Anguilla Background Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980 with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency. Capital The Valley Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) Population 12,132 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black Religions Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, other 12% Languages English (official) Additional Information

Antigua and Barbuda Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. Some 3,000 refugees fleeing a volcanic eruption on nearby Montserrat have settled in Antigua and Barbuda since 1995. Capital Saint John's Independence 1 November 1981 (from UK) Population 66,970 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian Religions Anglican (predominant), other Protestant, some Roman Catholic Languages English (official), local dialects Additional Information

Aruba Background Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. Government Parliamentary democracy Capital Oranjestad Independence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) Population 70,007 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% Religions Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish Languages Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish Additional Information

Bahamas Background Since attaining Independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. Capital Nassau Independence 10 July 1973 (from UK) Population 297,852 Ethnic Groups black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% Religions Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% Languages English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants) Additional Information

Barbados Background The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Its economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Capital Bridgetown Independence 30 November 1966 (from UK) Population 275,330 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 80%, white 4%, other 16% Religions Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% Languages English Additional Information

Belize Background Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the Independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime. Capital Belmopan Independence 21 September 1981 (from UK) Population 256,062 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups mestizo 43.7%, Creole 29.8%, Maya 10%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 10.3% Religions Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980) Languages English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole Additional Information

Bermuda Background Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. A referendum on Independence was soundly defeated in 1995. Capital Hamilton Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) Population 63,503 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 58%, white 36%, other 6% Religions non-Anglican Protestant 39%, Anglican 27%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 19% Languages English (official), Portuguese Additional Information

British Virgin Islands Background First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were soon after (1672) annexed by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. Capital Road Town Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) Population 20,812 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 90%, white, Asian Religions Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981) Languages English (official) Additional Information

Cayman Islands Background The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica from 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the former became independent. Capital George Town Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) Population 35,527 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various Ethnic Groups 20% Religions United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant Languages English Additional Information

Cuba Background Fidel Castro led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the country together since. Cuba's communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Havana portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, or falsified visas - is a continuing problem. Some 3,000 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2000; the US Coast Guard interdicted only about 35% of these. Capital Havana Independence 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902) Population 11,184,023 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% Religions nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to Castro assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented Languages Spanish Additional Information

Dominica BackgroundDominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after Independence Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia Charles, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Capital Roseau Independence 3 November 1978 (from UK) Population 70,786 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black, Carib Amerindian Religions Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% Languages English (official), French patois Additional Information

Dominican Republic Background A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative, rule for much of the 20th century was brought to an end in 1996 when free and open elections ushered in a new government. Capital Santo Domingo Independence 27 February 1844 (from Haiti) Population 8,581,477 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73% Religions Roman Catholic 95% Languages Spanish Additional Information

Grenada Background One of the smallest independent countries in the western hemisphere, Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year. Capital Saint George's Independence 7 February 1974 (from UK) Population 89,227 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 82% some South Asians (East Indians) and Europeans, trace Arawak/Carib Amerindian Religions Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2% Languages English (official), French patois Additional Information

Guadeloupe Background Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint-Martin is divided with the Netherlands (whose southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles). Capital Basse-Terre Independence none Population 431,170 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% Religions Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1% Languages French (official) 99%, Creole patois Additional Information

Guyana Background Guyana achieved Independence from the UK in 1966 and became a republic in 1970. In 1989 Guyana launched an Economic Recovery Program, which marked a dramatic reversal from a state-controlled, socialist economy towards a more open, free market system. Results through the first decade have proven encouraging. Capital Georgetown Independence 26 May 1966 (from UK) Population 697,181 Ethnic Groups East Indian 49%, black 32%, mixed 12%, Amerindian 6%, white and Chinese 1% Religions Christian 50%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 8% Languages English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu Additional Information

Haiti Background One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. Over three decades of dictatorship followed by military rule ended in 1990 when Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president. Most of his term was usurped by a military takeover, but he was able to return to office in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close associate to the presidency in 1996. ARISTIDE won a second term as president in 2000, and took office early the following year. Capital Port-au-Prince Independence 1 January 1804 (from France) Population 6,964,549 Ethnic Groups black 95%, mulatto and white 5% Religions Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) NoteRoughly one-half of the population also practices Voodoo LanguagesFrench (official), Creole (official) Additional Information

Jamaica Background Jamaica gained full Independence within the British Commonwealth in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence. Elections in 1980 saw the democratic socialists voted out of office. Subsequent governments have been open market oriented. Political violence marred elections during the 1990s. Capital Kingston Independence 6 August 1962 (from UK) Population 2,665,636 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1% Religions Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7% Languages English, Creole Additional Information

Martinique Background Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation. Capital Fort-de-France Independence none (overseas department of France) Population 418,454 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Chinese less than 5% Religions Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5% Languages French, Creole patois Additional Information

Montserrat Background Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Capital Plymouth Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) Population 7,574 Ethnic Groups black, white Religions Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations Languages English Additional Information

Puerto Rico Background Discovered by Columbus in 1493, the island was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. A popularly elected governor has served since 1948. In plebiscites held in 1967 and 1993, voters chose to retain commonwealth status. Capital San Juan Independence none (commonwealth associated with the US) Population 3,937,316 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9% Religions Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% Languages Spanish, English Additional Information

St. Kitts and Nevis Background First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved Independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. Capital Basseterre Independence 19 September 1983 (from UK) Population 38,756 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups predominantly black some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese Religions Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic Languages English Additional Information

St. Lucia Background The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Self-government was granted in 1967 and Independence in 1979. Capital Castries Independence 22 February 1979 (from UK) Population 158,178 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1% Religions Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3% Languages English (official), French patois Additional Information

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Background Disputed between France and Great Britain in the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969, and Independence in 1979. Capital Kingstown Independence 27 October 1979 (from UK) Population 115,942 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2% Religions Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Hindu, other Protestant Languages English, French patois Additional Information

Trinidad and Tobago Background The islands came under British control in the 19th century; Independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. Capital Port-of-Spain Independence 31 August 1962 (from UK) Population 1,169,682 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 39.5%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2% Religions Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7% Languages English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese Additional Information

U.S. Virgin Islands Background During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. Capital Charlotte Amalie Independencenone (territory of the US) Population 122,211 (July 2001 est.) Ethnic Groups black 80%, white 15%, other 5% NoteWest Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in the West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%, other 8% Religions Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% Languages English (official), Spanish, Creole Additional Information