Grenadines Republic

Grenadines is part of Vekllei

Grenadines Republic
Constituent Republic of Vekllei
Part of the Kalina Commonwealth
Capital	Port Elizabeth
Population	43,760
Area	86 km²
Languages	English, Vincy Creole
Vekllei Accession	1930, as part of the Alford Agreement

The Grenadines Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the Caribbean. It is an archipelago of small islands scattered across a bank stretching between Yolouca in the north to Cama in the south. It comprises some 600 islands and islets, most of which are uninhabited. Their low economic value to the British, who exerted control over them in the 18th Century, has left them surprisingly remote considering their adjacency to major Vekllei republics.

Just as pirates and smugglers once found a haven in the hundreds of islands in the Grenadines, today the republic remains a destination for ambitious homesteaders, fisherman and transient sailors. The restructuring of property law under Commonwealth federalisation has made the precise ownership of many of the islands more obscure, and so many of them thrive as minor communal agricultural settlements or even private islands. There is a real sense there that, with hard work, you can establish a paradise for yourself there.

The vast majority of Grenadinians live on its five main inhabited islands – Bequia (the capital), Mustique, Canouan, Union and Carriacou. There are several others that also have villages or small towns. There is evidence the Island Caribs inhabited the islands sporadically, probably to fish, but by the time of their settlement in the 17th Century they were uninhabited and the Caribs had settled in Yolouca. Despite the severe lack of water, the French established a number of plantations across them during their rule. The British did little to improve them, but did establish a number of towns around naval forts used to control piracy.

The capital of Port Elizabeth is a pretty and prosperous, and along with other large towns has seen the most development. They resemble much of the Vekllei Caribbean, with good harbours, schools and tram networks. Other islands very in their development and strength of municipal authority. While federal obligations – compulsory education and civic or military service – are well-enforced, people on the peripheral islands are left alone and usually appreciate the freedom of the minor island lifestyle. It is common for Grenadinians to own private boats, and is typically how they get about the islands.

The republic is diverse, even by the standards of the Vekllei Caribbean. It attracts many transplants, which mix with the multicultural legacy of the colonial period. The islands are influenced by Yoloucan and Caman culture, and indulge typical Antillean pleasures of spiced barbecue and rum. They have a strong musical tradition that fuses French violin with Caribbean and Creole rhythm.

The towns usually import water from the desalination plants in their neighbours, supplemented by reservoirs and rain catchment. The peripheral islands and homesteads generally rely on tank water. There are secondary schools on the five major islands, and a campus of the Commonwealth University of the West Indies in the capital which has a prestigious ecology programme. Only Bequia and Carriacou have airports in the republic. Locals get around by ferry or private boat.

Climate

Sunny and warm, with rainy spells in the summer and fall. Though the dry or showerless period runs from December-April, the Grenadines’ sun knows no seasons.

Public Holidays:

• New Year’s Day 1 Jan
• Discovery Day 22 Jan
• Spring Carnival
• Easter Monday
• Commonwealth Day 1 May
• Ascension Day
• Whit Monday
• Corpus Christi
• Republic Day 27 Oct
• Christmas Day 25 Dec
• Boxing Day 26 Dec