St Vincent & the Grenadines Travelers Info:

Language
English is the official language of St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

Location
St Vincent & the Grenadines are situated between St. Lucia, 40 miles to the North, Barbados is approximately 100 miles East, Grenada is 70 miles south.

Climate
Winter temperatures range between 65° and 85° (F), summer between 75° and 85° (F). Winters are dry, summers - showery. Casual lightweight resort wear is appropriate all year round. Bathing suits are considered inappropriate in harbours and visitors are requested to dress accordingly.

	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUNE	JULY	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
HIGH-°F	82	82	83	84	86	85	85	86	86	86	84	83
LOW-°F	76	76	77	78	80	81	80	80	80	79	79	77

Money
St Vincent & the Grenadines use the Eastern Caribbean dollar, which is exchanged at the rate of US$1 to EC$2.67. US and EC dollars are accepted at stores, restaurants and hotels, as are travellers' cheques and most major credit cards.

Passports/visas
Valid passports must be carried by all persons entering St Vincent & the Grenadines. Visas are not required where the visitor is a citizen of the USA or a Commonwealth country, or where he/she is a national of a country which has an agreement for exemption of the visa requirement.

Time
Atlantic Standard Time, Daylight Savings Time is not observed (GMT -4. EST +1.)

Banks
All banking services are available in St Vincent & the Grenadines. Banking hours are:

Mon-Thurs 8am - 1pm
Fri 8am - 1pm, 3 - 5pm

ATM machine accepts Visa, Mastercard and international debit cards.

Electricity
220 volts, 50 cycles AC.

Internet
There are internet cafes in every habor that cater to those on yachts so it is possible to check e-mail at least every other day (all thought you really shouldn't on vacation)

History

Europeans began to settle in the Caribbean in the 16th century, but the Caribs protected St. Vincent from European colonization until the 18th century. The Caribs were, however, more welcoming to Africans. In 1675, a Dutch ship laden with slaves foundered off the coast. The Caribs allowed the surviving Africans to stay on the island. Many of the Africans married Carib people. Word spread of an island haven for escaped slaves. Other escapees arrived, intermarried with the Caribs and created a people called the Garifuna, or "Black Caribs." Eventually, tension developed between the Amerindian "Yellow Caribs" and "Black Caribs," causing a division of the island: the Yellow Caribs settled in the west and the Black Caribs in the east.

Fearing domination by the Black Caribs, the Yellow Caribs allowed the French to build settlements in 1719. The French sent missionaries among the Black Caribs and eventually established peaceful relations with both Carib peoples. Between 1763 and 1783, Great Britain and France competed for control of the island. In 1782, the Treaty of Versailles gave possession of St. Vincent to the British. The British established sugar plantations and brought Africans to the island to work as slaves.

The French encouraged the Black Caribs to oppose British settlement. In 1797, the Black Carib tribes, united under Chief Chatoyer, drove the British down the western coast toward Kingstown, but when Chatoyer was killed, the Black Caribs were defeated. To prevent further resistance, the British deported more than 5,000 Black Caribs and Africans-most of the population-to the Honduran island of Roatán. The remaining Caribs were moved to settlements in the northern part of St. Vincent, where their descendants still live.
The descendants of people deported from St. Vincent by the English, known as the Garifuna, still live in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and other areas of Central America, where they maintain a distinct cultural identity.


In 1812, an eruption of La Soufrière destroyed crops and buildings. After slavery was abolished in 1834, plantation owners brought in East Indians as indentured labourers. During the 19th century, many Portuguese people established themselves as merchants and shopkeepers on the island. A hurricane in 1898 damaged farmland, and a massive eruption of La Soufrière in 1902 destroyed farms and killed 2,000 people.

During the early 20th century, St. Vincent remained under British rule, but gained increasing control over its own affairs. In 1925, a Legislative Council was established, and universal adult suffrage was instituted in 1951. From 1958 to 1962, the island was a member of the West Indies Federation. In 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gained full independence within the British Commonwealth.