Travel the World - Grenada

I started a 50-week series in 2019 that I called Travel the World. Each week of the series I visited a randomly-selected country, sharing bits of information about that country. I then chose one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. As I explored those 50 countries in 2019, I knew I would continue on until I've visited every one of the 195 countries in the world. By the end of 2021, I'd virtually traveled to 145 countries and plan to complete my journey to all 195 countries by visiting the last 50 this year.

This week's country is...

Grenada

Grenada is an island nation located in the West Indies of the Caribbean.

Grenada is located between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela, and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

It consists of a main island, also called Grenada, and six smaller surrounding islands.

Grenada gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1974.

The official language of Grenada is English.

The people of Grenada are called Grenadians.

By area, Grenada is the second smallest independent country in the western hemisphere. Only St. Kitts & Nevis, also in the Caribbean, is smaller.

Grenada has a total area of 133 square miles. The main island is approximately 21 miles long by 12 miles wide.

The country is 910 times smaller than Poland.

Grenada is known for year round warm weather. Even when it's rainy, the temperature doesn't change much from the annual average of 88 degrees fahrenheit.

It is one of 11 countries in the world that has never recorded a negative temperature.

The Carenage is Grenada's local harbor and anchorage. It boasts a mellow waterfront experience exploring the shops and overall, just taking in the ambiance. There are historical buildings in the area, and fishermen can be seen going in and out of port, as well as catamaran tours heading out.  

The island country has a coastline of 75 miles.

Grenada is filled with amazing beaches, and one of the most popular is Grand Anse Beach.

The country is also known for its beautiful waterfalls.

Grenada is almost half covered with forests, yet it does not have any species of venomous snakes. 

There are three national parks in Grenada.

The Grenada dove, which is a critically endangered species, is the national bird of Grenada.

There’s a crater lake known as Lake Grand Etang which is one of the major tourist attractions in Grenada. Surrounded by dense, mountainous forest, this 36-acre expanse of cobalt-blue water is tied to some bizarre myths. Legend has it that it is a bottomless lake where Orisha, a mermaid-like goddess, resides. Apparently, this scaled deity lures men down into the depths of the lake. These drowned men are said to reappear in places at a distance – like St. Vincent, Trinidad, or Venezuela. It has now been proven that Grand Etang is actually 18 feet deep. But ardent believers of Orisha argue that when someone tries to measure the lake’s depth, the goddess herself swims up and puts a stone under their boat – thus giving them a false reading.

Grenada was hit by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The hurricane damaged over 90% of homes on the island, killed at least 14 people and damaged a prison leading to the escape of 17 convicts.

Hurricane Ivan also destroyed 80% of the country’s 100-year-old nutmeg trees.

Grenada has been lucky enough to be hit by just three hurricanes in the past 50 years, despite being on the southern edge of the Grenadines, where hurricanes usually pass through.

Grenada is the home of the world’s first underwater sculpture park. The sculptures are developed with concrete and rebar, and are placed naturally without affecting the natural reef and the lives of its inhabitants adversely. 

The Moliniere park has over 60 underwater sculptures located on the seabed around 15 feet below the surface.

The first international airport in Grenada was constructed in 1985.

The majority of Grenada’s goods are imported from the U.S.

Grenada has only three traffic lights.

A popular breakfast drink on the island is cocoa tea, made from local cocoa and spices.

The national dish of Grenada is ‘oil down,’ a hearty stew, made of local veggies, salted meat and aromatic spices.

Grenada is also home to all three types of cocoa in the world. Grenada’s House of Chocolates is the place where you can taste different types of cocoa. It is located in the capital city – St. George.

Grenada is known as the “Island of Spice” because it produces nutmeg and mace crops, as well as some other spice.

A ship, while traveling to England from the East Indies, left some nutmeg trees on the island, which marked the beginning of Grenada’s nutmeg industry. Today, the country supplies almost 40% of the world’s annual crop.

The small island country also supports its economy by lucrative tuna fish catching, which is done by its people with the help of just 85 boats. They catch tuna fish worth millions of dollars every year. However, the lucrative business is not without issues, as sometimes the boats are also looted by pirates or other unknown people from across the sea.

411 pairs of shoes were given to the people of Grenada by a U.S. based Grenadian. He took the initiative to help people from his home country and to encourage other people to follow suit. 

Grenada is home to four of the world’s seven varieties of turtle, including the leatherback – the largest species. Leatherbacks can grow up to 7 feet in length and weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.

Leatherback turtles – the largest living species of reptile – can be seen on the beaches of Grenada. Levera Beach is home to Grenada’s largest Leatherback nesting population. There are only 35,000 female Leatherback turtles left in the world. And they are critically endangered. Only one in 1,000 of their hatchlings can survive to adulthood.

Due to a limited military budget, Grenadian law enforcement officers are trained in other countries to gain military proficiency.

It is against the law to wear camouflage in Grenada. This is because donning anything that is reflective of the military attire – no matter what color it is – is illegal. That law applies to kids as well. You might end up paying about $3,700 in fine, or spending a year in prison for this offense.

Grenada is famous for its Carnival, also known as the Spicemas Festival. Events begin during June and July each year when the annual soca monarch, calypso and steel band competitions take place. The event climaxes in August in Saint George’s with street parties, parades, dancing and live music.

My inspiration for this week's card is based on this fact about Grenada... Fisherman's Day is celebrated on June 29th each year in Grenada.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp: Stamping Bella Catch of the Day stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Paper: Neenah 110# Solar White and SU Cinnamon Cider and Soft Sea Foam CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: Gina K Master Layouts 2, MFT Stitched Rectangles, and SU Stitched Shapes (Squares)

Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Enamel Dots