Caribs inhabited the island before the Europeans, who arrived
about 1500. The English tried to colonize it in 1605 and 1635.
The French settled in 1650. But wars between the French and English
caused the Island to be exchanged between the two several times.
Finally it became British in 1814. The Caribs died out during
this period and were replaced by African slaves and by English,
French and Indians from India. It was a member of the West Indian
Federation from 1958-62. Independent 1979.
Member East Caribbean Currency Union and Caribbean Common