Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Capital city description
Kingstown is the capital and chief port of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Located on the southwestern end of the island of Saint Vincent, the town overlooks Kingstown Harbour and is sheltered by Berkshire Hill on the north and Cane Garden Point on the south. The port has a cruise-ship berth built to help develop the country’s tourist sector. Exports from the port include bananas, arrowroot, coconuts, sweet potatoes, plantains, yams, taro, and tannias (a root crop related to taro). The Botanic Gardens (1765), the oldest in the West Indies, received the first breadfruit trees brought from the Pacific.
Climate
The climate is tropical, hot, and humid all year round, with a relatively calm, dry season from January to mid-April and a hot, humid, and rainy season from June to December.
Languages spoken
English is the official language of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Fun/Fascinating Facts
- While the country comprises 32 islands and cays, only 9 of them are inhabited.
- The country is home to the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere, which were formed back in 1765 and had been conserving rare species of plants since that early a time.
- Kingstown is referred to as the “City of Arches” because the city’s buildings have approximately 400 arches!
- The national bird, the Amazona Guildingii, is endemic to the Antilles region. It is commonly called the Saint Vincentian Parrot.
- The volcanic origin of the country has caused a number of the beaches in the country to have dark sand. Meanwhile, tourism ensures the pristine maintenance of those blessed with white sand, and naturally, it is no surprise that these are flocked with resorts and hotels.
- Columbus bestowed its name upon it in tribute to a Spanish saint named “Saint Vincent” Saragossa when he reached here in 1498. “Grenadines” means pomegranates and refers to the specs of small islands spread nearby.
Unique Customs/Traditions
- Mustique Blues Festival is the brainchild of London blues singer Dana Gillespie and has been running since 1996. It is held over two weeks in January and February on the island of Mustique, although it does visit the island of Bequia for one night in the middle of the festival. Since its inception, it has been growing in popularity and is a great place to hear some blues and roots music.
- Bequia Easter Regatta is a five-day boat race over Easter on the island of Bequia. It attracts many international professional and amateur sailors who compete in the Caribbean Sea surrounding the island. It is quite a spectacle to watch, and the final day sees huge celebrations going into the night.
- Vincy Mas is a typical Caribbean festival filled with parades, pageants, dancing, and music at street parties. It is held over two weeks at the end of June and the beginning of July annually and is St Vincent’s most well-known festival.
- Many performances are held during September to showcase traditional and other dance styles. Shows put on by schools, community groups, and professional dance companies. You can expect to see modern, classic, creative folk and ballroom dances.
- Independence Day is held on October 27 every year to celebrate the formation of St Vincent and the Grenadines as a sovereign nation in 1979. Many people are proud of this and use the public holiday to celebrate in public at community events.
Popular universities
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| All Saints University | All Saints University, College of Medicine, St Vincent and the Grenadines is a private, independent University. All Saints University, College of Medicine, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a Medical University on the beautiful and friendly island of St Vincent and the Grenadines. The University was founded to provide affordable fees for students without sacrificing the quality of education. The University commenced operations in 2011 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the student body has grown steadily over the past decade, welcoming thousands of students. Many students are gaining residencies and becoming successful practicing physicians in Canada, the United States of America, and several other countries. With thousands of Medical students and graduates at various stages of their postgraduate training, residency training, or already graduated since its inception, the University has established itself as a reputable institution for educating the next generation of physicians. Today, the University has grown to have two campuses within St. Vincent and the Grenadines – in Belair and Arnos Vale – with hundreds of students currently studying on the campuses of St Vincent and the Grenadines and several hundred more in clinical clerkships throughout the United States of America, Canada, and around the world. | |
| The American University of St. Vincent | The American University of St. Vincent is an organization promoted by leading physicians and educators from the U.S. and worldwide. We are a collaborative consortium dedicated to advancing healthcare and education through the development of new innovative educational methodologies. AUS brings together the experience and commitment of educators from Applied Health Sciences, Computing, the Basic Sciences, Management, the Arts, Engineering, and Environmental Studies to collaborate on the solution of significant health and education-related challenges to an efficient, effective, and sustainable University. A relative newcomer among medical colleges in the Caribbean, the AUS School of Medicine has established itself in the heart of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. AUS School of Medicine supports the mission to increase the availability of physicians to serve the needs of the people living in different parts of the world. Our academic environment fosters respect for the uniqueness of humanity. Students are provided with classrooms and clinical experiences to prepare them to function as competent, caring, lifelong learners with a distinct medical philosophy. We invite you to explore this unique institution, the scope of its influence, and its promise as the future unfolds. | |
| Saint James School of Medicine | Saint James School of Medicine is an international medical school with two campuses on the Caribbean islands of Anguilla and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Our students study Basic Sciences at one of our Caribbean campuses and then study Clinical Sciences through a clinical rotation program at affiliated hospitals in the US. Saint James School of Medicine was founded in 1999 by a consortium of medical educators and physicians from universities and colleges in the United States and Europe. Hundreds of students have graduated from Saint James since the school has founded. We have a current enrollment of around 1,000 students. | |
| Saint Teresa University | STU offers high-quality and innovative teaching. To complement this with our inspiring teachers, we are committed to providing state-of-the-art facilities that shall cater directly to the needs of 21st-century students. STU’s expertise of academic staff with a flexible program structure and state-of-the-art facilities offer a unique student learning environment that fosters individual intellectual development. STU integrates SKY YOGA for all the students, providing the ideal physical and me=ntal apparatus for higher & tertiary education. This investment offers well-equipped, contemporary environments to study, learn, network with peers, and relax. STU welcomes students to join its enthusiastic community of visionaries and scholars. | |
| Trinity Medical Sciences University | Trinity Medical Sciences University (TMSU) is a private medical school. It's Basic Science part of the MD program, Pre-medical program, and Master's program is found in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean. The MD program's clinical science part is in Baltimore in the United States. It opened in 2008 as a certified entirely medicinal office to react to a lack of doctors in the United States and Canada. It has its executive home office in Roswell, Georgia, and its accomplices with Milton Cato Memorial Hospital located in Kingstown and Northwest Hospital in Baltimore. The medical school educational program depends on the US four-year model, requiring 130 weeks of study. Trinity's program comprises five basic science study terms and five terms of clinical center and elective clerkships. Students effectively finishing the ten terms which incorporate various NBME subject tests and passing the USMLE Steps 1, 2CK, and 2CS are granted a Doctor of Medicine degree. Trinity's lords of health sciences qualification program are intended for students keen on seeking after medically related callings just as a clinic and business regulatory callings. The developing intricacy of human services requires a propelled comprehension of medication and medicinal benefits even in its partnered callings. Trinity is likewise adjusting to prepare experts to keen on those zones to give a comparable degree of value care through their specific jobs that its doctor graduates offer. | |
Festivals & Events
Mustique Blues Festival
Date: January
The Mustique Blues Festival is an annual music festival held in January, attracting musicians from all across the Caribbean and travelers worldwide. Set at Basil’s Bar, Grammy nominees and Blues chart-toppers make the trek out for two weeks of soul singing.
A notable charity event, all proceeds are generously donated to the Basil Charles Educational Foundation, which helps children afford education.
Bequia Easter Regatta
Date: March/April
This festival coincides with the annual Easter celebration. The Bequia Easter Regatta features local double ender, model boat, and yacht races – plus plenty of parties, concerts, and festivals.
A cosmopolitan mix of participants converges on the island to enjoy highly competitive yacht racing, thrilling double-ender action, and vigorous onshore activities while relishing the island’s famous hospitality.
Nine Mornings
Date: December
Nine Mornings is a traditional pre-Christmas festivities that start nine days before Christmas and throughout the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Activities include early-morning bicycle races, caroling competitions, best village competitions, and more starting on December 16. The origins of this festivity are clouded in some mystery, although the original tradition relates it to the "novena" of the Catholic Church.
Vincy Mas
Date: July
Vincy Mas is the most prominent festival in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Promoted as “The Hottest Carnival in the Caribbean,” the carnival starts in the middle of June, culminating in a Monday and Tuesday at the start of July.
Vincy Mas is a colorful and vibrant celebration of music, dance, and Vincentian heritage, attracting thousands of tourists. Towns come alive with street parties, calypso and steel pan performances, costume parades, etc.
Canouan Regatta
Date: May
The Canouan Regatta is a festival of boat races, sports, games, calypso competitions, street jumps, and beauty pageants also includes activities such as a cultural extravaganza, back in time dance, and a family fun day.
The highlight of the event is sailing. The festival attracts the region’s best sailors during May.
Attractions / Top Sights
Tobago Cays
When to visit: May and June
Located in the southern Grenadines islands, the Tobago Cays is an archipelago comprising five small uninhabited islands: Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tobac, and Jamesby. These islands offer various fun activities and allow their visitors to have unlimited fun all through the day.
Tobago Cays is famous for snorkeling and scuba diving. Besides the natural habitat of several birds and other wildlife species, tourists love to get hands-on binoculars to observe the beauty of the nesting seabirds.
Bequia
When to visit: February to March
Bequia is the second-largest island in the Grenadines at 7 square miles, with lush hillsides dotted with bougainvillea tumbling to beaches and boat-filled bays. Bequia is a famous yachting destination with a rich whaling history.
The island is also known for being safe and friendly. Famous places on Bequia include Port Elizabeth on Admiralty Bay, the island's main commercial center. A walkway runs along the waterfront on the south side of town, passing restaurants and quaint little shops.
Petit St Vincent
When to visit: January to April
Petit St Vincent, known locally as PSV, is an island 40 miles (64 km) south of St. Vincent in the Grenadine islands. It is the southernmost island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The island is privately owned and operates as a resort.
Petit St. Vincent is a tropical fantasy come true. Also known as PSV, this privately owned island is home to the boutique Petit St. Vincent Resort, where guests are ensconced in secluded ocean-view villas sprinkled around the hillsides and bays.
Palm Island
When to visit: February to March
Palm Island is a tiny patch of paradise. Home to the Palm Island Resort & Spa, one of the best St. Vincent and the Grenadines beach resorts, and a sprinkling of holiday villas, the island is named for the abundant coconut palms planted by the resort's former owners.
Palm Island is a tropical oasis once known as Prune Island; it's been re-named after the 2,000 palm trees scattered.
Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau
When to visit: February to March
Salt Whistle Bay is a unique development opportunity on Mayreau Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Mayreau is the smallest inhabited island with approximately 300 indigenous persons living in union with nature and the sea.
Salt Whistle Bay is a World Class beach resort and has one of the most protected anchorages in the Caribbean.