Grenada, located in the southeastern Caribbean, consists of the islands of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. Most Grenadians are of African descent. Grenada, the largest and most populous island, is known as The Spice of the Caribbean. Nutmeg replaced sugar as the main crop after the British took the island from France in 1783. Small farms replaced sugar plantations, slavery was abolished, and today the sweet smells of nutmeg and other spices waft on balmy breezes. Independence came in 1974; a military coup in 1983 brought a U.S.-Caribbean force that restored democracy.