ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES - AN OVERVIEW

The Caribbean is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. The following describes the physical characteristics of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in addition to its location within the Caribbean and the world.

Location:

(Click each map for a larger version)

St. Vincent and the Grenadines are located in the Windward Islands at the lower end of the Caribbean chain at latitude 13^o 15N , 61^o 12 W. They are situated between Grenada 75 miles (120 km) to the south, St. Lucia 24 miles (43 km) to the north and Barbados 150 miles (160 km) to the east. The islands are in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone, one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time and four hours behind GMT.

Area:

The mainland St. Vincent measures 18 miles (29 km) long and 11 miles (17.7 km) wide with an area of 133 square miles (344 sq. km). In combination with the Grenadines, 17 square miles (44 sq. km), the total area covers 150 square miles (388 sq. km). The largest islands of the Grenadines are Bequia (7 sq. miles, 18 sq. km) Mustique (1.9 sq. miles, 5 sq. km) Canouan ( 3 sq. miles, 7.5 sq. km) Mayreau and Union Island (3.5 sq. miles, 5.5 sq. km).

Topography:

St. Vincent is a volcanic island of steep mountain ridges, valleys and waterfalls. The backbone of mountains extends from north to south. The north is dominated by the La Soufriere volcano which reaches a height of 4,040 ft (1,219 meters); its last eruption was in 1979. The mountain range drops steeply on the western coast and slopes more gently on the eastern coast. Other mountain peaks on St. Vincent are Morne Garu, Grand Bonhomme, and Mount St. Andrews.

Climate:

Located in a subtropical zone, the weather of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is just about the same as any other island in the Caribbean. The average yearly temperature is 27^o C (81^o F). The coolest months are between November and February. Rain is frequent during the months of May through October commonly referred to as the rainy season or the hurricane season. The islands are just within the hurricane belt but seldom suffer hurricane damage.