The State of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, hereinafter called SVG, consists of a small group of islands namely, St. Vincent, Bequia, Petit Nevis, Quatre Island, Battowia, Baliceaux, Mustique, Petite Mustique, Savan Island, Petit Canouan, Tobago, Keys, Sail Rock, Mayreau, Prune Island, Union Island and Petit St. Vincent. The Islands are part of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean, about one hundred miles to the west of Barbados. SVG is a small island economy with a population of about 110'000 and an area of 386 sq. km. Kingstown the capital, situated on the main island of St. Vincent, is not only the seat of the Government, but also the centre of business and finance.
The State of St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) gained independence on the 27th October, 1979. H.M. Queen Elizabeth II remains Head of State, represented by a Governor General, who is appointed on proposal of the SVG Government. SVG became a member of the British Commonwealth and on the 16th September, 1980, the 154th member of the United Nations. SVG is a member of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The OECS countries share a common currency, the east Caribbean dollar (EC$) and a central bank. The EC$ is linked to the US$ at an exchange rate of EC$ 2.63 to 1 US$ since 1976. Since the mid 1980's the Government has pursued sound economic policies and the current Government enjoys wide support and has targeted stable growth for the future. There are large Vincentian populations in the UK, USA and Canada, which guarantees St. Vincent a pool of qualified persons to draw upon as the economic growth of the State increasingly develops.