Destination : GRENADA

The islands Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique are located in the Eastern Caribbean and are the most southerly of the Windward Islands. The main island, Grenada itself, is 12 mile swide and 21 miles long. It is the smallest independent country in the western hemisphere.The capital is St. George's.The official language is English. The island is situated between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.The population of some 98,400 (of which 5,726 live on Carriacou and Petit Martinique) is largely of African (85) or mixed (11) descent

On his third voyage in 1498, Columbus was the first European to discover the island of Grenada . During the dynastic wars of the 18th century, Grenada changed hands several times between the British and the French, until it was finally ceded to the British in 1783.  The Governor General, who is head of state is appointed by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Prime Minister. Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983.  Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year.

The tropical climate is especially pleasant in the dry season (February to May) when the Trade Winds prevail. The rainy season is from June to December. The temperature and rainfall vary with latitude, with much heavier rainfall in the mountains.

The natural vegetation is tropical rainforest (about 75% of surviving natural forest is state owned) and brushwood. In the areas under cultivation, the main crops are nutmeg, bananas and cocoa. Arable and permanently cropped land covers 11,000ha; permanent pasture 1,000ha. Apart from limestone in the north, the island is volcanic. It is mountaineous and thickly wooded, with streams and rivers. The central mountain mass consists of a number of ridges, some of which contain crater basins. Mount St. Catherine (2,756 ft.) is the highest peak. There are also numerous outstanding beaches.

St. George's, Grenada's capital might well be the most beautiful of all of the Caribbean's harbour cities. The city presents a colourful mix of 18th century French and Georgian English architecture. Set against a backdrop of steep hills and winding roads there are excellent views of the harbour, town or coast from many angles. The busiest street in St. George's is the Carenage which runs the length of the harbour and is a centre of activity where you'll find wooden schooners unloading produce and other goods.

 

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