Carriacou and Petite Martinique
Encyclopedia
'Carriacou and Petite Martinique' is the dependency of Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...

, lying north of Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...

 island and south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....

 in the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...

. The Grenadine
Grenadines
The Grenadines is a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands.-Geographic boundaries:They are divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. They lie between the islands of Saint Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south. Neither...

 islands to the north of Carriacou and Petite Martinique belong to the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Carriacou Island in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

, is the largest island of the Grenadines
Grenadines
The Grenadines is a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands.-Geographic boundaries:They are divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. They lie between the islands of Saint Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south. Neither...

, an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

  in the Windward Islands
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...

 chain. The island is 13 square miles (33.7 km²) with a population of 4,595 (1991 census). The main settlements on the island are Hillsborough
Hillsborough, Grenada
Hillsborough is the largest town on the island of Carriacou, Grenada. The town serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre of both Carriacou and Petite Martinique. It has a population of approximately 1,000 people.-History:...

, L'Esterre, Harvey Vale, and Windward.

The neighbouring island of Petite Martinique is 2½ miles away from Carriacou, and also a part of Grenada. With its 586 acres (2.4 km²) and population of 900, it is smaller than Carriacou. Petite Martinique is much smaller, comprising about 9.8% of the total area and 30% of the entire population which is estimated at 10,000. The residents of this island live by boat-building, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 and seafaring. Carriacou and Petite Martinique is known for its Regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...

 and Village Maroon.

Geography

Carriacou is the largest of the Grenadines
Grenadines
The Grenadines is a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands.-Geographic boundaries:They are divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. They lie between the islands of Saint Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south. Neither...

 and is characterized by hilly terrain sloping to white sand beaches. The island stretches from Pegus Point in the south to Gun Point in the north and it is about 16 miles long.

The island has several natural harbors and many coral reefs and small offshore islets.

The highest point on the island is High Point North at 955 feet (291.1 m) above sea level.
Carriacou has no rivers. Residents rely on rainfall for their water. There are two seasons, wet and dry seasons. The dry season is between January and June when the trade winds dominate the climate. The climate is tropical.

Carriacou


The earliest settlers, the Amerindians, called Carriacou "Kayryouacou", meaning "the land of reefs."

In 1656, Père du Tertre from Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...

 visited Carriacou and he was the first French/European person (turtle Fisherman) to visit Carriacou. . The island of Carriacou was originally settled by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...



In 1720, Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts , born John Roberts, was a Welsh pirate who raided ships off America and West Africa between 1719 and 1722. He was the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy. He is estimated to have captured over 470 vessels...

 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 Mulattos) living in Carriacou. In 1763 was ceded with Grenada to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 when they captured neighbouring Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...

. In 1776, the island population was 3,239 (86 Whites and 3,153 slaves) people, 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
Stephen Joseph Perry
Stephen Joseph Perry was an English Jesuit, known as a participant in scientific expeditions.-Life:...

 went in charge of a government expedition to observe a solar eclipse at Carriacou. The first record of a hurricane on the island was on August 14, 1944. Bishop's College was the first Secondary School in Carriacou, it was opened in 1964 and the Anglican Church established this school. In 1968 Lauriston airport/airstrip was opened. On October 31, 1975 Carriacou Carib Organization (CGO) began. In 1922, Petite Charles first introduced the Jab Jab (Devil) Mas to Carriacou. In the 19th century, the Pierrot Mas was first introduced to Carriacou. In 1965, the Carriacou Regatta began. The Telephone system began operating in 1961 on the island of Carriacou.

The inhabitants of Carriacou perform the "Big Drum
Big Drum
Big Drum is a genre and a musical instrument from the Windward Islands. It is a kind of Caribbean music, associated mostly closely with the music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Carriacou in Grenada and in the music of Saint Kitts and Nevis.-Carriacou:...

"
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.

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
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

 and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 ancestry are concentrated.

Carriacouans have migrated to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, and especially to the county town of Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...

. 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
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....

 and South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...

 (Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...

) where the rector of St Stephens is the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...

's visitor to the Windward Island diocese. The USA, particularly New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, is home to a significant number of Carriacouans. Many Carriacouans do return for holidays or to retire "back home".

Cotton was the leading product to be export during the 18th century.

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.

Petite Martinique

The first European founder of the island of Petite Martinique was a French Fisherman called Mr. Pierre from Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

.
It is thought that he figured that the isle was shaped roughly like Martinique so he named it Petit (little) Martinique.

Recent history

The majority of the inhabitants today are of African descent. There still is a British influence on the island as it was colonised by the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

 and it is part of Grenada, a Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...

 state. There is still a French influence which is demonstrated in village names, such as L'Esterre, La Resource, Beausejour, et cetera, and the local patois
Patois
Patois is any language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. It can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects, and other forms of native or local speech, but not commonly to jargon or slang, which are vocabulary-based forms of cant...

 is still spoken.

The Sacred Heart Church was the first Roman Catholic church on the of Petite Martinique and the first wooden building. It was destroyed by a hurricane in the 1940s and the Church standing today was built in 1947.

Though Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type 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 Atlantic hurricane season...

 in 2004 dealt a devastating blow to the island of Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...

, remarkably, Carriacou and Petite Martinique suffered significantly less damage. However, in 2005, Hurricane Emily
Hurricane Emily (2005)
Hurricane Emily was a powerful, early season tropical cyclone that caused significant damage across the Caribbean Sea to Mexico. A Cape Verde-type hurricane, the storm formed on July 10, 2005, in the central Atlantic Ocean before passing through the Windward Islands on July 14...

 hit Carriacou, damaging and forcing evacuation of its only hospital and destroying or damaging hundreds of homes.

Politics

Carriacou and Petite Martinique is a Grenadian Constituency. Elvin Nimrod
Elvin Nimrod
Elvin G. Nimrod is a politician from the island of Grenada. He currently serves in the House of Representatives of Grenada, and has in the past served as the Minister for Legal Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. -References:*...

, NNP
New National Party (Grenada)
The New National Party is a conservative political party in Grenada. It is led by the Leader of the Opposition, Keith Mitchell.The party was founded in August 1984 through the merger of the Grenada National Party, led by Herbert Blaize, the National Democratic Party, led by George Brizan, and the...

, is the repersentive for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Constituency. George Prime
George Prime
George Prime is a politician from the island of Grenada. He currently serves as that nation's Minister of Carriacou and Petit Martinique Affairs.-References:*...

, NDC
National Democratic Congress (Grenada)
The National Democratic Congress is a liberal centre-left political party in Grenada. Tillman Thomas is the party's leader, Nazim Burke is its deputy leader, and Peter David is its General Secretary...

, is the Minister of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs.

Festivals

There are three major cultural festivals held on Carriacou. Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...

(see external link below) is held in February or early March. The Carriacou Regatta, held on the first weekend in August, is a racing event for locally built boats. In 2005, the Regatta celebrated its 40th anniversary. The Parang on the weekend prior to Christmas celebrates the island's traditional Christmas music and culture. Village Maroons all year round and since the turn of the millennium, a new festival of growing popularity has been started – the Carriacou Maroon Festival held during the second quarter of the year.

Carriacou

National ..... Icon
Dish Coo-coo and Ocra
Plant Plant Delonix regia
Tree Flamboyant
Drink Jack Iron
Telephone company Cable & Wireless
Bank Grenada Cooperative Bank
Hospital Princess Royal Hospital

Transport

Carriacou and Petite Martinique mains transport system include roads and ferries.
The people of Carriacou travel mainly by privately run 15 seater buses. Rental cars and taxis are also available and boats are commonplace. A smaller airport located in Lauriston Estate, Carriacou is the Lauriston Airport
Lauriston Airport
Lauriston Airport is an airport located west of Hillsborough, the main town on the island of Carriacou in Grenada. It is also known as Carriacou Island Airport.-Facilities:...

, the island's major airport and a small ferry boat known as the "Osprey" that runs between Carriacou, Grenada and Petite Martinique. The short distances between the Grenadines
Grenadines
The Grenadines is a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands.-Geographic boundaries:They are divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. They lie between the islands of Saint Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south. Neither...

 enables travel between them by small boats.

Carriacou

Celsius °C Fahrenheit °F
Land 27–32 80–85
Sea 26–30 78–82

Petite Martinique

Celsius °C Fahrenheit °F
Land 27–32°C 80–85°F
Sea 26–30°C 78–82°F

In Literature

Carriacou plays 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
Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde was a Caribbean-American writer, poet and activist.-Life:...

's autobiographical work Zami: A New Spelling of My Name
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is a 1982 autobiography by African American poet Audre Lorde. It started a new genre that the author calls biomythography.-Explanation of the title:...

.

Radio


External links

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