Saint Vincent Flag
*On this date in 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, an island country in the Caribbean, gained independence from Britain.
It is in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea, where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus came to the island in January 1498. Its 142 sq mile territory consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and, south of that, two-thirds of the northern part of the Grenadines, a chain of 32 smaller islands. Some of the Grenadines are inhabited—while others are not. Most of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lie within Hurricane Alley.
To the north of Saint Vincent lies Saint Lucia, to the east is Barbados, and Grenada lies to the south. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have a population density of over 300 inhabitants/km, with approximately 104,332 total inhabitants. Kingstown is the capital and main port. Saint Vincent has a British colonial history and is now part of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, CARICOM, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, and the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC).
In April 2021, the La Soufrière volcano erupted several times, with "explosive events" continuing. By 12 April, 16,000 residents had evacuated the areas of their homes. Assistance and emergency financial support came from 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.
