Baliceaux is a small, privately owned
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
island and is one of the
Grenadines
The Grenadines is a chain of small islands that lie on a line between the larger islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Nine are inhabited and open to the public (or ten, if the offshore island of Young Island is counted): ...
chain of islands which lie between the larger islands of
Saint Vincent and
Grenada
Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pet ...
. Politically, it is part of the nation of
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines () is an island country in the 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 of the Caribbean Se ...
.
[Baliceaux Island (St Vincent)]
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History
Discovered by Spanish navigators during the fifteenth century, this island of 1,35 km² enjoyed a long and interesting history. It got prominence during wars 1769 - 1795 within the Caribbean region. Island highest point ''Gun Hill'', almost 126 meters above sea level, served as an observation station for soldiers between 1772–1797.
In the 1790s, the British army banished about 5000 Black Caribs
The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Cre ...
to Baliceaux following the defeat of the rebellion of Carib Chief Joseph Chatoyer in Saint Vincent. Their descendants live today as the Garifuna people
The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Cre ...
in Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
, Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...
, Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...
and in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
.
The island had a small area where the Black Caribs that died from disease were buried. This has since been eroded over time by wind and sea, and very little remains of the area where the people were buried.
To commemorate these events every year in March ''Pilgrimage to Balliceaux'' is held. It coincides with ''National Hero's Day'' in St. Vincent.
The cultural landmark status is proposed for Baliceaux island.Balliceaux Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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See also
* First Carib War
* Second Carib War
References
Private islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Wars involving Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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