| Native name: Kayryouacou Nickname: Land of reefs |
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A view of Hillsborough, the capital of Carriacou
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| Geography | |
| Location | Caribbean |
| Coordinates | 12°28′00″N 61°27′00″W / 12.46667°N 61.45000°WCoordinates: 12°28′00″N 61°27′00″W / 12.46667°N 61.45000°W |
| Archipelago | Grenadines |
| Area | 13 sq mi (34 km2) |
| Length | 7 mi (11 km) |
| Width | 3 mi (5 km) |
| Highest elevation | 956 ft (291.4 m) |
| Highest point | High North Peak |
| Country | |
| Largest settlement | Hillsborough (pop. 700) |
| Prime Minister of Grenada | Dr.Keith Mitchell |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 8,000 |
| Density | 176.47 /sq mi (68.135 /km2) |
| Ethnic groups | African, European, Native people. |
Carriacou is an island of the Grenadine Islands located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, northeast of Grenada.
Contents
Government[edit]
Carriacou is a dependency of Grenada and part of the Carriacou and Petite Martinique Constituency.
Geography[edit]
Carriacou is the largest island in the Grenada Grenadines. It is the largest island in the Grenadine Islands (Vincentian and Grenadian Grenadines). It is located at latitude 12° 28' N, longitude 61° 27' W.
Facts[edit]
Carriacou is home to 8,000 people. The capital city is Hillsborough, the only town or city in Carriacou. The rest of Carriacou settlements are very small villages. In all, there are over 100 rum shops in Carriacou. Carriacou is home to Herbert Augustus Blaize, the founder of GNP (Grenada National Party) and the former Chief Minister of Grenada. Carriacou is a popular vacation destination for Grenadians. 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 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 Bogles.
National facts[edit]
- National drink: Jack Iron
- National Telephone company: Cable and Wireless
- National dive shop: Carriacou Silver Diving Ltd.
- National Bank: Republic Bank (Grenada)
- National Hospital: Princess Royal Hospital
- National Dish: Coo-Coo and Okra
- National Plant/Flower: The Flamboyant Tree
As a table:
| National ..... | Icon |
|---|---|
| Dish | Coo-Coo, Stew Peas, Stew Pork, Rolled rice |
| Plant | Flamboyant |
| Drink | Jack Iron |
| Telephone company | Cable & Wireless |
| Banks | FCIB, Republic & Grenada Cooperative Bank |
| Hospital | Princess Royal Hospital in Belair |
Diving[edit]
A nickname of the island is "the Island surrounded by reefs." There are many reefs around Carriacou. There are all kinds of coral in the sea of Carriacou. The corals in the sea grow up to 10 feet in height. Beautiful diving sites in Carriacou are only a 10-15 minute boat ride away from shore.
Underwater fauna[edit]
Within the reef, animals that live in the sea include the nurse shark, giant green/Juvenile golden-born moray eels, turtles, eagle and stingrays and whole lobster colonies.
Climate[edit]
| Celsius °C | Fahrenheit °F | |
|---|---|---|
| Land | 27-32 | 80-85 |
| Sea | 26-30 | 78-82 |
Dry season is from January to June and the rainy season is from July to December.
Hurricanes[edit]
The first record of a hurricane on the island was on August 14, 1944. In 1955 the Beausejour great house second floor was blown away by Hurricane Janet. Recent hurricanes: Hurricane Ivan on September 7, 2004 and Hurricane Emily on July 13, 2005.
History[edit]
Between 500-1000, Amerindians came to carriacou. The earliest settlers, the Amerindians, called Carriacou "Kayryouacou", meaning "the land of reefs."
In 1656, Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre (a turtle Fisherman) living in Guadeloupe visited Carriacou and he was the first French/European person to visit Carriacou. The island of Carriacou was originally settled by the French.
In 1720, Bartholomew Roberts captured a French ship near Carriacou and commandeered it, renaming it the Royal Fortune.
In 1750, the first census of the island was conducted, and there were 199 people (92 Whites, 92 Blacks and 15 Mixed Race) living in Carriacou.
In 1763 was ceded with Grenada to the British when they captured neighbouring Grenada. In 1776, the island population was 3,239 (86 Whites and 3,153 slaves), not counting the free Blacks and the free Mulattos. In 1791, Gun Point (Rapid Point) which had been a division of the Grenadines, was made a latitude on the island, but the point belonged to Saint Vincent and the rest of Carriacou belonged to Grenada.
In 1870, Stephen Joseph Perry went in charge of a government expedition to observe a solar eclipse 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 the island of 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 Carriacou Carib Organization (CGO) began.
The inhabitants of Carriacou perform the "Big Drum" or "Nation" dance which celebrates their West African ancestors that 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 honor of dead relatives. The Quadrille dance is also performed on the island of Carriacou during festivals and historic events.
There still is a traditional boat-building culture located in the village of Windward, on the northeastern side of the island, where Carriacou's people of Scottish and Irish ancestry are concentrated.
Carriacouans have migrated to the United Kingdom, and especially to the county town of Bedford. It is said that if you live in Carriacou you will have a family member in Bedford, and if you live in Bedford you will surely know someone from Carriacou. Other English locations where Kayaks congregate are Huddersfield and South London (Lewisham) where the rector of St Stephens is the Archbishop of Canterbury's visitor to the Windward Island diocese. The USA, particularly New York City, is home to a significant number of Carriacouans. Many Carriacouans do return for holidays or to retire "back home".
Limes and citrus products were the leading exports during the 18th century.
Colonial history[edit]
On 27th Sep 1650, Jacques du Parquet bought Grenada from the Compagnie des Iles de l'Amerique, which was dissolved, for the equivalent of £1160. In 1657, Jacques du Parquet sold Grenada to the Comte de Cerrillac for the equivalent of £1890. In 1664, King Louis XIV bought out the independent island owners and established the French West India Company.[1] In 1674 the French West India Company was dissolved. Proprietary rule ended in Grenada, which became a French colony.[1]
Carriacou was part of the French colony in 1762. It was part of the British Grenada colony from 1763-1779 and 1783-1974. It was part of French Grenada colony from 1779-1783. It has been a dependency of Grenada since 1974.
Native name[edit]
In the 17th and 18th centuries Carriacou was spelled 'Kayryouacou' in Carib.
Notable residents[edit]
- Herbert Augustus Blaize - former Chief Minister of Grenada
- Canute Caliste - native painter
- Leonard James Paterson - father of Basil Paterson, grandfather of David Paterson
In literature[edit]
Carriacou and the Big Drum play a central role in Paule Marshall's novel "Praisesong for the Widow." The memory of Carriacou (from which her parents emigrated to New York) figures prominently in Audre Lorde's autobiographical work Zami: A New Spelling of My Name.
