SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is located at the southern end of the Windward Islands, between Saint Lucia and Grenada, in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago. The country comprises the island of Saint Vincent and seven smaller inhabited islands and numerous islets and cays that together constitute the Grenadines. These smaller islands are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island, and Petit Saint Vincent. All together, the islands cover 389 square kilometers. The main island of Saint Vincent is the largest, covering 344 square kilometers. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has over 84 kilometers of coastline. The climate is tropical, with little seasonal variation. There are two seasons in Saint Vincent, the rainy season from May through November, and the dry season. During the rainy season, it rains almost daily, often heavily. During the dry season, from January to April, it only rains every few days, and not very heavy. Average annual rainfall is 80 inches along the coast, and 150 inches in the interior. The terrain of the islands is very mountainous. The soil of the islands is dark, and the beaches have black sand in places. This comes from being formed by volcanic eruptions. There is still an active volcano on the island of Saint Vincent, La Soufriere, which last erupted in April, 1979. The land use of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines consists of arable land (10%), permanent crops (18%), permanent pastures (5%), forests and woodlands (36%), and other (31%). The greatest natural hazardous threats come from hurricanes and the possible eruption of La Soufriere volcano.PEOPLEIt is believed by archaeologists that people came to the Caribbean islands from South America around 120 AD. It is also believed that the original inhabitants were called Ciboney, and these people were followed by the Caribs. The Caribs became the sole masters of the islands until...
