The early history of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was marked by battles between France and Britain over control of the island and by internal resistance to colonization. By 1783, Britain had succeeded in [Page 1269]colonizing the island. It became a member of the Federation of the West Indies for two years in the 1960s before becoming autonomous in 1969 and declaring independence in 1979. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which ranks 91st on the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) list of countries with Very High Human Development, has a per capita income of $18,100. By the 21st century, 47 percent of this Caribbean island's population lived in urban areas. The island is heavily dependent on the banana crop and tourism. While 57 percent ...