TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

I’ve come across Trinidad quite a few times during my life. They’re highly known for their music. And of course, their famous moko jumbies walking on stilts at the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. But I typically only hear about Trinidad while the island of Tobago is often included as an afterthought. (What’s going on over there anyway?) I’m sure like much of the other Caribbean islands, they have a long history of people taking over the islands and swiping pieces of all those cultures.

Christopher Columbus was the first European to arrive on the islands and named it “Isle of the Trinity [La Isla de la Trinidad]” which got shortened to just Trinidad. The island of Tobago is a derivative of the Spanish word for tobacco, but it’s not exactly clear if it’s because it’s shaped like a cigar or because of the tobacco growing and use by the people who live there. (Columbus originally called Tobago Bellaforma.) However, the original Arawak people living on Trinidad called it Cairi. It’s often said that it means “hummingbird,” but some historical linguists argue that it doesn’t. Regardless, the hummingbird has become a symbol of the country.

Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost islands in the Caribbean. In fact, they’re actually on the South American plate, which probably makes them a part of South America rather than the Caribbean. They’re quite close to Venezuela and almost directly south of the countries of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It also shares maritime borders with Barbados and Guyana. Not surprising, they have a tropical climate with definite rainy and dry seasons. The islands are typically outside of the hurricane paths, but every now and then they’ll get hit with one; Hurricane Flora did significant damage on the islands in 1963.

After Hurricane Flora in 1963.

The island was inhabited by various Amerindians, mostly Arawak- and Cariban-speaking groups. The Spanish were the first Europeans to land on the islands, and shortly after that, Sir Walter Raleigh made landfall searching for the famed El Dorado, or City of Gold. Both Trinidad and Tobago both became coveted islands for Spain, England, Netherlands, and France. Quite a few incidents happened between all these players in search of control of this island set, including skirmishes between the Spanish and the native people living here as well. (Not to mention that the Spanish also introduced disease to them that they had no immunity for. Seems a running theme wherever the Spanish went.) Trinidad became part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, along with the rest of Central America, Mexico, and part of the southwest US, but that didn’t last long. During the late 1700s, a lot of French planters with their slaves moved to Trinidad as well as freed blacks and mulattos from nearby islands in the Caribbean. This created a rise in population. The British took over in 1797 and declared it as a crown colony. Slavery was technically abolished in 1833, but instead of being freed, they were placed under an “apprenticeship.” That garbage program lasted about five years until there was a revolt and it was also abolished. Once there were no more slaves to work the fields since most went to work in the cities, they had to find labor somewhere else. So, they brought over indentured workers from India to fill the gaps. Some of these contracts were dubious at best. The British added the island of Tobago to their colony in 1899 when they realized the sugar industry was collapsing and thought they could help. The early 20th century brought about several revolts over labor and management of resources. By the 1920s and 1930s, the sugar industry had completely gone kaput, and labor issues were at the forefront. The US had a couple of military bases on Trinidad during WWII and actually did some good in building up the island, but they left in 1961. After the war, the British started decolonizing some of their colonies; the British-ran Caribbean countries formed a federation to help facilitate independence, which Trinidad left on its own later after Jamaica did. They did well during most of the 1970s because of the oil that was discovered. But then they hit a recession, inflation, and unemployment. In the early 2000s, they hit a second oil boom, which helped propel itself to a more stable economy.

The capital city, located on the island of Trinidad, is Port of Spain (which is also spelled as Port-of-Spain and called Puerto España in Spanish). It’s not the largest city, coming in third behind San Fernando and Chaguanas. Port of Spain serves as a financial center and has one of the largest stock exchanges in the Caribbean. The city is tucked away in the northwest corner of the island along the Gulf of Paria. The city has quite a few parks, gardens, stadiums, museums, and arts venues and is known for its Carnival festival.

Trinidad and Tobago boasts having the most developed economy compared with other Caribbean countries. The majority of their economic drive comes from oil and gas and is also the majority of their exports. Sugar and coffee used to dominate their agricultural sector, but in recent years it’s mainly been relegated to fishing along with fruit and vegetable production (mainly coconut, cassava, cucumbers, eggplants, and pumpkins). Tourism isn’t quite as strong as other Caribbean countries, and the tourists they do get tend to go to Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago has also developed their science and technology sector quite a bit, and several companies in this field are putting some effort into research and development.

The largest religious following in Trinidad and Tobago is Roman Catholicism. Several other Christian denominations (Pentecostals, Presbyterian, Anglicans, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baptists, Methodists and others) are also represented in the islands. Because of its history of bringing people from India to the islands, Hindu temples and Islamic mosques dot the islands as well. Other Asian religions include, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. There are even a few African-based religions in Trinidad and Tobago: Orishas, Rastafarians.

English is the official language of Trinidad and Tobago, but more specifically Trinidad and Tobago Standard English (TTSE). However, the most spoken languages are Trinidadian Creole and Tobagonian Creole, which are two English-based creoles that include influences from African, Asian, European, and Amerindian languages. There are also speakers of a Trinidadian variety of Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu). Chinese is also spoken by immigrants from China, and there are also a few indiginous languages still spoken on the islands (mainly the Cariban languages of Yao and Karina and the Arawakan language of Shebaya).

The county north of Indianapolis, Hamilton County, is known for its numerous roundabouts. In fact, the city of Carmel (pronounced like “CAR-ml”) boasts that they have more roundabouts than any city in the United States, coming in at more than 128 in the city alone. Frankly, I don’t mind the roundabout, but the “figure-eight” roundabouts are annoying and slightly confusing. However, the city of Port of Spain lays claim to the world’s largest roundabout -- it’s about 2.2 miles around! That’s almost as much as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (which is 2.5 miles). However, there is a dispute between Port of Spain and the city of Putrajaya, Malaysia for this title. The one in Malaysia is 2.1 miles, but the Malaysians claim that because the Trinidadian one isn’t exactly an oval, it really shouldn’t count as a roundabout. This is the kind of dispute you imagine siblings go through. They really should be sister cities to each other. It only makes sense.

Up next: art and literature

ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Of all the countries in the world, St Vincent and the Grenadines rounds out my top three “Countries That Sound Like Band Names.” I’m not even sure what the other two would be. But that doesn't matter now. And I say that knowing I’ve named most of my cats after countries/cities in North Africa and have come up with the best nick names in Neko Atsume. What do I know about naming things?  

The name St Vincent was given to the island by Christopher Columbus. It was named St Vincent after his crew had landed there on St Vincent’s Day (January 22, 1498). The Grenadine island chain was named after Grenada, the city in Spain. However, the Island Caribs who were living there already (who called themselves the Kalina/Carina) called the island Youloumain.

This island chain is part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the southern section of the Caribbean. The island of Saint Vincent is the northernmost island (which is actually a volcano—La Soufrière is the highest peak) and the Grenadines are spread out south of it. Only the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines belong to Saint Vincent & and the Grenadines; the bottom third belongs to Grenada. The country is south of Saint Lucia, west of Barbados, and north of Grenada. In total, there are 32 islands and cays (but only nine are inhabited). Because it’s located in the Caribbean in the Hurricane Belt, it also has a tropical climate.

 

La Soufrière

The Caribs who were living there did everything they could to ward off the Europeans – but they eventually did come in 1719. However, Africans who were either shipwrecked or escaped slavery flocked to Saint Vincent; they were called Black Caribs and when they intermarried with the Island Caribs, they were known as Garifuna. The French were the first to arrive, but they handed over control to the British after the Treaty of Paris was signed. However, the French took it back for a few years until the Treaty of Versailles gave it back to the British. Things started to escalate between the British and the Black Caribs until the Black Caribs (with support from the French in Martinique) began an uprising against the British. The British responded by rounding up around 5000 of them and transporting them across the Caribbean to the island of Roatán (off the coast of Honduras) and dumped them there. The British did establish slave labor until it was abolished in 1834. The mid to latter part of the 1800s bought along waves of Portuguese (Madeira) and East Indian immigration. The La Soufrière volcano erupted several times during the 19^th and 20^th centuries, leaving behind devastation for the people who live there. For a while, the British tried to lump many of its Caribbean holdings into one country to be able to administer to it easier. Or so they thought because hardly any others thought that was a great idea. The island chain was finally granted its independence on October 27, 1979 (exactly one day before I entered into this world). Not only has Saint Vincent and the Grenadines survived volcano eruptions, but it’s also survived many hurricanes. 

Kingstown is the capital and located in the southwest corner of the island of Saint Vincent. With only 16,500 people, the city is nestled into steep hills that surround it. Interestingly enough, the islands are known for its breadfruit, and Captain Bligh (the same one from Mutiny on the Bounty) is credited with bringing the breadfruit seeds to Saint Vincent from the South Pacific. The city itself was founded in 1722 by the French, but the British ruled there for a little less than 200 years. Its botanical gardens are among the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

Wallilabou Bay, where parts of Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed.

Banana production is probably the biggest agricultural product, along with plantains, wheat, and manioc (cassava). However, damaging storms often wreaks havoc on crops and often causes hardship in crop production and sustainability. Part of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies was filmed on the islands, which has brought a few more tourists to the area. Tourism in Saint Vincent and the Grenadine still could be ramped up more, so if you’re looking to visit someplace less “touristy,” this would be a good option.

Over 80% of the islanders here belong to some kind of Christian denomination (mostly Anglican, Pentecostals, Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, and Baptists). There are a few other denominations represented as well. Because of immigration, there are some non-Christian religious followings as well, mostly as Rastafari, Islam, and Hindu.

While English is the official language, most people speak Vincentian Creole. Creole is spoken in the home, while English is used in the government, education, religion, etc. Vincentian Creole is an English-based Creole, with elements from French, Antillean Creole, Spanish, Portuguese, African languages (Wolof, Fula), and Garifuna.

Years ago, I started getting into coin collecting, and especially world coins. I mostly bought them off of eBay, but some I had held onto for years. So, I had bought some coins that were part of the Eastern Caribbean Dollars. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines uses this currency, along with five other island nations (Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Saint Kitts & Nevis) and two British overseas territories (Anguilla and Montserrat). It’s pegged to the US Dollar, but based on the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, headquartered in Basseterre, St Kitts. The thing I find fascinating about looking at world coins and currency in general is the variety of shapes and materials they choose to use and what designs they use. US Currency is boring. It vastly portrays politicians in the common in-use currency (yes, there’s the Susan B. Anthony and Sacajawea dollar coins, but people rarely use them). Granted, pictures of the Queen aren’t all that exciting either… unless you’re the Queen, I suppose.

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ST. LUCIA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Ah, it’s good to be back. And yes, I found a new job. What’s funny was that at my interview, I was talking to a woman about the blog. However, as I was trying to remember what exactly was next off the top of my head, and once I figured out it was St. Lucia, I realized I didn’t even know the correct pronunciation of it, so I took a stab at it (and of course I pronounced it wrong), but she quickly said, “Oh, I went to St. Lucia a while back and it was gorgeous [pronouncing it correctly as “LOO-sha,” not “loo-SEE-uh” like I have my whole life.].” While I was happy I was talking to someone intelligent, I made a mental note of it and vowed to always Google everything before I speak. This is how I’ve been fooling people into thinking I’m smarter than I am since 1998. 

The French, who were one of the island’s first European visitors, gave the island its name. It’s named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse and is the only country named after a female. The legend goes that the French sailors were shipwrecked on the island and since it was Saint Lucy’s Day (December 13), it seemed a fitting name.

Located along the Windward Islands in the Caribbean (part of the southernmost chain of islands), St. Lucia is a teardrop-shaped island located just south of the island of Martinique and north of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It’s also northwest of the island of Barbados. It has a tropical climate, with a dry season from December to May and a rainy season from June to November. St. Lucia was formed as part of an active volcanic system (the most recent activity was around 2000-2001).

It’s thought that the earliest people here were the Ciboney people, but there is mixed evidence for that. There’s far more evidence showing that the Arawaks were the first major group of people to live on the island. They called the island Iouanalao, meaning “land of the iguanas” after the large number of iguanas found there. Later, the Caribs moved in and took over. The Caribs were far more aggressive than the peaceful Arawaks. During the mid-1500s, the French arrived. And then the British. After both countries started seeing the advantage of “owning” a bunch of islands in the Caribbean once the sugar industry starting taking off, St. Lucia was often passed back and forth between the two countries many times during the 1700s and 1800s. For the most part, St. Lucia remained as a British colony. Slavery ended in 1838, and at that time, those of African descent outnumbered those of European descent. When St. Lucia stopped being a colony, it joined the West Indies Federation when it gained full independence in 1979. Over the years, a number of films had been at least partially shot in St. Lucia.

The largest city is the capital of Castries. Located on the northwest side of the island, Castries was built on what’s called reclaimed land (“Reclaiming my land…”); in other words, it’s when cities build up swamp land with cement and other materials so that they can build on unbuildable land. The city is also an important port city as well as a tourist hub. As the center of government, it’s also the center for transportation, media, and commerce.

The first time I saw bananas growing was in Brazil. They grow upside-down from what I always imagined!

St. Lucia has traditionally depended on a certain amount of tourism, but since the recession of 2008-2010, tourism has dropped and has been slow to regain. They do have a thriving economic driver in fruit cultivation (mainly bananas and plantains) and beer production as well as petroleum oil. Because St. Lucia has an educated workforce, many foreign countries have chosen St. Lucia for foreign investments, and offshore banking is one of St. Lucia’s key sources of revenue.

Almost two-thirds of the people practice Roman Catholicism (left over from the French) while nearly a quarter adheres to Protestantism. There are smaller numbers of people representing other religious followings such as Rastafarianism, Buddhism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam, Judaism, and Baha’i.

The official language is English; however, the vast majority of the people speak Saint Lucian Creole French. It’s a subgenre of Antillean Creole, which is used in literature and their music. It’s kind of a combination of African and Carib sentence structure with French-based vocabulary. Not really understood to French speakers, it’s more intelligible to other French-based Creoles. Even at that, St. Lucia is still considered part of the Francophone (countries that speak French).

I ran across a story about St. Lucia’s volcanoes. One in particular is known as Sulpher Springs. It was created as lava and steam wore a crater into the surface over 400,000 years ago. The water is black because of a reaction between the iron and sulpher. So, as tourists began flocking to the island to see this, they used to practically be able to drive right up to the edge. However, in the 1990s one of the guides fell through into the hot boiling water (I’m guessing this didn’t end well). So, now they built a platform a few hundred feet back. (Smart move.)

Up next: art and literature

SAINT KITTS & NEVIS: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

A few years ago, I was introduced to the musical Hamilton. I listened to the soundtrack many, many times in a row. For those who may not fully be aware of it, Hamilton is a hip-hop/sung musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda about the life of Alexander Hamilton. It’s widely known for its diverse cast. I have not yet seen it live, but hope I can one day. Anyway, the musical didn’t expressly say so, but in doing my own research, I found out that the Caribbean island that Alexander Hamilton was born and raised on was the island of Nevis (pronounced Nee-vis). 

 

Originally, the Kalinago Indians living on Saint Kitts called it Liamuiga (“fertile land”), and the island of Nevis was called Oualie (“land of beautiful waters”). Christopher Columbus was the first European to spot these islands, and while there’s some dispute over the exact names and name changes, Saint Kitts is named after a nickname for Christopher (like Christopher Columbus). Nevis got it name after a variation of the Spanish name Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows—sounds strange considering it’s in the tropics).

Saint Kitts & Nevis is located in the Caribbean and part of the Leeward Islands. It’s located west of Antigua and Barbuda, just northwest of the French islands of Montserrat and Guadeloupe and southeast of the Dutch islands of Sint Eustatius, Saba, and south of the French island of St Barthélemy, the half French-half Dutch island of Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten, and the British island of Anguilla. The islands were created by volcanic activity; central peaks give way to numerous rivers that provide fresh water for the island. The islands have a tropical climate with a somewhat dry and cool season from January through April and a wet and rainy period from June through November.

First inhabited about 3000BC, the Arawak and Taino Indians moved into the area later. Christopher Columbus first sighted the islands in 1493, but in the early 1600s, the British settled in followed by the French. They agreed to divide the island between the two of them, and both went to bat at exploiting the island for its natural resources. That didn’t sit well with the natives living there and put up a resistance against their efforts to either enslave them or endure a forced relocation at the least. They continued a campaign started by the Spanish of systematically denying the natives humanity. Finally, the British and French (with Spanish support) said, “Skip this,” and just went on a killing spree. The Spanish handed all control over to the other two, who divided and claimed a bunch of islands in the area; the French eventually giving total control of St. Kitts over to the British. Because of the sugar trade, St. Kitts was one of Britain’s richest colonies. St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla were all treated as three separate states of British colonies, and while in 1967 they all gained autonomy, only St. Kitts and Nevis gained independence in 1983. This makes it the newest country in the Americas (and the same age as my sister). Nevis actually tried to break away in 1998 but didn’t quite have the votes to make it happen. Not long after, it was ravaged by Hurricane Georges, the worst hurricane to hit the area in the 20^th century. 

The capital Basseterre is located on the island of St. Kitts. Established in 1627, it’s one of the oldest cities in the Eastern Caribbean. The city is the financial and governmental center of the country. In fact, Basseterre has grown to be a financial hub for a lot of the Caribbean communities. It also hosted the 2007 World Cricket Cup, which was a big deal because it was the smallest country to hold a World Cup.

Historically, sugar was the primary economic driver. However, in 2005, their state-owned sugar factory closed down. Tourism is now the thing they depend on most and host a large music festival in efforts to attract more people. They also have a program where large business investors are granted citizenship, assuming they meet all the requirements and fulfill their end of the deal.

Because of their history with Britain and France, Christianity (mostly Anglican and Methodist) is the majority religion in St. Kitts & Nevis. There are a number of denominations represented, but there are also a smaller number of non-religious people and other religions found there as well.

In St. Kitts & Nevis, English is the official language. However, Saint Kitts Creole is the most widely spoken dialect in the country. Like some other Caribbean Creoles, this one is an English-based Creole with borrowings from various African languages and some from French.

Besides Alexander Hamilton, I was surprised to find a few other famous people with ties to St. Kitts & Nevis. I came across several as I was researching the islands who have either one or both parents from there. Mel B (from the Spice Girls) has a father from the islands. Corinne Bailey Rae’s father was also from St. Kitts. Both of Cicely Tyson’s parents came from Nevis. Louis Farrakhan’s mother was also born in the islands. Rupert Crosse was raised by his grandparents on the island of Nevis. And apparently, there are a ton of famous people from here who play cricket, if you follow cricket.

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JAMAICA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

When I was first dating my native-Chicagoan husband, he couldn’t believe I had never had jerk chicken before. It quickly became one of my favorite foods. And the south side of Chicago has some of the best places to get jerk chicken. They also served with it this dense white bread that my husband loves so much (the jerk chicken places here in Indy that we’ve tried use a cheaper wheat or white bread, and it’s just not the same—the crumb is too loose). When I told him we were on Jamaica now, he begged me to find that recipe, and after some research, I found the recipe for hard dough bread (also spelled with a variety of spellings). When we got married almost 11 years ago, we wanted to take our honeymoon to Jamaica, but life got in the way, and we were never able to take a honeymoon anywhere. And now we have two kids. Maybe one of these days, we’ll all go.

 

The word Jamaica comes from its indigenous people, the Taíno people, meaning “Land of Wood and Water” or “Land of Springs.” Jamaicans themselves often refer to their island as the “Rock,” and there are many derivatives from this. [Note: this made me think of the popular drink throughout Latin America called jamaica (or flor de jamaica), pronounced ha-MY-kah, made from hibiscus flowers. But as far as I can tell, the name comes the flower being imported into Jamaica first and then Mexico. However, in the country of Jamaica, it’s called sorrel; it’s also called bissap among other names in West Africa.]

Jamaica is an island nation in the Caribbean. Cuba is to the north, Haiti to the east, the Cayman Islands to the west, and Panama and Colombia is directly south if you travel a ways across the Caribbean.

Jamaica has a tropical climate and is subject to Atlantic hurricanes; it’s been devastated many times during its history. The island’s tropical climate allows for a variety of plants and animals that thrive in this climate to make Jamaica their home. Many kinds of fish, birds, insects, lizards, and other animals are found here. The good thing is that of the eight types of snakes that are found on the island, none are poisonous (I personally would treat all snakes as poisonous and ready to eat me whole, despite its size. But that’s just me.). On the other hand, Jamaica is home to the Giant Swallowtail, the world’s second-largest butterfly. 

Like other islands in this area, the Arawak and Taíno peoples were the first inhabitants of Jamaica. Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Jamaica in 1494 and claimed it in the name of Spain. The Spanish introduced many crops to the area, such as sugarcane, a variety of citrus trees, bananas, and others. By the mid-1600s, the British had taken control and quickly brought in slaves from Africa to work these fields and within 20 years time, blacks had outnumbered the white population. During this time, Jews who were banished from their home areas in Europe saw Jamaica as a refuge and a new start and began pouring into the country. There were also a number of free blacks on the island as well, many escaping the US (like they did with the Bahamas). After the British finally abolished slavery during the early 1800s, they began shipping in Indian and Chinese workers as indentured servants to work the fields. Although the British did manage to make some changes in their labor laws (i.e. making it illegal to beat the workers, etc.), this system of labor more or less lasted until the middle of the 20^th century. There were still several revolts throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries, and the island remained under British control. By 1962, their efforts paid off, and Jamaica became its own country. However, it still pays homage to the queen (like Canada). With their manufacturing industry, their bauxite and aluminum industries along with tourism, Jamaica began their independence with a strong economy. However, economic changes for the worse throughout the 1970s and 1980s caused a tension that forced the country to rely on more foreign investment and support.

The capital city, Kingston, is the island’s largest city and located on the southeastern shores of the island. This city is the largest city south of the United State where the majority of its people speak English. The harbor this city is situated on, Kingston Harbour, is the seventh-largest harbor in the world. This large harbor is probably why it was chosen as the perfect location for a capital city. The city is home to about 940,000 people and is the center of government, business, education, sports and has a strong arts and culinary side to their culture. The British set up many botanical gardens across the island, and this city hosts several that are still standing.

One of the largest economic drivers in Jamaica is none other than tourism. Mining is also important with bauxite and alumina mining forming a significant portion of this industry. Along with mining, various kinds of manufacturing also employ many people in businesses such as glass production, construction, beverage processing, printing, publishing, and software and data (and other technical) processing. However, Jamaica is also a haven for music production, insurance underwriting and financial services, and educational services in the Caribbean. The island is also widely known for its agricultural products such as sugar, coffee, rum, yams, and bananas.

Because of the longstanding presence of the British on this island, Christianity remains a majority religion on this island, and this includes many different denominations, mostly Protestant. And the interesting thing is that Jamaica has more “churches” per square mile than any other country in the world. (Chicago’s south side is probably number two—if it were its own country, that is.) Jamaica is also mostly identified with the Rastafari movement, which got its start in Ethiopia and is known for its practices of dredlocks and smoking marajuana. But because there were many Indian and Chinese workers brought here in the past, there are also many followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Bahá’í as well as other local indigenous belief systems. 

English is the official language of Jamaica. However, most locals speak a type of Creole called Jamaican Patois. This patois uses many words from English but has also incorporated many words from African languages and Taíno (and other indigenous) languages. Many Jamaican Patois words have spread across the word with the global popularity of reggae music. 

But for this small-ish island in the Caribbean, Jamaica has a lot to brag about. Jamaica was the first country to build a railroad in the Western Hemisphere. Not only did they build it, they built it 18 years before the US did. And this country first established a postal code in 1688! Jamaica was also the first country to commercially produce rum. (And I sincerely thank you for it.) Jamaica is known for its sports stars and has won numerous medals in world competitions. Among its top performs include Sherone Simpson, Asafa Powell, and Usain Bolt. The Jamaican bobsleigh team made history and was commemorated in the 1993 movie Cool Runnings. Of all the national flags in the world, Jamaica’s flag is the only one that doesn’t share any colors with the US flag. (Yes, I had to look at some flags just to make sure.) But one thing that remains true is this: this country has a lot to offer, like good food and good music for starters.

Up next: art and literature

HAITI: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Four years ago almost to the day, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rattled the area around the city of Léogâne, about 18 miles west of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. This city of around 90,000 people had about 80-90% of its buildings damaged during the earthquake. Damage and destruction spread all over Haiti and was also felt in neighboring Dominican Republic (on the other side of the island). An estimated 100,000–160,000 people lost their lives (although government estimates were practically doubled). Because there are practically no building codes in Haiti, many homes collapsed under the shifting of the earthquake or its 52 aftershocks. People lived in shanty towns or refugee camps for weeks and months even, or they tried to cross the border into the Dominican Republic. The oppressive heat was a fiend to those who tried to bury the massive number of deceased. On top of it all, a cholera outbreak ran rampant from lack of clean drinking water and poor sanitation. It was a horrible time for Haitians and the rest of the world as we numbingly watched on.

The name Haiti is the French form of the Taíno word Ayiti, meaning “land of high mountains.” In French, it’s spelled Haïti, indicating that the first i is pronounced: ah-EE-tee. In English, we drop the umlaut and pronounce it as a two-syllable word: HAY-tee.

Haiti is located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. It shares the island with the Dominican Republic. The Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas lie directly north, Cuba lies to the northwest, Jamaica to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east.  If you travel directly south for quite a distance, you will most likely hit the Colombian shores. Haiti has a tropical climate and is subject to hurricanes as well as earthquakes. Deforestation and desertification is also a problem in Haiti.

The Taíno Indians were the original inhabitants on the island and other nearby islands. Christopher Columbus and his crew landed here in December 1492 and subsequently brought with them European diseases that the Taíno had no natural immunity against, such as smallpox, and killed off most of them. However, later on the French laid claim to the island as well and they fought over it; the French received the western third of the island in the treaty. African slaves were brought to Haiti to work in the sugar cane fields, and the brutality they received was no secret. They were given some rights later on, and many were freed, but many of these slaves and freed blacks who still had very little fought back not only against the Spanish and the British who were there, but also the French government and the colonists. In the end, the slaves persevered in this revolution and gained their own independence in 1804. This kind of revolt made the US very nervous, wondering if its own slaves would attempt the same thing. In fact, the US along with many other nations didn’t even recognize Haiti’s independence until after the US Civil War several decades later. I found it interesting that in 1824, over 6000 slaves from the US were given the opportunity to go to Haiti, but they found “the conditions too harsh,” so they came back. Wow, really? Makes you wonder how harsh it had to be in Haiti that coming back to US during the slavery years was preferable. Haiti had some periods of civil unrest and also felt the impact of having a lot of debt during the first part of the 20^th century. In fact there were over 70 dictators in Haiti’s first 109 years of existence. However, it later became a tourist destination starting in the 1950s, and many famous writers, musicians, actors, and dignitaries vacationed in Haiti. By the end of the 1980s into early 1990s, Haiti underwent a couple of coups with another coup in 2004. 

Reminds me of photos of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince, a city of about 2.4 million people in the metro area.  Situated on the Gulf of Gonâve, this city is the center of government, although many of the governmental buildings were destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. The city houses several universities, hospitals, and is an important port city.

Sugar cane field

Haiti relies on its agricultural exports such as mangos, papayas, cacao, coffee, spinach, watercress, corn, bananas, and sugar cane. They also rely on its tourism industry, albeit it comes with travel advisories depending on where travelers go. Because Haiti still has a shortage of skilled labor and high numbers of unemployed and underemployed, the country depends on foreign aid; it’s still the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  Haiti’s infrastructure is moderate at best, even in the cities. The 2010 earthquake took out a lot of their roads, electrical grid, communications, etc. Much of it has been restored since then, but there are still many areas that have intermittent access to electricity and Internet access.

Haiti has two official languages: French and Haitian Creole. French is used for official government business as well as the medium for education. Haiti is also one of two countries in the Americas where French is an official language (Canada being the other).  Haitian Creole, a French-based Creole, is actually related to Louisiana Creole in the US; not only is Haitian Creole (or Kreyòl) based on French, but it also utilizes a lot of words and grammar from Spanish, Portuguese, Taíno, and West African languages.

Most Haitians lay claim to either Catholicism or Protestantism. However, native vodou (voodoo) is also intertwined with Christian religions as well. You’ll find this practice of mixing indigenous belief systems with Christianity or Islam in many West African countries as well. Ex-priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide established Voodoo as a state religion along with Catholicism. There are also a number of other religions brought into Haiti, such as Islam, Bahá’í, Judaism, and Buddhism.

Looking past its poorness, it’s rich in culture and things I find interesting. Gourds are so important to Haitians that their currency is named after them: currently, $1USD = 46 Haitian gourdes. Carnival and New Year’s Day are two of the largest celebrations of the year for most Haitians and incorporates a lot of music and dance and voodoo traditions. The Citadel (Citadelle Laferrière) in the northern end of Haiti is the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere and considered one of the Eighth Wonders of the World. A lot of work needs to be done in Haiti: rivers are polluted leaving many people without clean water, causing a myriad of health problems and diseases; only a little more than half the people are literate, even less so for girls; girls only attend an average of two years of school; sanitation conditions are barely adequate in places; there are only about 8 doctors per 100,000 people; violence toward women is often not dealt with as a problem; child labor is also not necessarily dealt with as a problem. There are many people and organizations doing their part, but there is still much work to be done. But despite these conditions, the people still are able to have some fun at times, make music, dance, paint, play soccer, enjoy what they do have, and share a good meal with friends and family as well.

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GRENADA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

The island of spice: Grenada is especially known for nutmeg, a spice that is known to cause psychoactive effects if taken in large doses. But in small doses, it’s quite tasty. The nutmeg is actually an interesting seed because it produces two distinctive spices: nutmeg and mace.  (Not the kind of mace you ward off potential attackers with, and it doesn’t contain the spice mace at all, so don’t start spraying down your food. Please, don’t do that.)

Grenada is a small island in the South Caribbean, just south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and north of Trinidad and Tobago as well as Venezuela. It’s actually the largest island of the Grenadine Islands and includes several smaller islands in the chain. (The others belong to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which I always think sounds like a great band name.) The islands are volcanic in origin, and Mt. Catherine is the highest peak.  Grenada has distinct rainy and dry seasons typical of its tropic climate. The islands are also subject to Atlantic Ocean hurricanes and suffered greatly during Hurricane Janet (1955), Hurricane Ivan (2004), and Hurricane Emily (2005). The term Grenada comes from the French “La Grenade” and from the earlier Spanish “Granada,” a reference to a province of southern Spain of the same name, originally serving as a Moorish emirate.

The French were the first Europeans to land on the island and essentially forced the indigenous peoples to move to other islands. Some of them refused and opted to jump off cliffs rather than be relocated by the French. The island was mostly used to grow sugarcane and indigo at that time. It was formally handed over to the British but then the French took it back after the American Revolutionary War, which was then toggled back to the British with the Treaty of Versailles. A merchant ship on its way back from the East Indies stopped in Grenada and left a small number of nutmeg trees behind – the start of Grenada’s nutmeg industry.  The island country became a Crown colony in 1877, and by the mid-20^th century, Grenadians were striking for better working conditions and held their first elections in regards to universal suffrage (to oppose the system that was put into place which tied eligible voters to property ownership and wealth, only allowing them to vote for 1/3 of the available seats for the Legislative Council).  Independence was finally granted to the Grenadians in 1974, and several coups took place in the decades afterwards. During the early 1980s, a pro-communist group took over, and the US, along with the support of nearby countries and regional groups, invaded Grenada in 1983 and stopped this radical group.  While other countries criticized the invasion and other military tactics, democracy and general peace were established once again. Hurricanes have ravished the island several times in recent times, destroying homes and businesses and straining their economy and resources.

The capital city is St. George’s. Named after the patron saint of England, it was first discovered by Christopher Columbus. St. George’s is known for its Carnival festival, which takes place every August and celebrates the emancipation of the slaves. The city is also famous for the Grenada National Museum, Queen’s Park Stadium Complex, a large marketplace, several famous churches, beaches, and shopping centers.

Grenada is known for its spices, namely cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, clove, ginger, allspice, and sugar cane. Oranges, coffee, and cocoa/chocolate (like Grenada Chocolate Company) are also produced here as well. Grenada is the second largest producer of nutmeg (after Indonesia), and in fact, it’s so important to the Grenadian economy, that they put it on the flag. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is also a huge economic driver. Its beautiful beaches (both black sand and white sand), pristine mountainous environment, and tropical climate make Grenada the perfect vacation location. St. Georges University with an enrollment of nearly 5000 students is the country’s largest employer.

The vast majority of Grenadians adhere to some denomination of Christianity with Roman Catholic making up the largest portion, followed by Protestants, and then Anglicans.  There are a small number of Rastafari, Hindi, Muslim, Buddhist, and Baha’i followers.  

Because of Grenada’s history as a Crown colony of England, English became the official language of the country.  However, Grenadian Creole English is the major spoken language and has influences from European, African, and Indian words and phrases. Grenadian Creole French is also spoken, but mainly in the rural areas.  It’s sometimes known as Patois or Kwéyòl.  

The main island of Grenada is divided into six parishes, named after the patron saints of the United Kingdom: St. George (English), St. Patrick (Ireland), St. Andrew (Scotland), and St. David (Wales). The other two parishes are named after two New Testament writers, St. John and St. Mark. Because the country’s origins are volcanic, there is a crater lake called Grand Etang that is essentially bottomless. Even sonar has not been able to find the bottom. (It makes you wonder what kind of strange sci-fi creatures lives down there. Or how many bodies have been dumped there.)  Most countries have a long form of their name (like People’s Republic of China) and a short form of its name (everyone calls it China).  However, Grenada is one of those few countries that only has a short form; it’s just Grenada. (Canada is another short-form-only country.)  Their cuisine is pretty typical of the Caribbean – except with the largest number of recipes containing nutmeg that I’ve ever seen – and it all sounds super tasty.  

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