British West Indies: Territories or Former Colonies of Great Britain
|
The term British West Indies is sometimes used to refer the islands in the Caribbean that are British Overseas Territories or colonies, which include:Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands. 
Old Caribbean Map
Historically, the term British West Indies was once also extended to many of the former colonies of the British in the Caribbean region. Those nations which were once known as being a part of the British West Indies (now known collectively as the Anglophone Caribbean) include: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Although the word "Indies" was a reference to the word island, it may also have collectively included the two to three mainland Caribbean territories of the British: - British Honduras (now Belize)
- British Guiana (now Guyana)
- Mosquito Coast (whilst it was British, it was then known as the Miskito Coast).
The two mainland territories British Honduras (Belize), and British Guiana (Guyana) also became independent, and have changed their names (either before or upon independence). The majority of the island territories and states which once made up the entire British West Indies are now independent nations. After an attempt at a West Indies Federation to pursue a unified path towards independence, some of the island either remained or reverted to being British colonies. The remaining overseas territories of the British are still titled as British West Indies. West Indies Federation West Indies Federation, former federation of 10 British West Indian territories formed in 1958. Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados were the principal members, but the federation included most of the Leeward and Windward islands, then under British control. The seat of government was Port of Spain, Trinidad. Slated for independence in 1962, the federation did not survive its troubled infancy. Jamaica, the most populous and prosperous member, voted (1961) to leave the federation, fearing that it would have to shoulder the burdens of the economically underdeveloped members; Trinidad and Tobago followed suit, and the federation was dissolved in May, 1962. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago became independent members of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1962, as did Barbados in 1966 and the Bahamas in 1973. In 1967 the West Indies Associated States. were created, made up of Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. Each of the states was voluntarily associated with Great Britain and fully self-governing in its internal affairs. Over the next two decades, all gained full independence, the last being St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. Read an interesting timeline of the islands as they gain there independance: http://www.regiments.org/nations/westindies/westind.htm
|
Summary: The British West Indies is a term/location that refers to the islands in the Caribbean that were or are territories or former colonies of Great Britain. Islands proper include: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Resources »
