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History
This state includes the Grenadines, a group of small islands
to the the south.
It is believed to have been sighted by Columbus but left undisturbed
by Europeans until much later. It is a volcanic island (Mt Soufriere)
which has exploded in 1821, 1902 and 1979. There are still a
small number of Carib inhabitants alongside the descendants of
African slaves, and Europeans. It was not settled until the 18th
century which is why there are still a few Caribs surviving.
The Europeans who settled other islands earlier exterminated
the native inhabitants.
All the main European powers: French, Dutch, English and Spaniards,
tried to settle the island. The British took it from the French
in 1762. It was continuously British since 1783. There was a
revolt by the Caribs in 1795 assisted by the French in nearby
Martinique and most of them were deported to islands off Honduras.
The remainder seem to have been settled on the volcano and many
were killed in the two main 19th century eruptions.
The islands became independent in 1979.
Member East Caribbean Currency Union and Caribbean Common
Market (CARICOM).
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