Kingstown (pronounced in English: �kɪŋsˌtaʊn is the

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

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 Sea wh ...

. The city has the main port and the biggest commercial center of the islands. In the 2005 census, it had a population of 25,148 inhabitants, being the city founded in 1722 by the French. The Kingstown metropolitan area is branded as the international capital of the illegal transport of

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

s, the most abundant species in the region.

History

The National geographic magazine (1902) (14779547834)

The modern capital, Kingstown, was founded by

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

settlers shortly after 1722, although Saint Vincent enjoyed 196 years of British rule before its independence. The

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

, conceived in 1765, is one of the oldest in the

Western hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the term We ...

. William Bligh, made famous from the Mutiny on the Bounty, brought seed of the

breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...

tree here for planting, .

Geography

The town is surrounded by steep hills. Secondary education is provided by the Thomas Saunders Secondary School at Richmond Hill.

Transportation

The city is served by Argyle International Airport, which has commercial passenger services to the United States, Canada and to the United Kingdom.

Sights

Botanic Gardens St. Vincent The St Vincent and the Grenadines Botanic Gardens is located in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Established in 1765, it is the oldest botanic garden in the Western Hemisphere. The magnificent Botanic Gardens are currently one of the ...

: Located on the northern outskirts of Kingstown are the Botanical Gardens. Kingstown is overlooked by Fort Charlotte on the north side of town. It is located above sea level. *The St. George's Cathedral *The Cruise Ship Berth

References

External links