Carriacou is an island of the

Grenadine Islands 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): ...

. It is a dependency 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 ...

, and is located in the south-eastern

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

, northeast of the island Grenada and the north coast of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. The name is derived from the Carib language ''Kayryouacou.''

Government

Carriacou is a dependency of Grenada and part of the Carriacou and Petite Martinique Constituency.

Geography

Carriacou is the largest island in the Grenada Grenadines. It is also the largest island in the

(Vincentian and Grenadian Grenadines). It is located at latitude 12° 28' N, longitude 61° 27' W.

Facts

Carriacou is home to 8,000 people. The capital city is Hillsborough, the only town or city on the island. The port authority is in Tyrell Bay which is also where the ferry from Grenada docks. Tyrell Bay has various bars and restaurants and is where the mangroves are situated which is a protected area, oyster bed and is used by yachts to shelter from hurricanes. Most of the other island settlements are very small villages. There are more than 100 rum shops in Carriacou. Carriacou is home to the late former prime minister Sir Nicholas Braithwaite and

Herbert Augustus Blaize Herbert Augustus Blaize PC (26 February 1918 – 19 December 1989) was a Grenadian politician and leader of the Grenada National Party. When Grenada was still a British Crown Colony he served as the first Chief Minister from 1960 to 1961, a ...

, the founder of GNP (Grenada National Party) and the former Chief Minister of Grenada. Carriacou is a popular vacation destination for both Grenadians and foreign visitors, many of whom arrive by yacht. Noteworthy beaches in Carriacou include Paradise Beach and Anse La Roche. European (English or French) dances, such as the Quadrille, are still popular on the island today. The

Big Drum Big Drum is a genre, a musical instrument, and traditional African religion from the Windward Islands. It is a kind of Caribbean music, associated mostly closely with the music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Music of Guadeloupe, Carriacou ...

dance is the most popular dance on the island and is performed on a special occasions. Carriacou is reputed to be the friendliest, healthiest and safest island in the Caribbean. Carriacou's Pierrot, or Shakespeare Mas, is originally from Mt. Royal.

Diving

Carriacou is known as the "Isle of Reefs", and features some of the most unspoiled coral reefs in the region. Most diving takes place on the calmer Caribbean side of the island, where 33 dive sites suitable for all levels of divers can be found. Depths range from down to a maximum of . Visibility is good throughout the year, with excellent opportunities for underwater photography. All of Carriacou's dive sites boast a spectacular array of vibrant corals and schooling fish that have made the Caribbean a famous diving hotspot. Dive sites range from the tranquil and sheltered for beginners and underwater photography enthusiasts to fast drifts for those that love a challenge. Carriacou also features two wreck dives: the Westsider and Boris tug boats, both long, which were sunk as artificial wrecks for divers in 2004 and 2007 respectively.

Underwater fauna

As well as all the usual Caribbean reef fish, large nurse sharks, barracudas, Southern and roughtail stingrays, as well as spotted eagle rays, hawksbill and green turtles are frequently sighted. During the summer months spectacular schools of silversides may be seen. During late spring, humpback whales migrate past the island, and their song can be heard by scuba divers from a long way off.

Climate

Dry season is from January to June and the rainy season is from July to December.

Hurricanes

The first record of a hurricane on the island was on August 14, 1944. In 1955 the second floor of the Beausejour great house was blown away by

Hurricane Janet Hurricane Janet was the most powerful tropical cyclone of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the strongest North Atlantic tropical cyclone, Atlantic hurricanes on record. Janet was also the first named storm to have 1,000 deaths and th ...

. Recent hurricanes:

Hurricane Ivan Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlan ...

on September 7, 2004, and

Hurricane Emily The name Emily has been used for fourteen tropical cyclones worldwide, seven in the Atlantic Ocean, five in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and two in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Atlantic: * Hurricane Emily (1981) – crossed Bermuda *Hurricane Emi ...

on July 13, 2005.

History

Between 500 and 1000 AD\CE,

Amerindians The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Ame ...

came to Carriacou. These Carib settlers called Carriacou ''Kayryouacou,'' meaning "the land of reefs." In 1656, Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre, a turtle fisherman living in

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...

, visited Carriacou. He was the first recorded French/European person to visit the island. It was colonized first by the French among the European newcomers. In 1720,

Bartholomew Roberts ) , type=Pirate , birth_place = Casnewydd Bach, near Puncheston, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Kingdom of England , death_place = At sea off of Cape Lopez, Gabon , allegiance= , serviceyears=1719–1722 , base of operations= Off the coast of the Americ ...

captured a French ship near Carriacou and commandeered it, renaming it the ''Royal Fortune''. In 1750, the first census of the island was conducted. It recorded 199 people (92 Whites, 92 Blacks and 15 Mixed Race, people of African descent were mostly enslaved) living in Carriacou. In 1763 near the end of the Seven Years' War, Carriacou was ceded with Grenada by the French to the

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, ...

after their defeat in the war. In addition, the British had captured neighbouring

. In 1776, the island population was 3,239 (86 Whites and 3,153 slaves), not counting the free Blacks and the free

Mulattos (, ) is a racial classification to refer to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered outdated and offensive in several languages, including English and Dutch, whereas in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese is ...

or people of colour. In 1791, Gun Point (Rapid Point), which had been a division of the Grenadines, was made a latitude on the island. The Point belonged to Saint Vincent and the rest of Carriacou belonged to Grenada. In 1870,

Stephen Joseph Perry Stephen Joseph Perry SJ FRS (26 August 1833, in London – 27 December 1889) was an English Jesuit and astronomer, known as a participant in scientific expeditions. Life He belonged to a well-known Catholic family. His schooling was firs ...

led a British government expedition to observe a solar

eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...

at Carriacou. In the 19th century, the Pierrot Mas was first introduced to Carriacou. In 1922, Petite Charles first introduced the Jab Jab (Devil) Mas to Carriacou. The telephone system began operating in 1961 on Carriacou. Bishop's College was the first secondary school in Carriacou; it was opened in 1964 by the Anglican Church. In 1965, the Carriacou Regatta began. In 1965?1968 Lauriston airport/airstrip was opened. On October 31, 1975, the Carriacou Carib Organization (CCO) began. The inhabitants of Carriacou perform the ''"

"'' or ''"Nation,"'' dance which celebrates their West African ancestors who were brought to the island during slavery. These Big Drum dances are usually performed at ''"Maroons"'' village festivals or fetes, where food and drink are prepared. They can also be danced at wakes and tombstone feasts in honour of dead relatives. The Quadrille dance is also performed on the island during festivals and historic events. A traditional boat-building culture located in the village of Windward, on the north-eastern side of the island. Carriacou's people of Scottish and

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry are concentrated here. Carriacouans have migrated to the United Kingdom, and especially to the county town of

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

. It is said that if you live in Carriacou you will have a family member in Huddersfield, and if you live in Huddersfield you will surely know someone from Carriacou. Other English locations where Kayaks (nickname for people from Carriacou) congregate is

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The rector of St Stephens is the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...

's Visitor to the Windward Island diocese. The United States, particularly

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, is home to a significant number of Carriacouans. Many Carriacouans do return for

holidays A holiday is a day set aside by Norm (social), custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate ...

or to retire "back home". Limes and citrus products were the leading exports during the 18th century.

Colonial history

On 27 September 1650, Jacques du Parquet bought

from the Compagnie des Iles de l'Amérique, which was dissolved, for the equivalent of £1160. In 1657, Jacques du Parquet sold Grenada to Jean de Faudoas, Comte de Sérillac for the equivalent of £1890.

Steele Steele may refer to: Places America * Steele, Alabama, a town * Steele, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Steele, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Steele, Missouri, a city * Lonetree, Montana, a ghost town originally called Steele ...

, page 54 In 1664, King

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

bought out the independent island owners and established the

French West India Company The French West India Company (french: Compagnie française des Indes occidentales) was a French trading company founded on 28 May 1664, some three months before the foundation of the corresponding eastern company, by Jean-Baptiste Colbert and diss ...

. In 1674 the French West India Company was dissolved. Proprietary rule ended in Grenada, which became a French colony. Carriacou was part of the French colony in 1762. Following French defeat in the Seven Years' War, it ceded its territories to Britain. The island was part of the British Grenada colony from 1763 to 1779 and 1783–1974. It was part of French Grenada colony from 1779 to 1783. It has been a dependency of Grenada since 1974. On November 1, 1983, during

Operation Urgent Fury The United States invasion of Grenada began at dawn on 25 October 1983. The United States and a coalition of six Caribbean nations invaded the island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, ...

, two companies from the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit made a combined sea and helicopter landing on Carriacou. The nineteen Grenadian soldiers defending the island surrendered without a fight. This was the last military action of the campaign.

Native name

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Carriacou was spelled 'Kayryouacou' in Carib.

Notable residents

- former Chief Minister of Grenada * Canute Caliste - native painter and quadrille violinist * Leonard James Paterson - father of

Basil Paterson Basil Alexander Paterson (April 27, 1926 – April 16, 2014) was an American labor lawyer and politician. He served in the New York State Senate from 1966 to 1971 and as secretary of state of New York under Governor Hugh Carey from 1979 to 1983 ...

, grandfather of

David Paterson David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 55th governor of New York, succeeding Eliot Spitzer and serving out nearly three years of Spitzer's term from March 2008 to December 2010. A ...

* Linda Lorde - mother of writer

Audre Lorde Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," who ...

Malvina Wells Malvina Wells (1804 – 22 April 1887) was the only known person buried in Edinburgh who was born a slave. Birth and early life Malvina Wells was born in 1804 in Carriacou, Grenada, in the West Indies. Her father was John Wells, planter, and her ...

(1804-1887), born in Carriacou, only known person buried in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

who was born a slave

In literature

*Carriacou and the Big Drum are featured in

Paule Marshall Paule Marshall (April 9, 1929 – August 12, 2019) was an American writer, best known for her 1959 debut novel '' Brown Girl, Brownstones''. In 1992, at the age of 63, Marshall was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship grant. Life and career Marshall wa ...

's novel '' Praisesong for the Widow''. *The memory of Carriacou (from which her parents emigrated to New York) figures prominently in

's autobiographical work '' Zami: A New Spelling of My Name''.

Panorama

References

External links

Deefer Diving Carriacou
* Kido Foundation Carriacou www.liletsanctuary.com
Documentary of boatbuilding in Windward
{{Authority control Islands of Grenada