Union Island 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 Sea wh ...

. It has a surface of and lies about west-southwest of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

within view of the islands of

Carriacou Carriacou is an island of the Grenadine Islands. It is a dependency of Grenada, and is located in the south-eastern Caribbean Sea, northeast of the island Grenada and the north coast of South America. The name is derived from the Carib lang ...

and the mainland of

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 Pe ...

, which lies directly south.Union Island (St Vincent)
/ref> Clifton and Ashton are the two principal towns. The island is home to just under 3,000 residents. The official language is

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, however French and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

are spoken by some merchants in Clifton as well. The island has an airport,

Union Island Airport Union Island Airport is the airport serving Union Island, Grenadines Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenadines Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located about from the town of Clifton, Union Island, Clifton, one of the c ...

, with domestic flights to Saint Vincent and some 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): ...

, as well as international flights to

and

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...

Geography

Due to its volcanic silhouette, it is also called the ''

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

of the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

''. The island is approximately long and wide. Surrounding islands are

Tobago Cays The Tobago Cays are an archipelago located in the Southern Grenadines of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines comprising five small islands and extensive coral reefs. The cays – Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac and Jamesby – are ...

Mayreau Mayreau is the smallest inhabited island of the Grenadines, with an area of about 0.46 sq. miles and a population of about 271. The population is centered in an unnamed village, located on Station Hill, a hilltop in the south-west of the island. ...

, Palm Island, and

Petit Saint Vincent Petit St Vincent, known locally as PSV, is an island south of St. Vincent Saint Vincent may refer to: People Saints * Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr * Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, ...

. The highest peak is Mount Taboi, which is above sea level. Union Island has a semi-arid climate. Its hills are not high enough to produce the rainfall that transforms Grenada's northern coastal areas into rainforests. During the dry season (December to June), the only source of water on the island is the water stored during the rainy season (June to December).

History

After the original settlers, the

Arawak The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Great ...

and

Caribs “Carib” may refer to: People and languages *Kalina people, or Caribs, an indigenous people of South America **Carib language, also known as Kalina, the language of the South American Caribs *Kalinago people, or Island Caribs, an indigenous pe ...

, the island has been in the possession of French and English

slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

rs and plantation owners. They brought hundreds of Africans to the island, mostly from regions of Africa that are now

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

, and

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. Sea island cotton was an important export crop. When slavery was abolished, people still relied on farming and fishing. As a result, a lot of men went to sea to work on freighters to support their families. Union Island was the centre of some political unrest in the late 1970s when a group of residents were in favour of secession from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and merger with southern neighbour Grenada. The insurrection was put down by forces of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Government. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent much of a year working on Union Island and completed a new Coast Guard Jetty and shore office at the mouth of Clifton Harbour.

Economy

Today the yacht services business and tourist day-chartering business provide many jobs. There are also numerous boutiques and supermarkets, bars and restaurants, internet cafes and a dive operator. There are several hotels and guest houses on Union Island, as well as schools, churches and a small health clinic. The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD), though U.S. dollars (USD) and Euros (EUR) are widely accepted. Telecommunications services are provided by Cable & Wireless, which offers landline and wireless services (GSM). Digicel offers competing for wireless services, including the network formerly operated by AT&T Wireless/Cingular. High-Speed Internet services are provided by Cable and Wireless (512 kbit/s down, 128 kbit/s up). The island is connected to the Saint Vincent mainland by a series of digital microwave towers (through connections to neighbouring islands of Canouan and Bequia). WiFi service in the harbour is offered through Internet Cafe-Clifton. Also through HotHotHot Spot, a service offered in Union through Erika's Marine Services, which is also offered in

Bequia Bequia ( or ) is the second-largest island in the Grenadines at . It is part of the country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is approximately from the nation's capital, Kingstown, on the main island, Saint Vincent. Bequia means "island o ...

in the Grenadines, as well as

Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...

and

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

(both Falmouth and English Harbours and Jolly Harbour). Other computer and electronic support is also offered by The Internet Cafe — Clifton. Local piers and docks earn money by renting their open space to tourists who have chartered sailboats or yachts, charging them by boat length. In the middle of Clifton harbour sits Happy Island, a man-made island featuring a bar. Ferry services operate between Clifton and Saint Vincent, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday on the MS Barracouda and the MS Gemstar. Ferry services also operate bi-weekly between Ashton and Hillsborough, Carriacou (Grenada) on Mondays and Thursdays.

Fauna

The

common opossum The common opossum (''Didelphis marsupialis''), also called the southern or black-eared opossum or gambá, and sometimes called a possum, is a marsupial species living from the northeast of Mexico to Bolivia (reaching the coast of the South Pac ...

, locally known as "manicou", can usually only be seen at the end of the dry season. Common Caribbean birds like the bananaquit are found on the island, as is the ubiquitous blackbird. A recent book (2006) on the fauna of

Mustique Mustique is a small private island in the nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which is part of the Grenadines, a chain of islands in the West Indies. The island is located within Grenadines Parish, and the closest island is the uninhab ...

, a neighbouring island, is an excellent reference.Fr. Mark de Silva & Dianne Wilson; 2006; ''A Natural History of Mustique: A Field Guide to the Common Flora, Fauna and Marine Species'', Mustique Company Ltd. The Union Island gecko, discovered in 2005 is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the island and is currently listed as critically endangered by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

. Powell R, Henderson RW (2011). "''Gonatodes daudini'' (errata version published in 2017)". The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T194258A115333400. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T194258A8889057.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2019.

Tourism

The tourism industry plays an increasing role in Union Island's economy. A large number of yachts visit the island each year, often on their way to the nearby Tobago Cays. There are a number of local guest houses, including St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, the Anchorage Yacht Club, and a small hotel at the Bougainvilla in Clifton. Turtle watching is conducted by the Union Island Environmental Attackers (UIEA), an environmental

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

seeking to preserve Union Island. Turtle watching occurs during the Turtle Closed Season (March 1 to July 31), during which time catching or killing of turtles for consumption is forbidden. There are also a number of bars and restaurants on the island. Chatham Bay, on the west side of the island, is popular with cruising yachts due to its remote feel and good protection. UnionIslandRegatta1

A key feature of the Union Island region is the Tobago Cays National Marine Park. The Tobago Cays are a group of small, uninhabited islands surrounded by reefs. Snorkeling, scuba diving and swimming with sea turtles are offered. The Union Island Sailing Club sponsors two sailing dinghies that participate in local regattae.

Culture

Easter is one of the biggest events on Union Island. Festivities take place in both Ashton and Clifton throughout Holy Week in a festival called "Easterval". In late May, at the end of the dry season, a significant event is "the Maroon", a celebration which is a day-long affair beginning before dawn and lasting late into the night. The Maroon is known for its drums, dancing and plentiful food. These are meant to entice the Gods to bring on the rains.

Gallery

File:UnionMaroon.jpg, Maroon celebration in Ashton, May 2007 File:Clifton beach 2018.jpg, Areal view of a beach on Union Island near Clifton with the Union Island Airport in the background. File:Clifton harbour.jpg, Harbour at Clifton, Union Island - Jetty of Anchorage Yacht Club File:Clifton memorial.jpg, Memorial at central square of Clifton, Union Island. File:Clifton airport.jpg, Union Island Airport in Clifton. File:HappyIsland.jpg, Happy Island sits in the outer harbour of Clifton, Union Island

References

External links

Radio Grenadines official websiteTravel guide of Union Island with street map of the townTobago Cays Marine Park official websiteFriends of Union Island - general information
{{Authority control Islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Windward Islands