Animals and Plants

The nature of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

It is warm and humid and so it is blooming and green on St. Vincent. The volcanic soil is fertile and also does its part. The mountains are covered with tropical rainforest, which is rich in biodiversity. In addition to tall trees, orchids, ferns and bromeliads grow here. In the Grenadines, however, some of the rainforest was cleared.

Colorful bird life

The king parrot, a parrot that is only found here, has been named the national bird. In addition to him, there are a variety of birds on the islands. They include the sugar bird, the red-tailed guuan (on Bequia and Union Island), the bareback thrush, the roach vireo, the hooded warbler, and the yellow-bellied elena. Have you never heard of these birds? You can see them in the slideshow below!

Economy

Tourism, boats and bananas

Tourism has become a major source of income for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Around 200,000 guests come every year.

Exports are bananas and flour, cassava and rice. Coconuts and sweet potatoes are also grown. Cattle are only kept in small numbers, there are cattle, sheep, pigs and goats. Agriculture brings the country only 7 percent, but 26 percent of the population work in this area.

The industry makes inflatable and other boats for export. They make up more than half of export income.

It happens time and again that hurricanes and floods destroy crops. Unemployment is very high at around 20 percent. That’s why many residents move away. Your remittances from your new home countries make up a not inconsiderable part of the country’s income.

Typical St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Sun and sea

Sun and sea are almost omnipresent in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. At least that’s what you think. In fact, it is warm all year round, but here, too, it sometimes rains and between June and November hurricanes can rage and cause serious damage. For the residents, sun and sea are also part of everyday life. Incidentally, the inhabitants call themselves Vincies for short.

Domino

One game that especially men in St. Vincent love to play is dominoes. They meet in a pub and then play with great pleasure. Do you know this placement game? You always have to try to place the appropriate stone, i.e. a 1 on a 1, a 2 on a 2, etc.

Partying and dancing

Music plays a huge role for the locals on all Caribbean islands. Calypso, soca and reggae are particularly popular in St. Vincent. You can also hear it at Carnival, which is celebrated here in late June and early July. Music, dance and parades are part of it.

Cricket

In addition to basketball and soccer, cricket is one of the most popular sports in St. Vincent, a country located in Caribbean and Central America listed on extrareference.

Eating in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Breadfruit with mackerel

Toasted breadfruit with mackerel is the national dish of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In English it is called Breadfruit and Jackfish. The breadfruit is roasted, preferably over an open fire, until it is soft. Then it is peeled and cut open. The fish is seasoned and rolled in flour before it is fried. The dish is particularly often on the table on Saturdays.

And what else do you eat in St. Vincent?

The selection of vegetables and fruits is large. At the market you can buy yams, taro, plantains, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots and peppers as well as mangoes, guavas, coconuts and pineapples. People like to eat rice and peas with meat or fish, rice with beans. Chicken is especially popular, otherwise goat too. The selection of types of fish is huge.

A typical recipe from St. Vincent is stuffed sweet potato. You can find the recipe for this in the participation tip.