Map of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a country in North America with its capital at Kingstown, home to about 99,924 people across 389 km². The interactive map below plots 1 cities and towns and 1 mountain summits recorded for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in YearMaps.
- Population
- 99,924
- Area
- 389 km²
- Capital
- Kingstown
- Continent
- North America
Interactive Map of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Centred on Kingstown at 13.1483° N, 61.2121° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sometimes known simply as Saint Vincent, is an archipelagic 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 389 km2 (150 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 the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines, a chain of 32 smaller islands; the remaining southern third make up Grenada. Seven of the islands are inhabited, of which the largest and most populous are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan and Union Island.
With a population of around 109,296, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population density of 281 inhabitants/km2 (730 per sq mi). The majority of its people are descendants of enslaved Africans brought by France and then 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. It is part of the Commonwealth of Nations and is a Commonwealth realm, with King Charles III as its official 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. 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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Resistance from native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. France and England disputed the island for most of the 18th century, but it was ceded to England in 1783. The British prized Saint Vincent because of its fertile soil, which allowed for thriving slave-run plantations of sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton, and cocoa. In 1834, the British abolished slavery. Immigration of indentured servants eased the ensuing labor shortage, as did subsequent immigrant waves from Portugal and East India. Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, however, as depressed world sugar prices kept the economy stagnant until the early 1900s. The economy then went into a period of decline, with many landowners abandoning their estates and leaving the land to be cultivated by liberated slaves. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979. In 2021, the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano in the north of Saint Vincent destroyed much of Saint Vincent’s most productive agricultural lands. Unlike most of its tourism-dependent neighbors, the Vincentian economy is primarily agricultural.
- Location
- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.
- Climate
- Tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
- Terrain
- Volcanic, mountainous.
- Highest point
- La Soufriere 1,234 m.
- Lowest point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 84 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 0 km.
- Natural resources
- Hydropower, arable land.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 17.9% (2023 est.); arable land: 5.1% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 7.7% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 5.1% (2023 est.); forest: 73.2% (2023 est.); other: 8.8% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Hurricanes; La Soufrière volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat volcanism: La Soufrière (1,234 m) last erupted in 1979; the island of Saint Vincent is part of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south.
- Geographic note
- The administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is composed of 32 islands and cays.
- Languages
- English, Vincentian Creole English, French patois.
- Religions
- Protestant 75% (Pentecostal 27.6%, Anglican 13.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.6%, Baptist 8.9%, Methodist 8.7%, Evangelical 3.8%, Salvation Army 0.3%, Presbyterian/Congregational 0.3%), Roman Catholic 6.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other 4.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 4.7% (2012 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- African descent 71.2%, mixed 23%, Indigenous 3%, East Indian/Indian 1.1%, European 1.5%, other 0.2% (2012 est.)
- Economy
- Upper middle-income Caribbean island economy; key agriculture and tourism sectors; environmentally fragile; diversifying economy across services, science and knowledge, and creative industries; CARICOM member and US Caribbean Basin Initiative beneficiary.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in Numbers
- Population
- 99,924
- GDP
- US$1.3 billion
- GDP per person
- US$12,562
- Life expectancy
- 71.4 years
- Population growth
- -0.69% a year
- Population density
- 259 per km²
- Urban population
- 48.0%
- Surface area
- 389 km²
- Forest cover
- 73.4%
- Arable land
- 5.1%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 76.2%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in Depth
History
Saint Vincent was first inhabited by Indigenous people from South America around 5000 B.C. They were succeeded by the Arawaks around the 3rd century A.D., who were later displaced by the Kalinago in the 14th century. The Kalinago named the island Youloumain.
It is thought that Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1498, giving it the name St Vincent. The Kalinago people aggressively opposed European settlement on Saint Vincent.
Various attempts by the English and Dutch to claim the island proved unsuccessful, and it was the French who were first able to colonise the island, settling in the town of Barrouallie on the leeward side of St Vincent in 1719. The French imported Black slaves to work on plantations producing sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton and cocoa.
Geography
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lies to the west of Barbados, south of Saint Lucia and north of Grenada in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, an island arc of the Caribbean Sea. The islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines include the main island of Saint Vincent (344 km2 (133 sq mi)) and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines (45 km2 (17 sq mi) in total), which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from Saint Vincent to Grenada.
There are 32 islands and cays that make up St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Nine are inhabited, including the mainland St Vincent and the Grenadines islands: Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union Island, Mayreau, Petit St Vincent and Palm Island.
Economy
Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of this lower-middle-income economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and the unemployment rate remains high at 19.8% in the 1991 census to 15% in 2001. The continuing dependence on a single crop represents the biggest obstacle to the islands' development as tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of bananas in many years.
There is a small manufacturing sector and a small offshore financial sector serving international businesses; its secrecy laws have caused some international concern.
Demographics
The population as estimated in 2021 was 104,332. The ethnic composition was 66% African descent, 19% of mixed descent, 6% East Indian, 4% Europeans (mainly Portuguese), 2% Kalinago and 3% others. Most Vincentians are the descendants of West-Central African people brought to the island to work on plantations. There are other ethnic groups, such as Portuguese (from Madeira) and East Indians, both brought in to work on the plantations after the abolishing of slavery by the British living on the island. There is also a growing Chinese population.
English is the official language.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Key Facts
| Currency | Eastern Caribbean dollar |
|---|---|
| Official language | English |
| Head of state | Charles III |
| Head of government | Godwin Friday |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy |
| Calling code | +1784 |
| Internet domain | .vc |
| Highest point | La Soufrière |
| Lowest point | Caribbean Sea |
| Established | 1979 |
Facts from Wikidata Q757 (CC0).
Largest Cities in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1 city recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingstown | 49,485 | — | National capital |
Highest Mountains in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Soufrière | 1,234 m | 4,049 ft | North America |
Countries Bordering Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in North America
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- The capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown.
- What is the population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a population of about 99,924, the #199 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines covers 389 km², ranking #206 by area, with about 257 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in?
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is in North America.
- Which countries border Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines shares a land or maritime border with Venezuela.
- What is the largest city in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- Kingstown is the largest city in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with a metropolitan population of about 49,485.
- What is the highest mountain in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
- The highest summit recorded for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in YearMaps is La Soufrière at 1,234 m (4,049 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.