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Federation of the West Indies

West Indies Federation
Federation of British Colonies
1958–1962
Flag Coat of arms
Motto
"To dwell together in unity"
Anthem
"God Save the Queen"  (royal)
"A Song for Federation"  (proposed)
Capital Chaguaramas (de jure)
Port of Spain (de facto)
Languages English
Demonym West Indian
Government Constitutional monarchy
Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Lord Hailes
Prime Minister Grantley Herbert Adams
History
 •  Established 3 January 1958
 •  Disestablished 31 May 1962
Area
 •  1962 20,239 km² (7,814 sq mi)
Population
 •  1962 est. 3,264,600 
     Density 161.3 /km²  (417.8 /sq mi)
Currency BWI dollar (XBWD)
Calling code +1-809
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Colony of Barbados
British Jamaica
British Trinidad and Tobago
British Leeward Islands
British Windward Islands
Antigua
Barbados
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Grenada
Jamaica
Montserrat
St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
Saint Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands

The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean that were colonies of the United Kingdom, including Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, and those on the Leeward and Windward Islands, came together to form the Federation, with its capital in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The expressed intention of the Federation was to create a political unit that would become independent from Britain as a single state—possibly similar to the Canadian Confederation, Australian Commonwealth, or Central African Federation; however, before that could happen, the Federation collapsed due to internal political conflicts. The territories of the federation eventually became the nine contemporary sovereign states of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago; with Anguilla, Montserrat, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands becoming British overseas territories. British Guiana (Guyana) and British Honduras (Belize) held observer status within the West Indies Federation.


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