In the beginning, Grenada was the island that nobody
conquered. Christopher Columbus never set foot on Grenada. Spaniards never
settled the island perhaps because the indigenous Caribs fought them off. Later
the English failed in their first settlement attempts.
But the French succeeded in taking Grenada from the Caribs in the 1650’s only to
cede it to England a century later as a result of suffering defeat in the French
and Indian War. The Island became a Crown Colony only gaining independence in
1974.
A coup d´etat in 1979 led to the constitution being suspended and government
rule by decree. Cuban presence was welcomed and included doctors, teachers, and
technicians. But with their construction of an international airport, Ronald
Reagan and American Marines came onto the scene, overthrowing the regime. Now
there are tourists and cruise ships in Grenada.
Form of government: Independent state
within the Commonwealth
Capital: Saint George' s
Area:
334 kmq.
Population: 89.703
Language:
English (official), Creole
patois
dialect
Currency:
Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD). 1
XCD=0,29 euro
Time Zone: - 4 GMT - UTC
Documents:
Passport valid for a minimum of 6 months
Phones: The cellular network is active. The phone cards are
readily available in the main shops and
commercial activities.
International Dialing
Code:
+1
473
Health: Sanitary
conditions are good, while health facilities are
limited
Grenada where the air is pungent with the perfume of the
abundant flora that makes it a “Spice Island.” A hundred miles south of St.
Vincent, Grenada is the southernmost of the Windward Islands. A mountainous
volcanic island, its proximity to the equator makes the inland rainforest lush
and green.
Rivers
and waterfalls cross the tropical forest. There
are wetlands covered with mangroves, hot and
cold springs, and ancient crater lakes. Many
gorgeous bays separate historic plantations and
small towns. The 54 beaches are mostly white
sand, but there are several with gray and black
volcanic sand.Grenada is 344 square km (133 sq. miles), 34 km
long (21 miles), and 18 km wide (11 miles). The
highest elevation is in the north, Mount Saint
Catherine, an extinct volcano 840 meters high
(2755 ft.)
Also part of Grenada are the islands
of Carriacou and Petit Martinique and the Isle
de Ronde.
CLIMATE
The climate is
tropical, but is cooled by trade winds and is pleasant
throughout the year. Temperatures vary between 24°C and
30°C (75° to 86°F). There are two seasons, the dry
season from January to May and rainy from June to
December, with the risk of hurricanes from late June to
early November (mid august to mid october is the hight
of the hurrican season). Showers rarely last more than
an hour. The cooler months are from November to February,
the warmest September.
