History

The Treaty of Utrecht bought an end to the War of Spanish Succession and established peace between the Spanish and British empires. Great Britain obtained the lucrative monopoly over the Asiento slave trade. Runaway and shipwrecked slaves inhabited the island of St. Vincent in the 17th century and according to an early account of the French Antilles, to which Bequia was considered as being part of Grenada, Bequia was too inaccessible to colonize and Caribs or Arawaks used the island for fishing and some cultivation. A few Portuguese and Dutch slave ships on route to Sint Eustatius from West Africa reportedly shipwrecked on the Grenadines reefs.

Bequia was under French control in the 18th century and during the Seven Years War with England the island was used by the fleets of their allies, the Spanish and Dutch, to take on supplies, while those of British were banned. The Treaty of Paris (1763) produced a significant re-alignment in the map of the Caribbean. St. Vincent and the Grenadine islands, including Grenada, were ceded to the Britain in exchange for Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Lucia. Petit Martinique's name derives from this era, and so does Petit Saint Vincent. In 1779 the French seized the island, despite the Treaty of Paris, but were forced to relinquish control to Britain the soon after.

The early 18th century saw the development of a sugar industry and related products including molasses and rum. Other major products included coffee, indigo and arrowroot. At one point in time, the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were the single largest producer of arrowroot starch in the world.

Presently Hairoun and Vincy strong rum are major export products primarily to the European Union.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines became independent from Great Britain in 1979, while remaining part of the British Commonwealth. The Governor General is the representative of the British Crown, and is appointed by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The constitution is based on the British (Westminster) parliamentary system. There are 15 constituencies (Bequia and Mustique together make up the constituency of the "Northern Grenadines") and the party winning the majority of these 15 seats in a General Election forms the Government, with the party's chosen leader becoming Prime Minister.

A General Election must be held every five years, but may be called at any time.

St. Vincent's legal system also reflects the country's British heritage and is based on British Common Law.