St. George's, population 89,018 (2000), with an agglomeration of 4,500 people , is the capital 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...

, (Gren-NAY-da). The city is surrounded by a hillside of an old volcano

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

 crater and is on a horseshoe-shaped harbor.

The city is a popular Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 tourist destination that attracts thousands of tourists, cruise ships, and celebrities. The city has significantly developed in recent years, while preserving its history, culture, and natural beauty. The city is home of St. George’s University School of Medicine

St. George's University

St. George’s University is an independent international university in Grenada, West Indies, offering degrees in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, the health sciences, nursing, arts and sciences, and business....

. The main exports are cocoa bean cacao, nutmeg, and mace spice.

It has a moderate tropical climate that ensures the success of spice production. Nutmegs are the most plentiful crop, followed by an array of such spices as cocoa, mace, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger.

History

St. George's was built by the French in 1650. This is made apparent by the many red roofed houses in the city. On the November 1, 1775 there was a fire in the town of St. George's known as the great fire of St George's. After the great fire of 1771, most of the boarding houses on Granby Street were moved to Gouyave

Gouyave

Gouyave is the third-largest fishing town in Grenada Gouyave is the third-largest fishing town in Grenada Gouyave is the third-largest fishing town in Grenada (behind the capital, St. George's, with a population of 4,378. It is located on the west coast of the Grenada and is the capital of the...

.

Following the withdrawal of Bridgetown

Bridgetown

The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...

, Barbados

Barbados

Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...

, in the mid 1880s, St. George's went on to become the replacement capital of the former colony of the British Windward Islands

British Windward Islands

The British Windward Islands was a British colony existing between 1833 and 1960 and consisting of the islands of Grenada, St Lucia, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines, Barbados , Tobago , and Dominica, previously included in the...

.

The Tikal was the first art cater shop in Grenada and it was opened in December 1959. In 2004, St. George's and the rest of Grenada was severely battered by 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...

. The hurricane left significant destruction across the island and crippled much of the island's infrastructure. It was estimated that some 90% of the island's homes had sustained damage and the nutmeg trees, which are key to Grenada's economy, were devastated. A year later with the help of international donors (Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

) Grenada had experienced a significant turn around in rebuilding efforts. By 2007, Grenada had participated as planned in the hosting of the 2007 Cricket World Cup

2007 Cricket World Cup

The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...

.

Though St. George's was discovered by Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...

 on this third voyage in 1498, the island was relatively neglected until 1650, when it was purchased by the governor of Martinique. The French began their colonization with a series of skirmishes that virtually exterminated the island's native Carib population. The survivors were pushed north to Le Morne des Sauterurs, where rather than surrender they jumped off the cliff to the jagged rocks below. Today the site of the Carib defeat is known as "Carib's Leap."

Culture

Carnival takes place the second week in August. This festival celebrates the emancipation of slaves. The Sunday night celebrations continue into the early morning hours on Monday. On Monday a carnival pageant is held on stage at Queen's Park, where costumes, themes and calypso queens are judged. On Tuesday, St. George's vibrates to the sounds of the calypso steel bands as they parade through the streets.

Weather

The average temperature is in the high 80s (Fahrenheit). There are two seasons: the 'dry' season is from January to May and the 'rainy' season lasts for the rest of the year. There are short spells of rain in the dry period but they last no more than 5 minutes or so. Gray clouds over the mountains are the first sign of rain.

Nutmeg & mace

Nutmeg and mace come from the fruit of the aromatic Myrristica fragrans tree which is native to the Spice Island. The tree is an evergreen with dark green leaves and small yellow flowers, and grows up to 12 meters tall. It starts bearing fruit after seven or eight years and continues to do so for up to 40 years. The fruit looks like an apricot and when ripe, slit to reveal a walnut-sizes seed. Covering the shell of the seed are lacy, red-orange strips, which are mace, and inside the shell is the seed itself - nutmeg. It is valued as a cure all for digestive, liver and skin problems and it is believed that it has aphrodisiac qualities as well. It is used extensively for cooking to enhance the flavor of cakes, soups, desserts, drinks and sauces.

Cinnamon

This comes from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree (Cinnamonum verum). Whole or ground, it is a popular household spice internationally. It is used to flavor beverages and cakes.

Clove

This dried flavored flower bud, whole or ground (Syzygium aromaticum) is used at home to season hams, sausages, meats, mincemeat pies, fish, turtle preserves and pickles.

Sugar cane

From June to December, cuttings from the tops of cane are laid in holes about five inches deep by five feet square then covered with soil. As the cane grows taller, fertilizer is used. Between planting and harvesting, bananas, corn, peas, potatoes, and other crops are cultivated. January to May, the ripe cane are cut and delivered to the mill to be ground. Boiling and clarifying the cane juice is the next operation. The juice is strained after grinding and then taken to the clarifying copper to be boiled. (Wood coal is the main source fuel). Lime is added to speed up the operation. The liquid sugar is put into coolers for about 14 hours. The molasses is then drained off and taken to the still house to be made into rum.

Boats & yachts

Private boats and yachts can complete customs and immigration processing in St. George's and Prickly Bay, Lance Aux Epines as well as in Carriacou. Travelers passing through Grenada are required to have a passport. Those whose travel involves stay over in other countries, should check on entry requirements for those countries.

Hospitals

• General Hospital
• Mount Gay Hospital
• Old Trafford Medical Center
• St Augustine's Medical Services: a Private Medical Hospital, designed as an inpatient center for medical, surgical, maternity and emergency admissions. Established in 1998, St. Augustine's Medical Services offers comprehensive care in over 16 areas of clinical services.
• St. George’s University School of Medicine
• Marryshows' Hospital & Health Clinic
• Salus Clinic

Mt. Qua Qua

One of the central mountains of Grenada's interior range, Mt. Qua Qua rises to a height of over 2,370 ft (720 m). The trail to and along its ridge passes by Grand Etang Lake and then rises up to the higher altitudes, cooler temperatures, and elfin mountain forests of the upper slopes. Hiking the trail takes about an hour and a half, with frequently steep and sometimes slippery sections that require some caution.

St. Margaret's Falls

So named because it passes by seven of Grand Etang's mountain waterfalls, which are nestled in the emerald vegetation of the rain forest. The trail takes about three hours, even for experienced hikers.

Roman Catholic cathedral

The tower of St. George's Cathedral was built in 1818. The interior of the church is painted in bright colors.

Anglican church

St. George's Anglican Church was built in 1825 and a clock was later added in 1904 which plays the Westminster chimes on the hour.

Fort George

Located on the promontory to the west of the harbor is Fort George. Built in 1705 by the French

French people

The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

, many of the buildings are now used by the police. Much of the fort is still intact and open to visitors.

Grenada National Museum

The Grenada National Museum is housed in French barracks from 1704 and former prison. The building was also used as the island's first hotel. The museum displays a variety of historical items including Carib and Arawak artifacts, sugar processing machines and equipment, whaling industry items, and Josephine Bonaparte's marble bath.

Other sites

• Queen's Park Stadium Complex
• St. Georges fresh produce marketplace
• Grande Anse beach, shopping centers, hotels
• Maurice Bishop International Airport (Point(e) Saline)
• Parliament Building, also known as York House, houses the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Supreme Court
• Governor General Residence, government offices
• Fort Frederick Fort Complex

External links

• Images of St. George's