CAPITAL KINGSTOWN - POPULATION 118,149 - AREA 389 SQ KM - OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ENGLISH
With a reputation for exclusivity, and both David Bowie and Mick Jagger calling parts of its 32 islands home, this nation (whose name is suited to a groovy gospel choir) is far from a budget destination. Agriculture, principally banana production, still tops tourism as its main source of income, and with unemployment at 22% (not counting the idle aristocrats in residence) there's a definite gap between the haves and the have-nots. The filming here of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in 2006 helped expose the area to a wider tourist market, but for now it remains a low-key, laid-back destination, reserved for those able to spend an average of US$250 per day (or more!) on its glittering charms.
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