Background:
First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an
associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of
Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and
Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a
referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds
majority needed.