Geography of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island state in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, an island arc of the Caribbean Sea in North America. The country consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines, a chain of small islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada. Its total land area is 389 km² of which 344 km² is the island of Saint Vincent. The country's capital is at Kingstown on Saint Vincent.
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[edit] Grenadine islands
The main island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is Saint Vincent. Its geography is mostly volcanic and includes very little level ground. There is also a large difference between the coastlines on each side of the island. The windward side is very rocky, while the leeward side consists of many sandy beaches and has many more bays. The island's as well as the country's highest peak is the volcanic Soufrière at 1234 m. There are several tiny islets offshore of Saint Vincent including Young Island and the Cow And Calves Islands.
In addition to Saint Vincent, major islands in the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are the northern Grenadines including (from north to south) the islands of :
- Bequia
- Petite Nevis
- Quatre
- Bettowia
- Baliceaux
- Mustique
- Petite Mustique
- Savan
- Petite Canouan
- Canouan
- Mayreau
- The Tobago Cays
- Union Island
- Petit Saint Vincent
- Palm Island
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' Grenadines also include hundreds of smaller islets. The remainder of the Grenadines to the south are administered by Grenada.
[edit] Resources and land use
Natural resources: hydropower, cropland
Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 18%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 36%
other: 31% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hurricanes; Soufrière (volcano) on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat
Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
[edit] See also
- Saint Vincent (island)
- Grenadines
- Parishes of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- List of islands in the Caribbean: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
[edit] External links
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