Union Island
Encyclopedia
Union Island is part of the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
. It the southernmost island of the Grenadines
. It lies 90 kilometers southwest of Barbados
and is within view of the islands of Carriacou and the mainland of Grenada
, which lie directly south.
Clifton and Ashton are the two principal towns. The island is home to approximately 3,000 residents. The official language is English, but French and German are spoken by some merchants in Clifton as well.
The island has an international airport which has domestic flights to Saint Vincent
and some of the Grenadines
and international flights to Barbados
, Carriacou, Grenada
and Martinique
.
of the West Indies. The island is approximately 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. Surrounding islands are Tobago Cays
, Mayreau
, Palm Island
, and Petit Saint Vincent
. The highest peak is Mount Taboi - 999 feet above sea level.
Union Island has a semi-arid climate – its hills are not high enough to produce the rainfall that transforms Grenada's northern coastal areas into rainforest. During the dry season, December/January through June, the only source of water on the island is the water stored during the rainy season (June-December).
, Cameroon
, Angola
, and Ghana
. Sea Island Cotton was an important export crop – Sea Island cotton trees may still be found on the island — a good example can be found in the Bougainvillia complex beside the Anchorage Yacht Club in Clifton Harbour.
When slavery was abolished, people still relied on farming and fishing. As a result, a lot of men went to sea to work on freighters to support their families. Union Island was the centre of some political unrest in the late 1970s when a group of residents were in favour of secession from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and merger with southern neighbour Grenada. The insurrection was put down by forces of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Government.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent much of a year working on Union Island and completed a new Coast Guard Jetty and shore office at the mouth of Clifton Harbour.
There are several hotels and guest houses on Union Island, as well as schools, churches and a small health clinic.
The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC), though U.S. dollars and Euros are widely accepted.
Telecommunications services are provided by Cable & Wireless which offers landline and wireless services (GSM). Digicel offers competing wireless services, including the network formerly operated by AT&T Wireless/Cingular. High Speed Internet services are provided by Cable and Wireless (512 kbit/s down, 128 kbit/s up). The island is connected to the Saint Vincent mainland by a series of digital microwave towers (through connections to neighbouring islands of Canouan and Bequia).
WiFi service in the harbour is offered through Internet Cafe-Clifton. Also through HotHotHot Spot, a service offered in Union through Erika's Marine Services, is also offered in Bequia
in the Grenadines, as well as Dominica
and Antigua
(both Falmouth and English Harbours and Jolly Harbour). Other computer and electronic support is also offered by The Internet Cafe — Clifton.
Local piers and docks earn money by renting their open space to tourists who have chartered sailboats or yachts, charging them by boat length.
In the middle of Clifton harbour sits Happy Island, a man-made island featuring a bar.
Ferry services operate between Clifton and Saint Vincent, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday on the MS Barracouda and the MS Gemstar.
Ferry services also operate bi-weekly between Ashton and Hillsborough, Carriacou (Grenada) on Mondays and Thursdays.
, locally known as "manicou", can usually only be seen at the end of the dry season.
Common Caribbean birds like the Bananaquit
are found on the island, as is the ubiquitous Blackbird. A recent book (2006) by on the fauna of Mustique, a neighbouring island, is an excellent reference.
The tourism industry plays an increasing role in Union Island's economy. A large number of yachts visit the island each year, often on their way to the nearby Tobago Cays.
There are a number of local guest houses, including St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, the Anchorage Yacht Club and hotel, and a small luxury hotel at Bigsand Beach in Richmond Bay.
Turtle Watch is a new and exciting event on the Island. This event is conducted by the Union Island Environmental Attackers (UIEA), a local environmental NGO that has been very instrumental in preserving the clean environment on Union Island. Turtle Watching is done during the Turtle Closed Season which starts on March 1st to July 31st. The Closed Season is the period in which the catching or of killing of turtles for consumption is forbidden. Anyone visiting the Island can contact the UIEA or Roseman Adams, the Island's only Certified Turtle Handler, for to experience this breath taking event. All that is required is a small donation.
Another important tourism spot is the many bars and restaurants found on the island. One such popular spot is Olivia's Restaurant and Bar found in the town of Clifton opposite the newly installed gas station. It boast unique local food found on the island with a touch of Caribbean flavor and dishes ranging from the famous Roti from Trinidad to ground provisions. Also provided is a well stock bar and at nights the restaurant is transformed into a party hall with an in house DJ for tourists and locals alike.
A key feature of the Union Island region is the Tobago Cays National Marine Park. The Tobago Cays are a group of small uninhabited islands surrounded by reefs – snorkelling, scuba diving and swimming with sea turtles are all favourite pastimes of visitors. Entry to the park (for visitors) costs EC$10/person/day – park fees can be paid in Clifton at the Custom's Offices, the Tobago Cays Marine Park office at the waterfront, or in the park itself from park rangers.
The Union Island Sailing Club sponsors two sailing dinghies that participate in local regattae – the Club is trying to help Unionites rediscover the sailing skills of earlier generations. The two boats, Unity One and Unity Two are frequent winners of regional sailing events.
In late May, at the end of the dry season (Union is a desert island) a significant event is "the Maroon". The Maroon celebration is a day long affair, beginning before dawn, and lasting late into the night. The Maroon is known for its drums, dancing and plentiful food – these are meant to entice the Gods to bring on the rains.
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....
. It the southernmost 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...
. It lies 90 kilometers southwest of 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...
and is within view of the islands of Carriacou and the mainland 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...
, which lie directly south.
Clifton and Ashton are the two principal towns. The island is home to approximately 3,000 residents. The official language is English, but French and German are spoken by some merchants in Clifton as well.
The island has an international airport which has domestic flights to Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
and some 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 international flights to 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...
, Carriacou, 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...
and 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...
.
Geography
Due to its volcanic silhouette, it is also called the TahitiTahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
of the West Indies. The island is approximately 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. Surrounding islands are Tobago Cays
Tobago Cays
The Tobago Cays are an archipelago comprising five small uninhabited islands - Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradol, Petit Tobac and Jamesby - located in the Southern Grenadines. The Tobago Cays are now the key element of the Tobago Cays Marine Park, a national park and wildlife preserve run by the...
, Mayreau
Mayreau
Mayreau is the smallest inhabited island of the Grenadines, with an area of about 1.5 sq. miles, and a population of about 300. The population is centered in Old Wall village, located on a hilltop in the southwest of the island. It is an isolated community, accessible only by boat. Electricity is...
, Palm Island
Palm Island, Grenadines
Palm Island in the Grenadines is a tiny island a mile from Union Island, and only accessible by boat. It has an area of and has five beaches...
, and Petit Saint Vincent
Petit Saint Vincent
Petit St. Vincent, known locally as PSV, is an island 40 statute miles south of St. Vincent in the Grenadine islands. It consists of softly rolling hills spread over 113 acres surrounded mostly by two miles of white sand beaches.The island is privately owned. In 1963 Haze Richardson and Doug...
. The highest peak is Mount Taboi - 999 feet above sea level.
Union Island has a semi-arid climate – its hills are not high enough to produce the rainfall that transforms Grenada's northern coastal areas into rainforest. During the dry season, December/January through June, the only source of water on the island is the water stored during the rainy season (June-December).
History
After the original settlers, Arawak and Caribs, the island has been in the possession of French and English slave traders and plantation owners. They brought hundreds of Africans to the island, mostly from NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, and Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. Sea Island Cotton was an important export crop – Sea Island cotton trees may still be found on the island — a good example can be found in the Bougainvillia complex beside the Anchorage Yacht Club in Clifton Harbour.
When slavery was abolished, people still relied on farming and fishing. As a result, a lot of men went to sea to work on freighters to support their families. Union Island was the centre of some political unrest in the late 1970s when a group of residents were in favour of secession from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and merger with southern neighbour Grenada. The insurrection was put down by forces of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Government.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent much of a year working on Union Island and completed a new Coast Guard Jetty and shore office at the mouth of Clifton Harbour.
Economy
Today the yacht services business and tourist day-chartering business provides a lot of jobs, there are numerous boutiques and supermarkets, bars and restaurants, internet cafes and a dive operator.There are several hotels and guest houses on Union Island, as well as schools, churches and a small health clinic.
The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC), though U.S. dollars and Euros are widely accepted.
Telecommunications services are provided by Cable & Wireless which offers landline and wireless services (GSM). Digicel offers competing wireless services, including the network formerly operated by AT&T Wireless/Cingular. High Speed Internet services are provided by Cable and Wireless (512 kbit/s down, 128 kbit/s up). The island is connected to the Saint Vincent mainland by a series of digital microwave towers (through connections to neighbouring islands of Canouan and Bequia).
WiFi service in the harbour is offered through Internet Cafe-Clifton. Also through HotHotHot Spot, a service offered in Union through Erika's Marine Services, is also offered in Bequia
Bequia
Bequia is the largest island in the Grenadines. It is part of the country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and is approximately 15 km from the nation's capital, Kingstown.-Geography:The island capital is Port Elizabeth...
in the Grenadines, as well as Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
and Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
(both Falmouth and English Harbours and Jolly Harbour). Other computer and electronic support is also offered by The Internet Cafe — Clifton.
Local piers and docks earn money by renting their open space to tourists who have chartered sailboats or yachts, charging them by boat length.
In the middle of Clifton harbour sits Happy Island, a man-made island featuring a bar.
Ferry services operate between Clifton and Saint Vincent, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday on the MS Barracouda and the MS Gemstar.
Ferry services also operate bi-weekly between Ashton and Hillsborough, Carriacou (Grenada) on Mondays and Thursdays.
Fauna
The Common OpossumCommon Opossum
The common opossum , also called the southern or black-eared opossum, is a mammal species living from the northeast of Mexico to Bolivia, including the Lesser Antilles, where it is called manicou. It prefers the woods, but can also live in fields and cities...
, locally known as "manicou", can usually only be seen at the end of the dry season.
Common Caribbean birds like the Bananaquit
Bananaquit
The Bananaquit is a species of passerine bird of uncertain relation. It is tentatively placed in the tanager family, but classified as incertae sedis by other authorities such as the American Ornithologists' Union. Its classification is debated, and it is often placed in its own family: Coerebidae...
are found on the island, as is the ubiquitous Blackbird. A recent book (2006) by on the fauna of Mustique, a neighbouring island, is an excellent reference.
Tourism
There are a number of local guest houses, including St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, the Anchorage Yacht Club and hotel, and a small luxury hotel at Bigsand Beach in Richmond Bay.
Turtle Watch is a new and exciting event on the Island. This event is conducted by the Union Island Environmental Attackers (UIEA), a local environmental NGO that has been very instrumental in preserving the clean environment on Union Island. Turtle Watching is done during the Turtle Closed Season which starts on March 1st to July 31st. The Closed Season is the period in which the catching or of killing of turtles for consumption is forbidden. Anyone visiting the Island can contact the UIEA or Roseman Adams, the Island's only Certified Turtle Handler, for to experience this breath taking event. All that is required is a small donation.
Another important tourism spot is the many bars and restaurants found on the island. One such popular spot is Olivia's Restaurant and Bar found in the town of Clifton opposite the newly installed gas station. It boast unique local food found on the island with a touch of Caribbean flavor and dishes ranging from the famous Roti from Trinidad to ground provisions. Also provided is a well stock bar and at nights the restaurant is transformed into a party hall with an in house DJ for tourists and locals alike.
A key feature of the Union Island region is the Tobago Cays National Marine Park. The Tobago Cays are a group of small uninhabited islands surrounded by reefs – snorkelling, scuba diving and swimming with sea turtles are all favourite pastimes of visitors. Entry to the park (for visitors) costs EC$10/person/day – park fees can be paid in Clifton at the Custom's Offices, the Tobago Cays Marine Park office at the waterfront, or in the park itself from park rangers.
The Union Island Sailing Club sponsors two sailing dinghies that participate in local regattae – the Club is trying to help Unionites rediscover the sailing skills of earlier generations. The two boats, Unity One and Unity Two are frequent winners of regional sailing events.
Culture
Easter is a big event on Union Island, festivities take place in both Ashton and Clifton throughout Holy Week in a festival called "Easterval" – book early, accommodations can be hard to find.In late May, at the end of the dry season (Union is a desert island) a significant event is "the Maroon". The Maroon celebration is a day long affair, beginning before dawn, and lasting late into the night. The Maroon is known for its drums, dancing and plentiful food – these are meant to entice the Gods to bring on the rains.