Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Capital
- Kingstown
- Population
- 110,947
- Region
- Americas
- Languages
- English
Saint Vincent's dramatic volcanic landscape served as the primary filming location for the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, with Wallilabou Bay being transformed into the fictional Port Royal. The island is also home to the oldest botanical garden in the Western Hemisphere, established in 1765 to provide medicinal plants and promote botanical science. It was here that Captain William Bligh famously brought breadfruit trees from Tahiti in 1793, a crop intended to provide cheap food for enslaved laborers that remains a national staple today.
Currency
The official currency is the East Caribbean dollar, denoted by the ISO code XCD. It is pegged to the United States dollar and has been shared among members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States since 1965. This regional currency system was established to provide monetary stability and replaced the British West Indies dollar following the dissolution of the West Indies Federation.
Flag symbolism
The flag features three vertical bands of blue, yellow, and green, which represent the sky, the golden sands, and the lush tropical vegetation of the islands. In the center of the yellow band, three green diamonds are arranged in a 'V' shape to symbolize the letter V for Saint Vincent and the country's nickname as the 'Gems of the Antilles.' This design replaced a previous version that included the national coat of arms to create a clean, modern aesthetic that is easily recognizable at sea.
Emblem history
The national coat of arms dates back to 1912 and features a classical scene where two women in Roman dress perform a ritual of peace and justice. One woman holds an olive branch over a golden altar, while the other kneels to offer a sacrifice, symbolizing the island's motto 'Pax et Justitia' or 'Peace and Justice.' Above the shield sits a cotton plant, a reference to the historical importance of the cotton industry to the local economy during the colonial era.