Fort Charlotte - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Campden Park, St. Vincent)Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of this lower-middle-income economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and the unemployment rate remains high at 19.8% in the 1991 censusWEB, Statement of St Vincent & the Grenadines,weblink United Nations Population Information Network, 9 September 1994, 16 December 2011, to 15% in 2001. The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development as tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of bananas in many years.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}There is a small manufacturing sector and a small offshore financial sector serving international businesses; its secrecy laws have caused some international concern. There are increasing demands for international financial services like stock exchange and financial intermediaries financial activities in the country. In addition, the natives of Bequia are permitted to hunt up to four humpback whales per year under IWC subsistence quotas.WEB, Bequia,weblink 2022-06-26, iwc.int, en,

Tourism

The tourism sector has considerable potential for development. The filming of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on the island has helped to expose the country to more potential visitors and investors. Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism.WEB, Report to the Regional Consultation on SIDS Specific Issues,weblink October 2003, United Nations Environment Program, Lystra, Culzac-Wilson, 16 December 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120111085338weblink">weblink 11 January 2012,

Transportation

Argyle International Airport is the country's new international airport.WEB, Argyle International Airport, St Vincent & the Grenadines,weblink caribbeanconstruction.com, 3 May 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160303235235weblink">weblink 3 March 2016, dead, The new facility opened on 14 February 2017,NEWS,weblink Argyle International Airport to open February 14, 29 December 2016, Antigua Observer Newspaper, 20 January 2017, 4 January 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170104232823weblink">weblink dead, replacing the existing E.T. Joshua Airport. The airport is on the island's east coast about 8.3 km (5.17 miles) from Kingstown.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

Communications

In 2010, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had 21,700 telephone land lines. Its land telephone system is fully automatic, covering the entire island and all of the inhabited Grenadine islands.WEB, The World Fact Book,weblink 10 November 2011, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 December 2011, In 2002, there were 10,000 mobile phones.WEB, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,weblink 1 November 2005, About.com, 16 December 2011, 13 January 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120113020348weblink">weblink dead, By 2010, this number had increased to 131,800. Mobile phone service is available in most areas of Saint Vincent as well as the Grenadines.WEB, 2023-03-19, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines: 2 Best Prepaid SIM Cards Buying Guide (2023),weblink 2023-03-22, Phone Travel Wiz, en-US, Saint Vincent has two ISPs (Digicel, Flow) that provide cellular telephone and internet service.WEB, About SVG: Essentials,weblink SVG Tourism Authority, 16 December 2011, 7 August 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160807012602weblink">weblink dead,

Demographics

The population as estimated in {{UN_Population|Year}} was {{UN_Population|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}.{{UN_Population|ref}} The ethnic composition was 66% African descent, 19% of mixed descent, 6% East Indian, 4% Europeans (mainly Portuguese), 2% Kalinago and 3% others. Most Vincentians are the descendants of West-Central African people brought to the island to work on plantations. There are other ethnic groups such as Portuguese (from Madeira) and East Indians, both brought in to work on the plantations after the abolishing of slavery by the British living on the island. There is also a growing Chinese population.WEB,weblink WHO WE ARE, Permanent Mission of St Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations, svg-un.org,

Languages

English is the official language. Most Vincentians speak Vincentian Creole.WEB,weblink Vincentian Creole English, Ethnologue, 19 February 1999, 29 April 2014, English is used in education, government, religion, and other formal domains, while Creole (or 'dialect' as it is referred to locally) is used in informal situations such as in the home and among friends.WEB,weblink The Classification of the English-Lexifier Creole Languages Spoken in Grenada, Guyana, St Vincent, and Tobago Using a Comparison of the Markers of Some Key Grammatical Features, SIL International, 29 April 2014,

Religion

File:St. Vincent, Karibik - St. Mary's R.C. School ^ St. Mary's R.C. Cathedral - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Assumption Cathedral, Kingstown]] According to the 2001 census, 81.5% of the population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines identified themselves as Christian, 6.7% has another religion and 8.8% has no religion or did not state a religion (1.5%).WEB,weblink Population and housing census report 2001, stats.gov.vc, 8 July 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180911195540weblink">weblink 11 September 2018, dead, Anglicanism constitutes the largest religious category, with 17.8% of the population. Pentecostals are the second largest group (17.6%). The next largest group are Methodists (10.9% of the population), followed by Seventh-day Adventists (10.2%) and Baptists (10.0%). Other Christians include Roman Catholics (7.5%), Evangelicals (2.8%), Church of God (2.5%), Brethren Christian (1.3%), Jehovah's Witnesses (0.6%) and the Salvation Army (0.3%).WEB, Sen Nag, Oishimaya, 13 November 2018, Religious Beliefs In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,weblink World Atlas, Between 1991 and 2001 the number of Anglicans, Brethren, Methodists and Roman Catholics decreased, while the number of Pentecostals, Evangelicals and Seventh-day Adventists increased.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}The number of non-Christians is small. These religious groups include the Rastafari (1.5% of the population), Hindus and Muslims (1.5%).WEB,weblink Archived copy, 27 November 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110810075151weblink">weblink 10 August 2011, dead,

Culture

File:Mustiquebeaches.jpg|thumb|The island of Mustique in the GrenadinesGrenadines

Sport

{{See also|Cricket in the West Indies}}Cricket, rugby and association football are most popular among men whereas netball is most popular among women. Basketball, volleyball and tennis are also very popular.WEB,weblink Visit St Vincent & the Grenadines – Sport, visitsvg.com, 28 October 2015, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150919002957weblink">weblink 19 September 2015, The country's prime football league is the NLA Premier League, which provides its national (association) football team with most players. A notable Vincentian footballer is Ezra Hendrickson, former national team captain who played at several Major League Soccer clubs in the United States and is now a head coach with the Chicago Fire FC.WEB, Chicago Fire FC Names Ezra Hendrickson Head Coach,weblink Chicago Fire FC, 24 November 2021, The country regularly participates at the Caribbean Basketball Championship where a men's team and a women's team compete. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also has its own national rugby union team which is ranked 84th in the world. Other notable sports played at the regional level include track and field. Natasha Mayers won a gold medal in the 100m at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.NEWS, Natasha Mayers of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be moved up to gold,weblink 14 February 2022, sandiegouniontribune.com, Kineke Alexander won a bronze medal in the women's [400m] at the 2015 Pan American Games.NEWS, SVG's Kineke Alexander takes Pan Am Games 400 metres bronze,weblink 14 February 2022, iwnsvg.com, Eswort Coombs got a bronze medal in the 400m at the 1995 Pan American Games.

Music

Music popular in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes big drum, calypso, soca, steelpan and reggae. String band music, quadrille and traditional storytelling are also popular. One of the most successful St Vincent natives is Kevin Lyttle. He was named Cultural Ambassador for the Island 19 September 2013.WEB,weblink Kevin Lyttle, "Skinny Fabulous," n "Fireman Hooper" Are Named Cultural Ambassadors, Islandmix.com, 19 September 2013, 29 April 2014, 29 April 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140429200707weblink">weblink dead, The national anthem of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is "Saint Vincent, Land so beautiful", adopted upon independence in 1979.WEB, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - National Anthem Art,weblink National Anthem Art,

Media

{{See also|List of newspapers in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}Saint Vincent has twelve FM radio stations: 88.9 Adoration Fm,WEB,weblink Contemporary Christian Radio Station, Adoration FM SVG, 8 July 2017, 89.1 Jem Radio, 89.7 NBC Radio, 95.7 and 105.7 Praise FM, 96.7 Nice Radio, 97.1 Hot 97, 98.3 Star FM, 99.9 We FM, 103.7 Hitz, 102.7 EZee radio, 104.3 Xtreme FM and 106.9 Boom FM. There are several Internet radio stations including Chronicles Christian Radio.WEB,weblink About Caribbean Christian Radio Online, Chronicles Christian Radio, 8 July 2017, It has one television broadcast station ZBG-TV (SVGTV)WEB, SVGTV,weblink St Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation Ltd., 16 December 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120108101920weblink">weblink 8 January 2012, and one cable television provider.St Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation is the parent company for SVGTV, Magic 103.7.WEB, Welcome to the Saint Vincent & The Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation Website,weblink SVGBC, 18 March 2020,

Holidays {| class"wikitable"

weblink 2021-10-13, World Travel Guide, en-US, !Date!Name in English|1 January|New Year's Day|14 March|National Heroes' Day|15 April|Good Friday|18 April|Easter Monday|1 May|Labour Day|6 June|Whit Monday|4 July|Carnival Monday|1 August|Emancipation Day|27 October|Independence Day|25 December|Christmas Day|26 December|Boxing Day

Notable people of Vincentian descent

• 21 Savage, Rapper
• Lincoln Alexander, Lawyer
• Judy Boucher, Reggae singer
• Ashley Cain, Footballer
• Dan Caplen, Singer-songwriter
• Jamal Edwards, Entrepreneur
• Skinny Fabulous, Soca musician/singer
• Adonal Foyle, American basketball player
• N'Keal Harry, American football player
• Jesse Lingard, Footballer
• Kevin Lyttle, Musician/singer
• Nixon McLean, Cricketer
• Mist, Rapper
• Nzingha Prescod, American Olympic fencer
• Protoje, Reggae singer
• Marlon Roudette, Singer-songwriter
• Franklyn Seales, television and motion picture actor
• Cassie Ventura, Singer
• Sophia Young, NCAA Champion and 3x WNBA All-Star
• Ezra Hendrickson, MLS Player and now Head Coach of Chicago Fire
• K. Dwight Venner, Former Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

See also

• Outline of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• List of long place names
• Index of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines-related articles

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• Bobrow, Jill & Jinkins, Dana. 1985. St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 4th Edition Revised and Updated, Concepts Publishing Co., Waitsfield, Vermont, 1993.
• Cosover, Mary Jo. 1989. "St. Vincent and the Grenadines." In Islands of the Commonwealth Caribbean: A Regional Study, edited by Sandra W. Meditz and Dennis M. Hanratty. US Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
• CIA Factbook entry
• Gonsalves, Ralph E. 1994. History and the Future: A Caribbean Perspective. Quik-Print, Kingstown, St Vincent.
• US Dept of State Profile
• Williams, Eric. 1964. British Historians and the West Indies, Port-of-Spain.

External links

{{Sister project links|voy=Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}

Government

• {{Official websiteweblink}}
• Website of the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091026201651weblink">Chief of State and Cabinet Members

General information

• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090423081159weblink">Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• {{Curlie|Regional/Caribbean/Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines}}
• St Vincent and the Grenadines from the BBC News
• {{Wikiatlas|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
• Key Development Forecasts for St Vincent and the Grenadines from International Futures
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Private Sector Assessment Report

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