Small states, colonial rule and democracy

The Commonwealth Caribbean is often singled out by scholars as one of the most democratic regions in the developing world. The region is also notable for the number of small countries that it includes: whether measured by reference to population size or land mass, these are amongst the smallest countries in the world. Based on the statistical link that has been drawn by scholars between small size and democracy, it is tempting to conclude that the democratic character of the region is, therefore, largely a function of the small size of the majority of its countries