22nd January St Vincent and the Grenadines National Heroes day

St Vincent and the Grenadines celebrates National Heroes Day today. It's also the date in 1498 when Columbus first landed there - on St Vincent's Day.

1. Before European settlers came, St Vincent was called Hairoun by it inhabitants, which means Land of the Blessed.
2. The Europeans left St Vincent well alone at first. Partly because they were more interested in looking for gold in South America, but also because the Carib Indians who lived there had a strict no immigration policy and were very aggressive to anyone who tried to settle. The French finally settled there in the 18th century.
3. Only nine of the 32 plus islands which make up the country are inhabited.
4. Some people who live there are known as "Garifuna". These people are of mixed ancestry, resulting from the intermarriage of Carib Indians and African slaves who were shipwrecked or escaped there.
5. The Amazona Guildingi or St Vincent Parrot is the National Bird.
6. The national dish is Fried Jackfish and Roasted Breadfruit.
7. The economy depends heavily on the export of Bananas. 60% of the working population are employed by the banana plantations.
8. The other major industry is tourism. St Vincent won the Best Sailing and Yachting Island of The Year award in 2009 and Best Honeymoon Island of The Year in 2007 and 2008.
9. The country is made up of six parishes, four of which are named after the UK's patron saints (St Andrew, St George, St David and St Patrick). There is also Charlotte Parish on the main island, the the sixth parish is the Grenadine Islands.
10. The capital, Kingstown, is known as “The City of Arches” because there are over 400 arches there.