Youlouca is a constituent republic of Kalina Region.
| Youlouca Republic | |
|---|---|
| Island of Saint Vincent | |
| Constituent Republic of Vekllei | |
 |
|
| Part of the Kalina Region | |
| Youlouca has one of the largest Black Carib populations in the Kalina Region, and their drumming, herbal medicine and boat-building are most visible in the town of Sandy Bay. | |
| Population | 221,731 |
| Demographics |
78% Afro-Kalinago 16% Caribbean mixed 6% Kalina Carib
|
| Economy | Orchards & fruit Plantations & spices, Arable farming |
| Produces | Bananas, Root Vegetables, Arrowroot, Breadfruit, Mangoes |
| Working week | 19.0 hours |
| Specialisation | Agriculture, Land & Sea |
| Accession | 1967, as part of West Indies Federation dissolution |
| Area | 345 km² |
| Capital | Kingston |
| Languages | English, Vincy Creole |
The Youlouca Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the Caribbean, at the northern end of the Grenadines chain. The island measures about 30km from north to south, and large mountains dominate its northern half, the tallest of which is an active volcano called Mt Vincent. The mountain rises 1,234 metres and has erupted violently several times in living memory, most recently in 1979.
Youlocans are a direct and independent people, and represent a strong fusion of African and Carib cultures. Youlouca has one of the largest Black Carib populations in the Kalina Region, and their drumming, herbal medicine and boat-building are most visible in the town of Sandy Bay on the northern coast. Most Youlocans speak English in formal settings and Vincy Creole among themselves, a language that blends English, French and African elements.
The Black Caribs, who descend from African slaves that intermarried with indigenous Caribs, resisted British colonial authority until the late 18th Century. The island was later a major producer of sugar and arrowroot, mostly worked by African slaves. Today, arrowroot remains a pillar of the local agricultural sector. Most famously, in 1979, Mt Vincent erupted violently, but early warnings from the monitoring stations around it allowed the population to relocate beforehand. Earlier eruptions had scattered communities around the mountain, and most were rebuilt on the same ground.
Most people today live on the western leeward coast, in Kingston, a busy city on a natural harbour surrounded by steep green hills planted with breadfruit and mango trees. It has multi-storey buildings, a botanical garden dating to 1765, good schools and a teaching hospital. Its harbour handles container ships as well as the ferries to neighbouring republics. The eastern windward coast is more isolated, and landslides regularly damage the winding road that connects its small fishing villages. Most visitors to the interior come for Dark View Falls, a pair of waterfalls that are surrounded by rainforest and nutmeg groves.
Because of the volcanic soils, bananas, arrowroot and root vegetables grow especially well on Youlouca, and are sold at local markets and exported. In the interior valleys are small cooperative farms that grow cocoa, nutmeg and other spices. Since accession in 1967, much of the old plantation land has been turned over to food for domestic consumption, and Youlocan farmers supply fresh produce to the less fertile republics of Kalina. Other exports include rum, preserved foods, sulphur and musical instruments. The island is also home to Youlouca University, a constituent of CUWI specialising in vulcanology and tropical agriculture. The LSRE keeps monitoring stations positioned around the volcano.
The island has good transport connections. The Kingstown Central Railway runs north from the capital along the leeward coast to Chateaubelair, with branch lines serving the interior valleys. The La Soufrière Volcano Express is a tourist line for visitors to Mt Vincent. Most large towns have their own tram network, which is also the main link to the eastern coast, though a tunnel beneath the central ridge has been proposed. Ferries connect the republic to its neighbours.
Climate
Tropical with distinct wet and dry seasons. The mountainous interior receives substantially more rainfall than the leeward coast, creating diverse microclimates across short distances.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 28° 26° 27° 25° 28° 26° 28° 26° 29° 27° 29° 27° 29° 27° 29° 27° 30° 27° 29° 27° 29° 27° 28° 26°
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 28° 26° 27° 25° 28° 26° 28° 26° 29° 27° 29° 27° Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 29° 27° 29° 27° 30° 27° 29° 27° 29° 27° 28° 26°
Public Holidays
- New Year’s Day 1 Jan
- Spring Carnival
- Easter Monday
- Commonwealth Day 1 May
- Whit Monday
- Corpus Christi
- Emancipation Day 1 Aug
- Republic Day 27 Oct
- Christmas Day 25 Dec
- Boxing Day 26 Dec
- Fruit
- Molasses
- Plastics
- Salt
- Sugar
- Timber
- Vegetables
- Vinegar
- Mt Vincent Volcano: Active stratovolcano with hiking trails to the crater rim offering views across the Caribbean, maintained by [[LSRE]] monitoring stations.
- Kingston Botanical Gardens: One of the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere, containing specimens collected since 1765 including breadfruit trees descended from Captain Bligh’s original plantings.
- Sandy Bay: Northern coastal town preserving Black Carib cultural traditions including boat-building, traditional drumming and herbal medicine practices.
- Fort Charlotte: 18th-century British fortification overlooking Kingston harbour, now serving as a museum of colonial resistance and the republican period.
- Dark View Falls: Twin waterfalls in the interior accessible by footpath, surrounded by dense rainforest and cultivated nutmeg groves.
- Mesopotamia Valley: Fertile agricultural region nicknamed “Mesopotamia” for its productivity, containing cooperative farms growing vegetables, spices and tropical fruits.
- Layou Petroglyph Park: Collection of pre-Columbian rock carvings created by indigenous peoples, maintained as an archaeological site and public park.
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 12.1%
- Healthcare 10.6%
- Education 10.1%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 9.9%
All 19 groups
Hide table
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 12.1%
- Healthcare 10.6%
- Education 10.1%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 9.9%
| Occupation | Share | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Land & Sea | 12.1% | 33,000 |
| Healthcare | 10.6% | 29,000 |
| Education | 10.1% | 27,500 |
| Skilled Trades & Construction | 9.9% | 26,900 |
| Domestic | 9.7% | 26,500 |
| Government & Civil Administration | 6.6% | 18,100 |
| Industry | 6.6% | 17,900 |
| Arts & Media | 4.9% | 13,300 |
| Transport | 4.7% | 12,800 |
| Retail, Distribution & Logistics | 4.0% | 10,900 |
| Security & Defence | 4.0% | 10,900 |
| Economic Planning | 3.0% | 8,100 |
| Sport & Recreation | 2.8% | 7,520 |
| Hospitality & Participatory Trades | 2.7% | 7,440 |
| Science & Research | 2.0% | 5,400 |
| Law & Justice | 2.0% | 5,400 |
| Information & Communications | 1.8% | 4,930 |
| Energy & Resources | 1.5% | 4,130 |
| Religious & Ceremonial | 1.1% | 2,900 |
Register estimates of posts located in the republic, rounded; figures under 50 suppressed. Includes 200 posts held by non-residents.