Central America · The modern Caribbean and isthmus states
Saint Vincent
1979–present
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Windward Islands, was long contested between Britain and France and was home to the Indigenous "Black Caribs" (Garifuna), who resisted British control until their defeat and mass deportation in 1797. It gained independence from the United Kingdom on 27 October 1979, with Milton Cato as its first prime minister; the capital is Kingstown.
- Existed
- 1979–present
- Shown on the map
- 1969–2024
- Peak area
- 569 km²
- Region
- Central America
Overview
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Windward Islands, was long contested between Britain and France and was home to the Indigenous "Black Caribs" (Garifuna), who resisted British control until their defeat and mass deportation in 1797. It gained independence from the United Kingdom on 27 October 1979, with Milton Cato as its first prime minister; the capital is Kingstown. It is a constitutional monarchy under King Charles III, its economy based on agriculture (notably bananas), tourism, and yachting among the Grenadine islets.
Later history and present status
The La Soufrière volcano has repeatedly shaped national life, with major eruptions in 1902, in 1979 (only weeks before independence), and again in 2021. Ralph Gonsalves of the Unity Labour Party dominated politics as prime minister from 2001.
Common questions
- What was Saint Vincent?
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Windward Islands, was long contested between Britain and France and was home to the Indigenous "Black Caribs" (Garifuna), who resisted British control until their defeat and mass deportation in 1797. It gained independence from the United Kingdom on 27 October 1979, with Milton Cato as its first prime minister; the capital is Kingstown.
- When did Saint Vincent exist?
- Saint Vincent existed 1979–present. On this map it is drawn 1969–2024.
- How large was Saint Vincent?
- At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Saint Vincent covered about 1,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
- What is the present status of Saint Vincent?
- The La Soufrière volcano has repeatedly shaped national life, with major eruptions in 1902, in 1979 (only weeks before independence), and again in 2021. Ralph Gonsalves of the Unity Labour Party dominated politics as prime minister from 2001.
Sources
This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. Its bibliography names the English Wikipedia articles for each polity and for the key figures and events as the basis of these profiles, supplemented by Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Geographic, EBSCO Research Starters and academic sources. The article this entry is anchored on:
- Wikipedia — Saint Vincent and the Grenadines en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines
This entry was last updated .
This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made
Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.
Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).
See Saint Vincent in its world
Open the atlas at 1997 and every neighbour, rival and successor is on screen with it — then drag the slider and watch what happens next.
Open the map at 1997 →