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The 'Caribbean' ( or ''Caraïben'', or more commonly ''Antillen''; or more commonly ''Antilles''; ) is a region of the Americas consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of North America, east of Central America, and to the north and west of South America.
Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the area comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays. The 'West Indies' consist of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), and the Bahamas. Geopolitically, the West Indies are usually reckoned as a subregion of North America and are organised into 28 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies. At one time, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of ten English-speaking Caribbean territories.
The Caribbean islands are an island chain 2,500 miles long and no more than 160 miles wide at any given point. They enclose the Caribbean Sea.^[1]

Contents

Caribbean vs. West Indies

Geography and climate

Biodiversity

Historical groupings

Present-day island territories

Continental countries with Caribbean coastlines and islands

Indigenous tribes

Regional institutions

See also

Footnotes

Further reading

Caribbean vs. West Indies

The name "Caribbean" is named after the Caribs, one of the dominant Amerindian groups in the region at the time of European contact during the late 15th century.
The analogous "West Indies" originates from Christopher Columbus's idea that he had landed in the Indies (then meaning all of south and east Asia) when he had actually reached the Americas.
The Spanish term ''Antillas'' was commonly assigned to the newly discovered lands; stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" is a common alternate name for the Caribbean Sea in various European languages.
In the English-speaking Caribbean, someone from the Caribbean is usually referred to as a "West Indian," although the rather cumbersome phrase "Caribbean person" is sometimes used.
Some Spanish-speaking Caribbean residents do not like to be called Hispanics or Latinos due to the significant differences with South and Central American countries. Spanish-speaking Caribbean people differ significantly from mainland Latin Americans in many aspects of ethnicity, history, dialects of Spanish spoken, culture, and traditions.

Geography and climate

The geography and climate in the Caribbean region varies from one place to another. Some islands in the region have relatively flat terrain of non-volcanic origin. Such islands include Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands or Anguilla. Others possess rugged towering mountain-ranges like the islands of Cuba, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The climate of the region mainly ranges between sub-tropical to tropical and depends a great deal upon location in proximity to the tradewinds from the Atlantic. The tradewinds blow towards the Eastern Caribbean islands heading northwest up the chain of Windward islands.
When the tradewinds arrive close to the island of Cuba they tend to be overcome by other minor jet streams across the Caribbean region.
In the waters of the Caribbean Sea, the region can be found to host migratory, large schools of fish, turtles and coral reef formations.
The Puerto Rico trench, located on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea just to the north of the island of Puerto Rico, is said to be the deepest point in the entire Atlantic Ocean.
In the majority of cases, hurricanes which at times batter the region usually strike northwards of Grenada, and to the west of Barbados. The principal hurricane belt arcs to northwest of the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean.

Biodiversity

The Caribbean Islands are classified as one of Conservation International's biodiversity hotspots because they support exceptionally diverse ecosystems, ranging from montane cloud forests to cactus scrublands. These ecosystems have been devastated by deforestation and human encroachment. The hotspot has dozens of highly-threatened species, including two species of solenodon (giant shrews), the Puerto Rican Amazon and the Cuban crocodile. The hotspot is also remarkable for the diminutive nature of much of its fauna.

Historical groupings

Most islands at some point were, and a few still are, colonies of European nations; a few are overseas or dependent territories:

★ 'Spanish West Indies' – Cuba, Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic, ''and until 1609'', Haiti), Puerto Rico, Jamaica ''(until 1655)'', the Cayman Islands, Trinidad ''(until 1797)'' and Bay Islands ''(until 1643)''

★ 'French West Indies' – Anguilla (briefly), Antigua and Barbuda (briefly), Dominica, Dominican Republic (briefly), Grenada, Haiti, Montserrat (briefly), Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius (briefly), St Kitts (briefly), Tobago (briefly), Saint Croix, the current French overseas ''départements'' of Martinique and Guadeloupe (including Marie-Galante, La Désirade and Les Saintes), and the current French overseas collectivities of Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin.

★ 'British West Indies/Anglophone Caribbean' – Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bay Islands, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica ''(from 1655)'', Montserrat, Saint Croix (briefly), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago ''(from 1797)'' and the Turks and Caicos Islands

★ 'Danish West Indies' – present-day United States Virgin Islands

★ 'Dutch West Indies' – present-day Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, Virgin Islands, Saint Croix (briefly), Tobago and Bay Islands (briefly)

★ 'Swedish West Indies' – present-day French Saint-Barthélemy.

★ 'Portuguese West Indies' – present-day Barbados, known as ''Los Barbados'' in the 1500s when the Portuguese claimed the island en route to Brazil. The Portuguese left Barbados abandoned in 1533, nearly a century prior to the British arrival to the island.

The British West Indies were formerly united by the United Kingdom into a West Indies Federation. The independent countries which were once a part of the B.W.I. still have a unified composite cricket team that competes in Test matches and One-Day Internationals. The West Indian cricket team includes the South American nation of Guyana, the only former British colony on that continent.
In addition, these countries share the University of the West Indies as a regional entity. The university consists of three main campuses in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, a smaller campus in the Bahamas and Resident Tutors in other contributing territories.

Present-day island territories

★ '' (British dependency)

★
★ Anguillita Island

★
★ Dog Island, Anguilla

★
★ East Cay

★
★ Little Scrub Island

★
★ Prickly Pear Cays

★
★ Sandy Island

★
★ Scrub Island

★
★ Seal Island (pronounced locally as "Sail Island")

★
★ Sombrero

★
★ West Cay

★ ''

★
★ Antigua

★
★ Barbuda

★
★ Guiana Island

★
★ Great Bird Island

★
★ Lesser Bird Island

★
★ Prickly Pear Island

★
★ Long Island

★
★ Redonda

★ '' (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

★ ''

★
★ Abaco

★
★ Acklins Island

★
★ Andros

★
★ Bimini Islands

★
★ Cat Island

★
★ Crooked Island

★
★ Eleuthera

★
★ Grand Bahama

★
★ Great Abaco

★
★ Great Exuma

★
★ Great Inagua

★
★ Little San Salvador Island/Half Moon Cay

★
★ Long Island

★
★ Mayaguana

★
★ New Providence

★
★ Ragged Island

★
★ San Salvador Island

★ ''

★
★ Barbados

★
★ Culpepper Island

★
★ Pelican Island (Barbados) (now absorbed into Barbados)

★ '' (British dependency, shares the Virgin Islands with the U.S. Virgin Islands)

★
★ Anegada

★
★ Beef Island

★
★ Bellamy Cay

★
★ Carvel Rock

★
★ Cockroach Island

★
★ Cooper Island

★
★ Dead Chest Cay

★
★ Diamond Cay

★
★ Dog Islands

★
★ Drowned Island

★
★ East Seal Dog Island

★
★ Eustatia Island

★
★ Fallen Jerusalem Island

★
★ Frenchmans Cay

★
★ Grouge Dog Island

★
★ Ginger Island

★
★ Great Camanoe

★
★ Great Dog Island

★
★ Great Thatch

★
★ Great Tobago Island

★
★ Green Cay

★
★ Guana Island

★
★ Jost Van Dyke

★
★ Cay

★
★ Little Anegada

★
★ Little Camanoe

★
★ Little Cay

★
★ Little Jost Van Dyke

★
★ Little Seal Dog Island

★
★ Little Thatch

★
★ Little Tobago

★
★ Little Wickmans Cay

★
★ Marina Cay

★
★ Mosquito Island

★
★ Nanny Cay

★
★ Necker Island

★
★ Norman Island

★
★ Old Jerusalem Island

★
★ Oyster Rock

★
★ Pelican Island (British Virgin Islands)

★
★ Peter Island

★
★ Prickly Pear Island

★
★ Saba Rock

★
★ Salt Cay

★
★ Sandy Cay

★
★ Scrub Island

★
★ Spanish Island

★
★ Tortola

★
★ Virgin Gorda

★
★ West Dog Island

★ '' (British dependency)

★
★ Cayman Brac

★
★ Grand Cayman (with the capital George Town)

★
★ Little Cayman

★ ''

★
★ Cuba

★
★ Isla de la Juventud

★
★ Cayo Largo del Sur

★
★ Cayo Buenavista

★
★ Cayo Ines de Soto

★
★ Cayo Levisa

★
★ Cayo Cruz del Padre

★
★ Cayo Punta Arenas

★
★ Cayo Blancos del Sur

★
★ Cayo Santa Maria

★
★ Cayo Fragoso

★
★ Cayo Esquivel

★
★ Cayo Guillermo

★
★ Cayo Coco

★
★ Cayo Romano

★
★ Cayo Guajaba

★
★ Cayo Saetia

★
★ and thousands of minor cays and islets.

★ ''

★
★ Bird Island (disputed territory with Venezuela located about 110 km (70 mi) west of the island of Dominica)

★ '' (shares the Grenadines group with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

★
★ Carriacou

★
★ Grenada

★
★ Petit Martinique

★
★ Ronde Island

★
★ Petite Martinique

★ '' (overseas ''department'' of France)

★
★ Basse-Terre

★
★ La Désirade

★
★ Grande-Terre

★
★ Marie-Galante

★
★ Iles de la Petite Terre

★
★ Iles des Saintes

★
★
★ Terre de Haut

★
★
★ Terre de Bas

★ Hispaniola

★
★ ''

★
★
★ Beata Island

★
★
★ Catalina Island

★
★
★ Saona Island

★
★
★ Cayos Siete Hermanos(seven Brothers Cays)

★
★
★ AltoVelo Cay

★
★
★ Levantado Cay (Cayo Levantado)

★
★ ''

★
★
★ Gonave Island

★
★
★ Tortuga

★
★
★ Île à Vache

★
★
★ Île de Anacaona

★
★
★ Grande et Petite Cayemites

★
★
★ Les Arcadins

★
★
★ Ti Teal

★
★
★ Ile de Sud

★
★
★ Lighthouse Island

★
★
★ navassa

★ ''

★
★ Jamaica

★
★ Bogue Islands (some now absorbed into Montego Bay, Jamaica)

★
★ Great Goat Island

★
★ Little Goat Island

★
★ Kokomo Island

★
★ Lime Cay (part of the Port Royal Cays)

★
★ Morant Cays

★
★ Navy Island

★
★ Pedro Cays

★
★ Pigeon Island

★ '' (overseas department of France)

★ '' (British dependency)

★ '' (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

★
★ Bonaire

★
★
★ Klein Bonaire

★
★ Curaçao

★
★
★ Klein Curaçao

★
★ Saba

★
★ Sint Eustatius

★
★ Sint Maarten (part of the island Saint Martin shared with )

★ '' (Territory of the United States of America)

★
★ Puerto Rico

★
★ Vieques

★
★ Culebra

★
★ Caja de Muertos

★
★ Desecheo Island

★
★ Mona

★
★ Monito

★ '' (also ''Saint Barts'')

★ ''

★
★ Nevis

★
★ Saint Kitts

★ ''

★ '' (part of the island Saint Martin shared with the Netherlands Antilles)

★ '' (shares the Grenadines group with Grenada)

★
★ Baliceaux

★
★ Battowia

★
★ Bequia

★
★ Canouan Island

★
★ Mayreau

★
★ Mustique

★
★ Palm Island

★
★ Petit Mustique

★
★ Petit Saint Vincent

★
★ Saint Vincent

★
★ Tobago Cays

★
★ Union Island

★
★ Young Island

★ ''

★
★ Tobago

★
★
★ Goat Island

★
★
★ Little Tobago

★
★
★ Saint Giles Island

★
★
★ Sisters' Rock

★
★ Trinidad

★
★
★ Caledonia Island

★
★
★ Carrera

★
★
★ Chacachacare

★
★
★ Craig Island

★
★
★ Cronstadt (Kronstadt)

★
★
★ Farallon

★
★
★ Gaspar Grande

★
★
★ Gasparillo (Little Gasparee or Centipede Island)

★
★
★ Huevos

★
★
★ Lenagan Island

★
★
★ Monos

★
★
★ Nelson Island

★
★
★ Pelican Island

★
★
★ Rock Island

★
★
★ Saut d'Eau

★
★
★ Soldado Rock

★ '' (British dependency)

★
★ Grand Turk

★
★ Middle Caicos

★
★ North Caicos

★
★ Parrot Cay

★
★ Pine Cay

★
★ Providenciales

★
★ Salt Cay

★
★ South Caicos

★ '' (U.S. territory, shares the Virgin Islands with the British Virgin Islands)

★
★ Birsk Island

★
★ Buck Island

★
★ Capella

★
★ Cas Cay

★
★ Congo Cay

★
★ Cow And Calf Island

★
★ Dog Island

★
★ Dry Rock

★
★ Fish Cay

★
★ Flat Cay

★
★ Grass Cay

★
★ Great Saint James

★
★ Green Cay

★
★ Hans Lollik Island

★
★ Hassel Island

★
★ Inner Brass

★
★ Johnsons Reef

★
★ Leduck

★
★ Little Saint James

★
★ Lovango Cay

★
★ Mingo Cay

★
★ Ningo

★
★ Outer Brass

★
★ Packet Rock

★
★ Patricia Cay

★
★ Saba Island

★
★ Saint Croix

★
★ Saint John

★
★ Saint Thomas

★
★ Savana Island

★
★ South-West Rock

★
★ Stranglers Island

★
★ Thatch Cay

★
★ Turtledove Cay

★
★ Water Island

★
★ Waterlemon Cay

★
★ Welk Rock

Continental countries with Caribbean coastlines and islands

★ ''

★
★ Ambergris Caye

★
★ Belize City

★
★ Big Creek

★
★ Caye Caulker

★
★ Glover's Reef

★
★ Hicks Cays

★
★ Lighthouse Reef

★
★ South Water Caye

★
★ Turneffe Islands

★ ''

★
★ Archipelago of San Andres and Providencia

★
★ Barranquilla

★
★ Cartagena

★
★ Riohacha

★
★ Santa Marta

★ ''

★ ''

★ ''

★ ''

★
★ Hog Island, Guyana

★
★ Leguan Island

★
★ Wakenaam

★ ''

★
★ Guanaja

★
★ Roatán

★
★ Útila

★
★ Cayos Cochinos

★
★ Swan Islands

★ ''

★
★ Quintana Roo

★
★ Cancún

★
★ Chetumal

★
★ Isla Contoy

★
★ Isla Cozumel

★
★ Isla Mujeres

★
★ Cozumel

★ ''

★
★ Corn Islands

★
★ Cayos Miskitos

★
★ Pearl Cays

★ ''

★
★ San Blas Islands (comprising of more than 1300 islands)

★
★ Bocas del Toro (archipelago with approximately 300 islands)

★ ''

★ ''

★
★ Isla Margarita

★
★ Los Monjes Archipelago

★
★ Las Aves Archipelago

★
★ Isla de Aves

★
★ Los Hermanos Island

★
★ Los Frailes Island

★
★ Los Roques Archipelago

★
★ La Sola Island

★
★ La Tortuga Island

★
★ La Orchila Island

★
★ Los Testigos Island

★
★ La Blanquilla Island

★
★ Isla de Patos
The nations of Belize and Guyana, although on the mainland of Central America and South America respectively, are former British colonies and maintain many cultural ties to the Caribbean and are members of CARICOM. Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast, often referred to as the Mosquito Coast was also a former British colony and maintains many cultural ties to the Caribbean distinct to the Pacific coast. Guyana participates in West Indies cricket tournaments and many players from Guyana have been on the West Indies Test cricket team. The Turneffe Islands (and many other islands and reefs) are part of Belize and lie in the Caribbean Sea. The nation of Suriname, on the mainland of South America, is a former Dutch colony and also a member of CARICOM.

Indigenous tribes

★ Arawak

★ Kalinago

★ Ciboney

★ Galibi

★ Garifuna

★ Igneri

★ Lucayan

★ Taino

★ Ciguayo

★ Macorix

Regional institutions

Here are some of the bodies that several islands share in collaboration:

★ Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Guyana

★ Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Trinidad and Tobago

★ Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Saint Lucia

★ Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Barbados

★ Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), Barbados

★ Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Barbados and Jamaica

★ Caribbean Programme for Economic Competitiveness (CPEC), Saint Lucia [1]

★ Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Barbados

★ Inter-American Economic Council (IAEC), Washington, D.C.

★ Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC), Brazil and Uruguay

★ United Nations - Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Chile and Trinidad and Tobago

★ Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC), Trinidad and Tobago [2]

★ Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations (CANTO), Trinidad and Tobago [3]

★ Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC), Saint Lucia [4]

★ Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), Puerto Rico [5]

★ Caribbean Regional Environmental Programme (CREP), Barbados [6]

★ Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Belize [7]

★ Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), Barbados and Dominican Republic [8]

★ Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Trinidad and Tobago [9]

★ West Indies Cricket Board, Antigua and Barbuda [10]

★ University of the West Indies, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago [11]

See also

★ African diaspora

★ Americas (terminology)

★ British Afro-Caribbean community

★ Caribbean English

★ CONCACAF

★ Council on Hemispheric Affairs

★ History of the Caribbean

★ Indo-Caribbean

★ Islands of the Caribbean

★ Latin American and Caribbean Congress in Solidarity with Puerto Rico’s Independence

★ Middle America (Americas)

★ Music of the Caribbean

★ Piracy in the Caribbean

★ Pirates of the Caribbean

★ Politics of the Caribbean

★ Tongue of the Ocean

★ West Indies Federation

★ List of Caribbean-related topics

Footnotes

1. A Brief History of the Caribbean, , Jan, Rogozinski, Facts on File, Inc., 1999, ISBN 0-8160-3811-2

Further reading

★ Kurlansky, Mark. 1992. ''A Continent of Islands: Searching for the Caribbean Destiny''. Addison-Wesley Publishing. ISBN 0-201-52396-5.

★ Digital Library of the Caribbean

★ Eastern Caribbean Islands