Member States

Members: The OECS is an eleven-member grouping of islands spread across the Eastern Caribbean. Together, they form a near-continuous archipelago across the eastern reaches of the Caribbean Sea.

  They comprise the Leeward Islands:
      Antigua and Barbuda,
      St. Kitts and Nevis,
      Montserrat,
      Anguilla
      British Virgin Islands;
  and the Windward Islands:
      Dominica,
      St. Lucia,
      St. Vincent and the Grenadines (+ Union Island)
      Grenada,
      Martinique
      Guadeloupe.

- Protocol Members: The OECS has 7 founding members that enjoy full membership:
    Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines.

- Associate Members:
    Anguilla, The British Virgin Islands, Martinique and Guadeloupe are Associate members but are treated as full members for many of the Organisation’s activities.

- Overseas Territories:
    Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Montserrat remain overseas territories of the United Kingdom (UK) while Martinique and Guadeloupe continue to be an overseas department and region of France.

Although six of the Members were formerly colonies of the UK, there is no requirement for the Members to have been British colonies; however the close historical, cultural and economic relationships fostered by the British colonial heritage of the majority of the islands, is as much a factor in their membership of the OECS as their geographical proximity. All, except Dominica which is a Republic, Martinique and Guadeloupe, are French department, retain Queen Elizabeth the Second of Britain as their head of state.