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Anguilla Flag Information
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Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980 with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency.
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Antigua and Barbuda Flag Information
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From 1632 until formal independence was granted in 1981, Antigua and its neighbor Barbuda were British colonies
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Aruba Flag Information
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Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
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Bahamas Flag Information
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Originally a Pirate base, the Bahamas became a formal British colony in 1783. It did not achieve independence until July 10, 1973
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Barbados Flag Information
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Barbados was first settled by the British in 1627. It became a colony and achieved self-government in 1961 and independence in 1966
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Belize Flag Information
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Belize was originally known as British Honduras, a colony formed in 1862 from settlements on the coast of Guatemala
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Bermuda Flag Information
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British Virgin Islands Flag Information
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Cayman Islands Flag Information
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Colombia Flag Information
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Costa Rica Flag Information
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Cuba Flag Information
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Cuba, the only Communist state in the Americas, was a Spanish colony until 1898, when it ceeded to the US. It gained independence in 1902
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Dominica Flag Information
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First colonized by the French, Dominica came under British control in 1759. It became a British Associated State in 1967 and independent in 1978
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Dominican Republic Flag Information
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A Spanish Colony, briefly occupied by Haiti (1820-44), the Trinitarian movement was formed to free the country. It was liberated in 1844
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Ecuador Flag Information
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El Salvador Flag Information
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Grenada Flag Information
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First settled by France, Grenada was invaded by Britain in 1762. It became an Associated State in 1967 and fully independent in 1974
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Guadeloupe Flag Information
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Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe
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Guatemala Flag Information
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Guyana Flag Information
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Guyana was acquired by the UK in 1814. It became independent in 1966 and a republic within the UK Commonwealth in 1970
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Haiti Flag Information
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Haiti became a French colony in 1697, but in 1803 a rebellion broke out. Independence was declared on January 1, 1804
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Honduras Flag Information
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Part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and one-half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting against leftist guerrillas.
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Jamaica Flag Information
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Jamaica was a British colony from 1655 until 1962. From 1958 onward it was part of the West Indies Federation, which was dissolved in 1962
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Martinique Flag Information
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Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.
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Mexico Flag Information
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Montserrat Flag Information
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Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on 18 July 1995.
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Netherlands Antillies Flag Information
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Two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands.
The five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)
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Nicaragua Flag Information
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Panama Flag Information
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Panama, originally a province of Colombia, was detached in 1903 to secure the building of the Panama Canal within a US-controlled zone.
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Paraguay Flag Information
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Puerto Rico Flag Information
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St. Kitts and Nevis Flag Information
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A British Colony in the Leeward Islands since 1873, the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis gained independence together in 1983
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St. Lucia Flag Information
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St.Vincent and the Grenadines Flag Information
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St. Vincent was occupied by the British in 1762. It achieved independence in 1979, together with the Grenadines, a chain of adjacent islands
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Suriname Flag Information
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Suriname was part of the Dutch Kingdom until 1975. Since independence, there have been a series of coups and changes of constitution
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Trinidad and Tobago Flag Information
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Trinidad and Tobago were separate British colonies that united in 1889. They became independent in 1962 and a republic in 1976
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Turks and Caicos Flag Information
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United States Flag Information
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United States Virgin Islands Flag Information
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During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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Venezuela Flag Information
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