Factbook
History of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — Timeline
Key dates in the history of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
Last updated: October 2026
1719Resistance from native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719.
1783France and England disputed the island for most of the 18th century, but it was ceded to England in 1783.
1960Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies.
1969Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.
1979Independence: 27 October 1979 (from the UK).
2018Major urban areas: 27,000 KINGSTOWN (capital) (2018) upper middle-income Caribbean island economy; key agriculture and tourism sectors; environmentally fragile; diversifying economy across services, science and knowledge, and creative industries; CARICOM member and US Caribbean Basin Initiative beneficiary Inflation: 3.6% (2024 est.).
2021In 2021, the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano in the north of Saint Vincent destroyed much of Saint Vincent’s most productive agricultural lands.
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 86.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 12.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) Energy use: 37.253 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch Agriculture: bananas, root vegetables, plantains, spices, coconuts, fruits, apples, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, sweet potatoes (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Languages: English, Vincentian Creole English, French patois Religions: Protestant 75% (Pentecostal 27.6%, Anglican 13.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.6%, Baptist 8.9%, Methodist 8.7%, Evangelical 3.8%, Salvation Army 0.3%, Presbyterian/Congregational 0.3%), Roman Catholic 6.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other 4.7%, none 7.5%, unspecifie Urban population: 54.3% of total population (2023).
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