Grenadines

Chain of small islands

For other uses, see Grenadine (disambiguation).

Grenadine Islands

Grenadine Islands

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Grenadine Islands

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Grenadine Islands

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Geography
Location| Caribbean
Archipelago| Lesser Antilles
Total islands| 32
Major islands| Carriacou, Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union Island, Mayreau, Petit St Vincent, and Palm Island.
Area| 86 km2 (33 sq mi)
Administration

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Grenada

Demographics
Demonym| Grenadinese
Additional information
Time zone|

* AST (UTC-4)

Place

Grenadines

Nickname:

Grenadine

Population

• Total

| est. 20,880
• Density| 242.8/km2 (629/sq mi)

The Grenadines (/ˈɡrɛnədiːnz/) is a chain of small islands that lie on a line between the larger islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Nine are inhabited and open to the public (or ten, if the offshore island of Young Island is counted): Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union Island, Petit St Vincent, Palm Island and Mayreau, all in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, plus Petite Martinique and Carriacou in Grenada. Several additional privately owned islands, such as Calivigny, are also inhabited. Notable uninhabited islands of the Grenadines include Petit Nevis, formerly used by whalers, and Petit Mustique, which was the centre of a prominent real estate scam in the early 2000s.

The northern two-thirds of the chain, including about 32 islands and cays, is part of the country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The southern third of the chain belongs to the country of Grenada. Carriacou is the largest and most populous of the Grenadines.

## Geographic boundaries

[edit]

The islands are politically divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. They lie between the islands of Saint Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south. Neither Saint Vincent nor Grenada are Grenadine islands. The islands north of the Martinique Channel belong to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the islands south of the channel belong to Grenada.

## History

[edit]

The history of the Grenadines[1] is not well studied due to their relative lack of geopolitical importance, the paucity of original documents and lack of serious research. The islands were sparsely populated by the Kalinago, who used them mainly for fishing and food gathering. When the French claimed Grenada in 1650, the Grenadines were included (St Vincent to the north remained Kalinago country). Because of their small size, dangerous reefs and lack of fresh water, the French used them mainly for fishing, turtle catching and lime-making. They were also used by smugglers and pirates. Permanent settlements began about 1740. When the British took over in 1762 there were a fair number of French plantations on Bequia and Carriacou. In 1791 the islands were divided between Grenada and Saint Vincent.

## Larger islands of the Grenadines

[edit]

### Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

[edit]

The total population of the Grenadine islands within Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is estimated to be 10,234.[2] The following islands make up the Grenadines Parish:

Island | Area | Pop. | Capital

|
|
|

Northern Grenadines |  |  |
Bequia | 18.3 km2 (7.1 sq mi) | 5,300 | Port Elizabeth
Mustique | 5.70 km2 (2.20 sq mi) | 800 | Lovell (private island)
Southern Grenadines |  |  |
Union Island | 9 km2 (3.5 sq mi) | 2,700 | Clifton
Canouan | 7.60 km2 (2.93 sq mi) | 1,200 | Port Charlestown
Mayreau | 1.20 km2 (300 acres) | 280 | Old Wall
Uninhabited Grenadines |  |  |
Palm Island | 0.55 km2 (140 acres) |  | Cactus Hill (private island)
Petit Saint Vincent | 0.46 km2 (110 acres) |  | Telescope Hill (private island)
Tobago Cays | 0.25 km2 (62 acres) |  | marine reserve
Isle à Quatre | 1.52 km2 (380 acres) |  |
Baliceaux | 1.20 km2 (300 acres) |  |
Bettowia | 0.71 km2 (180 acres) |  |
Petit Mustique | 0.40 km2 (99 acres) |  |
Petit Nevis | 0.29 km2 (72 acres) |  |
Petit Canouan | 0.20 km2 (49 acres) |  |
Savan | 0.11 km2 (27 acres) |  |

### Grenada

[edit]

Carriacou and Petite Martinique is a dependency of Grenada and has a population of 10,900 people. Carriacou is the largest of the Grenadine chain. These islands contain:

Island | Area | Pop. | Capital

|
|
|

Southern Grenadines |  |  |
Carriacou | 32.73 km2 (12.64 sq mi) | 10,000 | Hillsborough
Petite Martinique | 2.37 km2 (590 acres) | 900 | North Village
Non-inhabited Islands |  |  |
Ronde Island | 8.1 km2 (2,000 acres) |  |
Caille Island | 1.62 km2 (400 acres)  |  |
Saline Island | 0.11 km2 (27 acres) |  |
Large Island | 0.15 km2 (37 acres) |  |
Frigate Island | 0.09 km2 (22 acres) |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Martin, John Angus, Island Caribs and French Settlers in Grenada ,2013, Chapter 11
2. ^ "St Vincent and the Grenadines, Population and Housing Census Preliminary Report 2012". The Census Office, SVG Government. Retrieved 30 December 2015.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grenadines.

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* NARA

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12°44′N 61°21′W﻿ / ﻿12.733°N 61.350°W﻿ / 12.733; -61.350