Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (/ˌɡrɛn.əˈdiːnz/ ⓘ GREN-ə-DEENZ), sometimes known simply as Saint Vincent or SVG,[9] is an island 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 369 km2 (142 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 two-thirds of the northern part of the Grenadines, a chain of 32 smaller islands; the remaining southern third make up Grenada. Seven of the islands are inhabited,[10] of which the largest and most populous are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, and Union Island.[11][b]

With an estimated population of 110,872, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population density of over 300 inhabitants/km2 (700 per sq mi).[5] The majority of its people are descendants of African slaves brought by France and 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, and it is part of the Commonwealth of Nations, with the United Kingdom's monarch as its 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.[12][13] 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.[14]