Kingstown

For other uses, see Kingstown (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Kingston, Jamaica.

Kingstown
Capital city
Top:Aerial view of Kingstown; Middle: Carnegie Old Public Library, Fort Charlotte; Bottom: St. George's Cathedral, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Botanic Gardens
Nickname: 
City Of Arches[1]
Kingstown is located in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Kingstown
Kingstown
Location in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Coordinates: 13°09′28″N 061°13′30″W / 13.15778°N 61.22500°W / 13.15778; -61.22500[2]
CountrySaint Vincent and the Grenadines
IslandSaint Vincent
ParishSaint George
Founded1722
Constituencies
  • East Kingstown
  • Central Kingstown
  • West Kingstown
Government
 • MPs
Population
 (2012)[3]
 • Total
12,909
Time zoneUTC-4 (Eastern Caribbean Time Zone (ECT))
Area code784
ClimateAw

Kingstown /ˈkɪŋsˌtaʊn/ is the capital and largest city of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The city, located on the main island of Saint Vincent, has the main port and the biggest commercial center of the islands. With a population of 12,909 (2012),[3] Kingstown is the most populous settlement in the country. It is the island's agricultural industry centre and a port of entry for tourists. The city lies within the parish of Saint George in the south-west corner of Saint Vincent.[4]

History

People of Kingstown, ca. 1902

The modern capital, Kingstown, was founded by French settlers shortly after 1722, although Saint Vincent was under British rule for 196 years before its independence.[5]

The botanical garden, conceived in 1765, is one of the oldest in the Western hemisphere. William Bligh, made famous from the Mutiny on the Bounty, brought seed of the breadfruit tree here for planting, c. 1793.[6]

Geography

Topography

The town is surrounded by steep hills.[7]

Climate

Climate data for Kingstown（temperature,precipitation,humidity 1991～2021/sunshine hours 1999～2019）
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 25.7
(78.3) 		25.7
(78.3) 		26.1
(79.0) 		26.7
(80.1) 		27.3
(81.1) 		27.3
(81.1) 		27.2
(81.0) 		27.4
(81.3) 		27.7
(81.9) 		27.4
(81.3) 		26.9
(80.4) 		26.3
(79.3) 		26.8
(80.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.8
(76.6) 		24.7
(76.5) 		25.0
(77.0) 		25.6
(78.1) 		26.2
(79.2) 		26.2
(79.2) 		26.1
(79.0) 		26.4
(79.5) 		26.7
(80.1) 		26.5
(79.7) 		26.0
(78.8) 		25.5
(77.9) 		25.8
(78.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 23.9
(75.0) 		23.7
(74.7) 		24.0
(75.2) 		24.6
(76.3) 		25.2
(77.4) 		25.3
(77.5) 		25.1
(77.2) 		25.3
(77.5) 		25.6
(78.1) 		25.4
(77.7) 		25.0
(77.0) 		24.6
(76.3) 		24.8
(76.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 49
(1.9) 		32
(1.3) 		34
(1.3) 		45
(1.8) 		62
(2.4) 		105
(4.1) 		132
(5.2) 		155
(6.1) 		152
(6.0) 		162
(6.4) 		147
(5.8) 		67
(2.6) 		1,142
(44.9)
Average rainy days 11 9 8 8 11 14 17 18 15 17 16 12 156
Average relative humidity (%) 76 74 74 76 77 78 80 81 80 80 80 77 78
Mean daily sunshine hours 8.8 9.0 9.2 9.4 9.5 9.4 9.3 9.1 9.0 8.5 8.5 8.7 9.0
Source: "Climate Data". Retrieved 22 January 2024.

Education

Secondary education is provided by the Thomas Saunders Secondary School at Richmond Hill.

Transportation

The city is served by Argyle International Airport, which has commercial passenger services to the United States, Canada and to the United Kingdom.

Sights

See also

References

  1. ^ "Exploring Kingstown". discoversvg.com. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Kingstown". Wikimapia. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  3. ^ a b "2012 POPULATION & HOUSING CENSUS PRELIMINARY REPORT" (PDF). Statistical Office Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. ^ "About Kingstown (St Vincent and the Grenadines)". Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  5. ^ "History in Kingstown (St Vincent)". Exploring Tourism. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  6. ^ "Bioversity International: The breadfruit mutiny". www.bioversityinternational.org. Archived from the original on 5 April 2009.
  7. ^ "Kingstown". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Attractions:Kingstown". Frommer's. Retrieved 29 October 2013.