Kingstown is the capital, chief port, and main commercial centre 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 Sea w ...

. With a population of 12,909 (2012), Kingstown is the most populous settlement in the country. It is the island's agricultural industry centre and a port of entry for tourists. The city lies within the parish of

Saint George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

in the south-west corner of Saint Vincent.

History

The National geographic magazine (1902) (14779547834)

The modern capital, Kingstown, was founded by French settlers shortly after 1722, although Saint Vincent had 196 years of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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 te ...

William Bligh Vice-Admiral William Bligh (9 September 1754 – 7 December 1817) was an officer of the Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. The mutiny on the HMS ''Bounty'' occurred in 1789 when the ship was under his command; after being set adrift i ...

, made famous from the

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...

, brought seed of the breadfruit tree here for planting, .

Geography

The town is surrounded by steep hills. Secondary education is provided by the Thomas Saunders Secondary School, Boys Grammar School, Girls High School, Bishop College, St Martain, and St Josephs Convent School at Richmond Hill.

Transportation

The city is served by

Argyle International Airport Argyle International Airport (often referred to as Argyle Airport or simply AIA) is an international airport on the island of Saint Vincent in the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in Argyle, about from the ...

, which has commercial passenger services to the United States, Canada and, soon, to the United Kingdom.

Sights

* Botanic Gardens St. Vincent: 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