Trinidad and Tobago are islands of the Lesser Antilles and together form the island state of the same name. They are located between the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela. In 1958 Trinidad and Tobago became independent from Great Britain as part of the West Indian Federation, whose capital was Port-of-Spain. The Federation broke up in 1962 and on 31 August Trinidad and Tobago finally became independent. First the country was a monarchy under Elizabeth II, since 1976 it is a presidential republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. In the 17th century the large colonial countries Netherlands, France and England began to cultivate the neighbouring island of Tabago. They planted mainly cocoa, tobacco, cotton and sugar cane. Until the end of the 18th sugar cane dominated Tobago – in 1793 half a million gallons of rum were produced. Today the most famous rum brands are Angostura and Caroni.