Islands of the Caribbean - St Vincent and the Grenadines

Modern St Vincent and the Grenadines (Lesser Antilles)
AD 1955 - Present Day
Incorporating Heads of State (1955-2022), British Colony (1955-1969), Associated State (1969-1979), & Independent Constitutional Monarchy (1979-On)

The 'Independent Constitutional Monarchy' of St Vincent and the Grenadines is formed from a group of islands which are located near the southern end of the Windward Islands in the Americas, part of the Lesser Antilles chain between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The islands are neighboured to the north by St Lucia, to the east by Barbados, to the south by Grenada, and to the west by the core of the Caribbean Sea.

This nation state consists of the main island of St Vincent with its capital, Kingstown, located towards the south, along with a chain of smaller islands which together comprise the northern Grenadines (the southern Grenadines belong to Grenada). About ten of the islands are inhabited. Originally, the name St Vincent applied to all of these islands but, when the nation achieved independence, the name was changed to St Vincent and the Grenadines.

St Vincent is a volcanic island, the volcano being known as Soufrière. It is still active and has, several times, caused considerable damage to farming. The land is very fertile and agriculture is therefore easy. The economy is primarily agricultural, but tourism has become important on an island which has particularly varied and rich birdlife. The climate is tropical, while about seventy percent of the population is descended from enslaved Africans. About a quarter is of mixed African, European, and Carib ancestry. A small minority is of South Asian, European, or Carib ancestry, with people of mixed African and Carib ancestry being referred to as 'Garifuna'.

The islands were originally inhabited by the Ciboney. When the Arawak arrived from what is now Venezuela they co-inhabited until the Arawak replaced them entirely. About a century prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Caribs arrived from South America and displaced the Arawak. The Caribs fiercely resisted early modern-era French, Dutch, and English attempts to settle St Vincent but, finally, in the eighteenth century they had to yield to the less aggressive French in favour of the perceived greater aggression exhibited by the English.

It was once thought that Christopher Columbus reached St Vincent in 1498 and named the island. That view has been corrected thanks to the knowledge that Columbus was in Spain at that time. In the seventeenth century, escaped plantation slaves from Barbados or shipwrecks began to intermix with Caribs to form a group which is known as 'Black Caribs' or, again, 'Garifuna'.

The Caribs allowed the French to settle the island's west coast, but the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Seven Years War in 1763, gave St Vincent and the nearby islands to Hanoverian Britain. They became part of the British colony of the Windward Islands, which included the other British-held islands of the Windward chain. Control was exercised from Grenada. This structure soon failed, so the various islands were each given their own colonial assemblies and settlers began arriving on St Vincent despite continued Carib hostility.

The French captured the islands in 1779, but the Versailles Treaty of 1783 restored British control. Internally, it took two wars (in 1772-1773 and 1795-1796) for the British to subdue the Caribs, most of whom were eventually deported to an island off the coast of what is now Honduras. From there, they migrated to Belize and other parts of Central America. Those who remained in St Vincent retreated into the interior. In 1805, the colonial government pardoned them for their rebellion.

The Grenadines were partitioned in 1791. Most of the islands were awarded to St Vincent because they are closer to that island, while a few were given to Grenada. British territories underwent further restructuring in 1877, with St Vincent becoming a crown colony. Slavery was abolished throughout the British empire in 1834, giving former slaves greater leverage over plantation owners. The owners brought in Portuguese and South Asian labourers to increase competition with the emancipated population and reduce their bargaining position. Then sugar prices fell in the last half of the century, sparking a depression which lasted the rest of the century. Further damage was done to the economy by a hurricane in 1898 and the eruption of the volcano.

Self-government became a major goal in the twentieth century. The colony established a legislative council in 1925, but the selection process excluded most descendants of slaves. Riots during the 'Great Depression' prompted reforms, culminating in universal suffrage in 1951. Today's St Vincent and the Grenadines operate as a democratic 'Independent Constitutional Monarchy', with universal suffrage for its population of over 111,000 (in 2023) and a parliamentary form of government which is based on the British format. The head of state is the monarch of the UK, represented by a governor-general. The head of government is a prime minister, while the unicameral legislature is called the 'House of Assembly'.

The full list of islands which make up the Lesser Antilles chain includes Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Redonda, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago.

The Americas

Caribbean Islands

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