Antigua and Barbuda Join West Indies Federation for Regional Integration and Development.

Antigua and Barbuda became part of the British-sponsored West Indies Federation to foster regional integration among various Caribbean islands. The Federation aimed to create a political union that would promote economic development, improve defense and facilitate the decolonization process. This regional integration involved ten territories, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados. The attempt to form the Federation was driven by the British government's policy of encouraging island cooperation and granting eventual independence within the framework of a united Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda joined this initiative with hopes of benefiting from shared resources, economic collaboration, and a collective political presence on the global stage. Economically, the Federation envisioned a single market approach to better leverage the limited resources and small population sizes of the individual islands. However, internal challenges soon became apparent, including significant economic disparities among member islands, different levels of political development, and conflicting national interests. Politically, the Federation had its own federal government, with a capital established in Trinidad. However, the autonomy retained by each island limited the central authority's ability to implement policies uniformly. The Federation faced issues such as the lack of consistent financial contributions from member states and diverging political agendas. Antigua and Barbuda's participation in this regional body was marked by hopes of enhanced infrastructure development and improved standards of living. However, due to the aforementioned challenges, the Federation struggled to maintain cohesion and effectiveness. Eventually, the Federation was dissolved, and individual territories pursued separate independence pathways. #MoofLife #AntiguaAndBarbuda #WestIndiesFederation #RegionalIntegration #CaribbeanHistory