Native name: Yurumei or Hairouna | |
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Geography | |
Location |
Caribbean Sea on the West Coast Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast. |
Coordinates | 13°15′N 61°12′W / 13.250°N 61.200°W |
Archipelago | Windward Islands |
Area | 345 km2 (133 sq mi) |
Length | 18 mi (29 km) |
Width | 11 mi (18 km) |
Highest point |
La Soufrière 4,048 ft (1,234 m) |
Administration | |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
|
Parishes | 6 |
Constituencies | 15 |
Largest settlement | Kingstown (pop. 25,418) |
Demographics | |
Population | 100,000 (2012) |
Pop. density | 347.83 /km2 (900.88 /sq mi) |
Ethnic groups | Black 66%, East Indian 6%, Carib people 2%, Mixed Race 19%, White 4%, Other 3%. |
Caribbean Sea on the West Coast
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the country Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains. Its largest volcano and the country's highest peak, La Soufrière, is active, having last erupted in 1979.
The territory was disputed between France and the United Kingdom in the 18th century, before being ceded to the British in 1763 and again in 1783. It gained independence on October 27, 1979. Approximately 100,000 people live on the island. Kingstown (population 25,418) is the chief town. The rest of the population is dispersed along the coastal strip, which includes the other five main towns of Layou, Barrouallie, Chateaubelair, Georgetown, and Calliaqua.
The people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are called Vincentians, or colloquially Vincies. There are also a few white descendants of English and French colonists, as well as a significant number of Indo-Vincentians, descendants of indentured workers with Indian heritage and there is a sizable minority of mixed race (19%).
The population of the island in 2012 was about 100,000. The main religions are Anglican (47%), Methodist (10%), Roman Catholic (13%), other Protestant denominations such as Seventh-day Adventist, and Hinduism.