Independent Countries of the Caribbean: 15 Sovereign Nations

The Caribbean comprises **15 independent sovereign states** (UN members), plus numerous territories.

The 15 Independent Countries

1. Antigua and Barbuda (1981)
2. Bahamas (1973)
3. Barbados (1966)
4. Cuba (1902)
5. Dominica (1978)
6. Dominican Republic (1844)
7. Grenada (1974)
8. Guyana (1966) — mainland, but CARICOM founding member.
9. Haiti (1804)
10. Jamaica (1962)
11. Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983)
12. Saint Lucia (1979)
13. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979)
14. Suriname (1975) — mainland, CARICOM.
15. Trinidad and Tobago (1962)

Notes

• Guyana & Suriname are on South American continent but culturally/politically Caribbean (CARICOM).
• Belize (1981) — Central American mainland, CARICOM — sometimes included (16th).
• Territories (non-sovereign): Puerto Rico, USVI, BVI, Anguilla, Montserrat, Cayman, Turks & Caicos, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, BES islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, Navassa, etc.

Regional Bodies

• CARICOM (15 members + 5 associates) — economic integration.
• OECS (11 members) — Eastern Caribbean currency union (XCD).
• ACS (25 members) — wider basin.

15 sovereign nations — diverse in size, language, history, but bound by sea and shared institution.