7 February: Grenada

Grenada gained independence from the UK on this date in 1974. Here are some things you may not know about Grenada:

1. Grenada comprises the island of Grenada itself and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines. The smaller islands are Carriacou, Petit Martinique, Ronde Island, Caille Island, Diamond Island, Large Island, Saline Island, and Frigate Island. The island of Grenada has six parishes - the capital and largest is Saint George, the rest are Saint David, Saint Andrew, Saint Patrick, Saint Mark, and Saint John.
2. It's principal crop is nutmeg. Nutmeg was introduced to Grenada in 1843 when a merchant ship called in on its way to England from the East Indies. The ship had a few nutmeg trees on board which they left in Grenada. Now the country supplies 20% of the world's supply. Mace is a by product of nutmeg as it consists of the covering of the nutmeg seed.
3. Grenada has had a number of names throughout its history. The Carib Indians who lived there first called it 'Camerhogue'; Columbus, although he never landed there, named it as well - he called it 'Concepcion'. It's thought that Spanish sailors came up with the name Grenada, because it reminded them of home. The nutmeg industry gave it the nickname of "the Spice Island".
4. St. Catherine is the highest mountain at 840 m (2,760 ft).
5. The national dish is "oildown". This is salt beef, chicken and pork cooked with dumplings, breadfruit, green banana, yam and Potatoes in coconut milk. It is cooked until the milk is all absorbed and only a small quantity of coconut oil is left in the pot.
6. Grenada has a sculpture gallery which was built 24 feet under the sea. It can only be seen by divers, or from a glass bottomed boat. It was built in 2006 by Jason De Caires Taylor. It is intended to be an artificial reef and wildlife sanctuary, so the sculptures will change over the years. It also serves to lessen the pressure on the natural reefs from scuba diving tourists. There are 79 sculptures in all, the largest being a circle of children holding hands.
7. Grenada's Carnival is held each year, for 10 days, in August.
8. Most of the people who live in Grenada are descended from the African slaves brought by the English and French or indentured workers from India.
9. The national Flag of Grenada was adopted on independence from the United Kingdom, on 7 February 1974. The six stars in the red border stand for the country's six parishes, with the middle star, encircled by a red disk, representing the capital, Saint George's. The symbol in the hoist represents a clove of nutmeg. The colours have meanings, too - red stands for courage and vitality, Yellow for wisdom and warmth, and Green for vegetation and agriculture.
10. There is a fort in St George's which has cannons facing inland instead of out to sea. The "backwards facing fort" is Fort Frederick. The French began building it in 1779 and the British finished it in 1791. The French built it this way because they feared a surprise land attack after using this successful strategy themselves against the British.