Irish Americans march in New
York City’s Saint Patrick’s Day
parade.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Saint Paul 15
Minneapolis is located just across the
river. Together Saint Paul and Minneapolis
are called the Twin Cities.
Saint Paul is a major center of industry,
banking, and insurance. Factories in and
around the city make cars, electronics,
computers, and many other products.
Other factories process oil and foods.
Hundreds of years ago the Dakota
Indians (a division of the Sioux people)
were living in the Saint Paul region. A
French-Canadian trader named Pierre
Parrant established a settlement there in
1838. The settlement was called Pig’s
Eye, which was Parrant’s nickname. A
log chapel dedicated to the Christian
saint Paul was built in Pig’s Eye in
1838. After that the town was called
Saint Paul.
In 1849 Saint Paul became the capital of
the Minnesota Territory. In 1858 Minnesota
became a U.S. state with Saint
Paul as its capital.
..More to explore
Minnesota
Saint Petersburg
Population
(2006 estimate)
4,580,620
Saint Petersburg is the second largest
city in Russia, after Moscow. The city
lies on the Neva River where it flows
into the Baltic Sea. It spreads over a
mainland section and more that 40
islands. Saint Petersburg was Russia’s
capital for 200 years. Today it is an
important center of industry, education,
science, and culture.
Places of Interest
Saint Petersburg is famous for its beauty
and its many historic buildings. The
huge gold dome of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral
can be seen from throughout the
city. Many of Russia’s former rulers,
called tsars, are buried in the Cathedral
of Saints Peter and Paul. The city’s Winter
Palace was home to the tsars from
1762 until 1917.
Saint Petersburg is a great cultural center
known for its ballet, music, and theater.
The city’s Hermitage and State Russian
museums have large, important collections
of art.
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the most
important Roman Catholic church in Saint
Paul, Minnesota.
16 Saint Petersburg BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Economy
Saint Petersburg is a major seaport and
industrial center. Factories in the city
make such products as machinery,
metals, foods and drinks, and paper.
Many people in the city work in
services such as trade, education, and
health care.
History
The Russian tsar Peter the Great
founded Saint Petersburg in 1703. The
city grew rapidly. It became the capital
of Russia in 1712.
By the late 1800s Saint Petersburg had
many factories, as well as many poor
workers. In 1905 government troops shot
people who were protesting poor working
conditions. This event became known as
Bloody Sunday. It led people to try to
overthrow Russia’s government. In 1917
the city was a center of the revolution
that forced the tsar from power.
The leader of that revolution was named
Lenin. For much of the 1900s Saint
Petersburg was called Leningrad in his
honor.
In 1918 the Russian capital was moved
to Moscow. Russia soon became part of
a Communist country called the Soviet
Union.
German soldiers surrounded Leningrad
from 1941 until 1944, duringWorld
War II. More than half a million people
in the city died from bombings, hunger,
and disease. Leningrad was later rebuilt.
In 1991 the Soviet Union fell apart, and
Russia became a separate country again.
Leningrad’s name was changed back to
Saint Petersburg.
#More to explore
Lenin, Vladimir Ilich • Moscow • Peter
the Great • Russia • Russian Revolution
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Buildings line the banks of a waterway in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Many waterways flow
through the city.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Saint Petersburg 17
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an
island country in the Caribbean Sea. It
is part of the region called theWest
Indies. The capital is Kingstown.
Geography
The country is made up of more than
30 islands. Saint Vincent is the largest
island. To the south the small Grenadine
Islands stretch toward the country of
Grenada.
Saint Vincent is mountainous. The
highest point is an active volcano called
Mount Soufriere. The Grenadines have
coral reefs. The country has a warm climate
with dry and rainy seasons.
Plants and Animals
Rain forests grow on the mountains of
Saint Vincent. Palm and fruit trees
grow in lower areas. Mammals include
opossums and large rodents called
agoutis.
People
About two thirds of the population is
black. Many other people have a
mixture of African and European or
Carib Indian ancestors. There are small
groups of Asians and whites. English is
the main language. Most people are
Christians. Most of the population lives
in towns along the coast of Saint
Vincent.
Economy
The country’s economy depends on
tourism, banking, and agriculture.
Crops include bananas, coconuts, and
root vegetables.
History
The Ciboney, Arawak, and Carib
Indians were the first people on the
islands. In the 1600s shipwrecked
African slaves landed on Saint Vincent
and mixed with the Carib. The British
won control of the islands in the 1700s.
British settlers brought in more Africans
to work as slaves on sugarcane
plantations. Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines became an independent
