This is the 43rd week in my Travel the World personal challenge. Each week I am randomly choosing one country (there are 195 countries in the world) and doing a little research on that country. I then select one tidbit of information about the country as inspiration for the card I make.
This week's country is...
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Its nearest neighbors are St Lucia and Dominica to the north, Barbados to the east, and Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela to the south.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines were first found by the famous explorer Christopher Columbus in 1498.
The terrain here is volcanic and mountainous, with stunning sandy beaches and crystal clear waters.
The second largest of the Grenadines, charming Bequia is a popular yachting destination with a rich whaling history. Lush hillsides dotted with bougainvillea tumble to beaches and boat-filled bays. The island is also known for being safe and friendly.
At the very northern tip of the leeward coast, masked by steep cliffs and volcanic coastal formations, is the Falls of Baleine. This 18 meter (60 foot) waterfall tumbles into a rock-lined pool. Difficult to reach, especially in heavy swells, the Falls of Baleine is a unique natural attraction. It is usually visited by Boat Tour, but can also be accessed by a long and exposed coastal trail from the settlement of Fancy.
Palm island is a heaven for wildlife and birds. It has a number of land turtles, which were brought to replace those washed away by a 2015 hurricane. The most commonly seen animals are geckos, several kinds of lizards, hermit and land crabs, sea turtles, mocking birds, doves, pigeons, sandpipers, herons, hummingbirds, osprey, gulls, and frigate birds.
It is against the law to wear camouflage in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is only worn by the police force.
The country has no formal military. The duties of a military have been taken over by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Royal Police Force.
Just off the coast of Grenadines’ Union Island is a very special island that is home of the local artist, builder, and visionary Janti Ramage. He named his home Happy Island. His home and bar are made entirely of conch shells he scavenged over time from the neighboring beaches where fishermen threw them away after taking out the succulent muscle. Janti took the mountains of abandoned shells that were becoming a local problem and, combining them with bits of exposed coral rocks, created a flat platform that became a surface for his new little island. He built a bar and patio on it and even planted some palm trees.
Both men and women work together on almost every activity. But typically, women do the gardening while men do the farming and work at sea. Traditionally, only women sell produce in the market square, while only men sell fish.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Botanic Gardens is one of the world’s oldest botanical gardens, preserving rare native and other tropical plants since 1765.
I decided to let this St. Vincent and Grenadines fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Fishing brings in good income for many locals. Fish of all kinds are caught by the local fishermen.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Stamps: Whipper Snapper Hooked Worm and Dropping You a Line stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers
Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White and SU Summer Sun CS and DP from my scrap file
Punches: SU Circle and Dog Tag
Embellishments: Fish Brads from and unknown vendor
St Vincent and the Grenadines is a small archipelago of around 32 islands and cays in the south of the Caribbean Sea. Only nine of the islands are inhabited.
Its nearest neighbors are St Lucia and Dominica to the north, Barbados to the east, and Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela to the south.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines were first found by the famous explorer Christopher Columbus in 1498.
The terrain here is volcanic and mountainous, with stunning sandy beaches and crystal clear waters.
The total land area of St Vincent and the Grenadines is 150 square miles... that’s around 1.5 times the size of Birmingham.
St Vincent and the Grenadines’ population was 102,627 in 2015… that’s around 10% of the population of Birmingham.
Saint Vincentians enjoy a tropical climate with little seasonal temperature variation. There is a rainy season from May to November.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is primarily rural. Most of the population lives in small villages of 100 to 500 people. The only large town in the country is the capital, Kingstown.
The Grenadines’ smallest inhabited island, Mayreau covers only about one and half square miles and has only one village with no name where everyone lives. The village is perched on top of Station Hill on the south-west end of the island and has a school, the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, a telecommunications building, and a Pentecostal church.
Many of the scenes in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films were filmed in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is very popular for being a weddings and honeymoon paradise and won the Best Honeymoon Island of The Year presented by Caribbean Travel World Awards in 2007 and again in 2008.
This beautiful country grows bananas, sweet potatoes, coconuts and spices; they also rear cattle and catch fish.
The official languages of St Vincent and the Grenadines are English and French Patois.Many of the scenes in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films were filmed in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is very popular for being a weddings and honeymoon paradise and won the Best Honeymoon Island of The Year presented by Caribbean Travel World Awards in 2007 and again in 2008.
Palm island is a heaven for wildlife and birds. It has a number of land turtles, which were brought to replace those washed away by a 2015 hurricane. The most commonly seen animals are geckos, several kinds of lizards, hermit and land crabs, sea turtles, mocking birds, doves, pigeons, sandpipers, herons, hummingbirds, osprey, gulls, and frigate birds.
It is against the law to wear camouflage in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is only worn by the police force.
The country has no formal military. The duties of a military have been taken over by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Royal Police Force.
Both men and women work together on almost every activity. But typically, women do the gardening while men do the farming and work at sea. Traditionally, only women sell produce in the market square, while only men sell fish.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Botanic Gardens is one of the world’s oldest botanical gardens, preserving rare native and other tropical plants since 1765.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White and SU Summer Sun CS and DP from my scrap file
Punches: SU Circle and Dog Tag
Embellishments: Fish Brads from and unknown vendor
This is adorable! And I love reading your blog! Signing up to follow you by email....love an interesting place to visit!!! Thanks for sharing! (Oh, I found you in one of the Facebook groups, and had to come see the whole post!)
ReplyDeletePrecious card, Jeanette!! Lucky for these little guys that their mouths aren't big enough to take a bite of this wiggling worm!!
ReplyDeleteLoving all the facts about these fascinating islands Jeanette - your card is so sweet - love the expression on the worm's face :), and how beautifully you have coloured it. The background use of paper and die cuts is such a wonderful one too.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Maxine