Island in the Caribbean which, with several nearby smaller islands, has been a member of the *Commonwealth since 1974. Visited by *Columbus in 1498, it was fought over by the French and British in the 17–18C before being ceded to Britain in 1783. From 1958 Grenada was a member of the *West Indies Federation; it became independent in 1974. Although part of the Commonwealth, the island was invaded by the USA after the murder in 1983 of the Marxist prime minister, Maurice Bishop, by a rival Marxist faction. An interim government was then set up under the British governor general until new elections were held in 1984.
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