Small States, Big Questions: The Caribbean After 1962

After the federation collapsed, the remaining British Caribbean territories became independent one by one: Barbados in 1966, the Bahamas in 1973, Grenada in 1974, and several eastern Caribbean islands between 1978 and 1983, ending with St Kitts and Nevis. Belize's independence was delayed until 1981 because Guatemala claimed its territory, and British troops stayed to protect it. The Dutch colony of Suriname became independent in 1975; fearing an uncertain future, a large share of its population moved to the Netherlands.

Not every territory wanted independence: Anguilla rebelled against being joined with St Kitts, and after British forces landed in 1969 it remained a British territory. These small states raised questions: could countries of under a million people defend themselves, run diplomatic services and develop economies? They responded by cooperating, founding the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 1973. Many have built stable democracies, showing that small size did not prevent successful self-government.