Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on St. Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the United Kingdom took over rule in 1783. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.

In total land the islands of St. Vincent and Grenadines is twice the size of Washington, DC, with a population of 118,149.  66% is black, 19% mixed, 6% East Indian, and 2% Carib Amerindian.  The official language of St. Vincent is English although French Patois is also widely spoken. 

The islands celebrate their independence on October 27th, they gained independence in 1979.  The country is a parliamentary democracy, with Queen Elizabeth II of England as the Chief of State. 

These tropical islands enjoy little seasonal temperature change, with a rainy season from May to November.  They are volcanic, and mountainous, a volcano on the island of St. Vincent is a constant threat to the population.  The Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays, and the administration of these islands is divided between St. Vincent and Grenada. 

Economic growth hinges upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean suffered low arrivals in the immediate aftermath of 11 September 2001. The islands had more than 160,000 tourist arrivals in 2005, mostly to the Grenadines. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector. Saint Vincent is also a producer of marijuana and is being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.

The Gross Domestic Product of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is $342 million.  They export $37 million in bananas, taro, arrowroot starch, and tennis racquets to the United Kingdom, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, and Dominica.  The islands import $225 million in food, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, and minerals and fuels.  Their main import partners are the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdome and Japan.