Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sometimes known simply as Saint Vincent, is an archipelagic country in the eastern Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies, at the southern end of the eastern border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. To the north lies Saint Lucia, to the east is Barbados and Grenada lies to the south. Spanning a land area of 389 km2 (150 sq mi), most of its territory consists of the northernmost island of Saint Vincent, which includes the capital and largest city, Kingstown. To the south lie the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines, a chain of 32 smaller islands; the remaining southern third make up Grenada. Seven of the islands are inhabited, of which the largest and most populous are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan and Union Island. With a population of around 109,296, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population density of 281 inhabitants/km2 (730 per sq mi). The majority of its people are descendants of enslaved Africans brought by France and then later Great Britain, which contested the islands during the 18th century. SVG remained a colony of the British Empire from 1783 until 1979, when it peacefully achieved independence; the country's culture, language, government and legal system reflect the long legacy of British rule. It is part of the Commonwealth of Nations and is a Commonwealth realm, with King Charles III as its official head of state. Saint Vincent is a member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, CARICOM, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). In April 2021, the La Soufrière volcano erupted several times with "explosive events" continuing for two weeks, resulting in the evacuation of 16,000 residents. Assistance and emergency financial support was provided by several nearby islands, the United Kingdom, and agencies such as the United Nations. The first significant offer of long-term funding of US$20 million was announced on 13 April 2021 by the World Bank.

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