Caribbean
 |
Central America and the Caribbean [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/reference_maps/pdf/central_america.pdf (detailed pdf map) |
]The
Caribbean (
Spanish:
Caribe;
French:
Caraïbe;
Dutch:
Caraïben;
Portuguese:
Caribe or
Caraíbas) is a
region of
the Americas consisting of the
Caribbean Sea, its
islands (most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. Located southeast of
Northern America, east of
Central America, and to the north and west of
South America, the Caribbean is usually considered a
subregion of
North America.
Situated largely on the
Caribbean Plate, the area comprises more than 7,000 islands,
islets,
reefs, and
cayes. The
West Indies, in contrast to the
East Indies in southeast
Asia, consist of the
Antilles, divided into the larger
Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north and the
Lesser Antilles on the east, and the
Bahamas which are northeast of the sea.
Bermuda lies much further to the north in the
Atlantic Ocean and is sometimes included in the West Indies. Geopolitically, the West Indies are organized 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 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' 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.
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 encroachment. The hotspot has dozens of highly threatened species, including two species of
solenodon (giant shrews) and the
Cuban crocodile. The hotspot is also remarkable for the
diminutive nature of much of its
fauna, boasting the
world's smallest bird and
smallest snake.
Most islands at some point were, or still are, colonies of
European nations:
*
British West Indies/Anglophone Caribbean -
Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda,
Bahamas,
Barbados,
Bay Islands (briefly),
British Virgin Islands,
Cayman Islands,
Dominica,
Grenada,
Guyana,
Jamaica,
Montserrat,
Saint Croix (briefly),
Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Trinidad and Tobago 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)
*
French West Indies -
Anguilla (briefly),
Antigua and Barbuda (briefly),
Dominica (briefly),
Dominican Republic (briefly),
Grenada (briefly),
Haiti,
Montserrat (briefly),
Saint Lucia (briefly),
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (briefly),
Sint Eustatius (briefly),
St Kitts and Nevis (
St Kitts, but not
Nevis),
Trinidad and Tobago (briefly) (
Tobago only),
Saint Croix (briefly), and the current French
overseas départements of
Martinique and
Guadeloupe (including
Saint-Barthélemy and northern half of
Saint Martin)
*
Spain -
Cuba,
Hispaniola (present-day
Dominican Republic and
Haiti),
Dominican Republic,
Puerto Rico,
Jamaica, the
Cayman Islands,
Trinidad (for some time) and
Bay Islands (briefly)
|
The mostly Spanish controlled Caribbean in the sixteenth century |
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 successfully 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.
*
(
British dependency)
**
Anguillita Island**
Dog Island**
East Cay**
Little Scrub Island**
Prickly Pear Cays**
Sandy Island**
Scrub Island**
Seal Island**
Sombrero**
West Cay*
**
Antigua**
Barbuda**
Redonda*
(part of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands)
*
**Barbados
**
Culpepper Island**
Pelican Island (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**
Key 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**
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**
Saint-Barthélemy (also
Saint Barts)
** Saint-Martin (part of the island
Saint Martin shared with the Netherlands Antilles; note the dash)
**
Iles des Saintes***
Terre de Haut***
Terre de Bas*
Hispaniola **
***
Beata Island***
Punta Cana***
Saona Island **
***
Gonave Island***
Tortuga***
Île à Vache***
Grande et Petite Cayemites*
** 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 Guadeloupe)
*
(
U.S. commonwealth)
**
Caja de Muertos**
Culebra**
Desecheo Island**
Mona**Puerto Rico
**
Vieques*
**
Nevis**
Saint Kitts*
*
(shares the
Grenadines group with Grenada)
**
Baliceaux Island**
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
*
(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
**
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**Welk Rock
*
**
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*
*
*
*
*
**
Cortés department**
Atlántida department**
Gracias a Dios department**
Islas de la Bahía Department***
Puerto Cortés***
Tela***
La Ceiba***
Trujillo***
La Mosquitia***
Puerto Lempira***
Guanaja ***
Roatán ***
Útila ***
Cayos Cochinos***
Swan Islands*
**
Cancún**
Isla Contoy**
Isla Cozumel**
Isla Mujeres*
**
Corn Islands**
Cayos Miskitos*
**
San Blas Islands**
Bocas del Toro*
*
**
Navassa Island*
**
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 PatosThe nations of
Belize and
Guyana, although on the mainland of
Central America and
South America respectively, were former British colonies and maintain many cultural ties to the Caribbean and are members of
CARICOM. Guyana participates in West Indies cricket tournaments and many players from Guyana have been in 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.
Though not technically in the Caribbean Sea, the nearby Bahaman Archipelago is sometimes considered to be part of the Caribbean.
*
**
Abaco**
Acklins Island**
Andros**
Bimini Islands**
Cat Island**
Crooked Island**
Eleuthera**
Grand Bahama**
Great Abaco**
Great Exuma**
Great Inaco**
Long Island**
Mayaguana**
New Providence**
Ragged Island**
San Salvador Island*
(
British dependency)
**
Grand Turk**
Middle Caicos**
North Caicos**
Parrot Cay**
Pine Cay**
Providenciales**
Salt Cay**
South Caicossee
Islands of the Bahamas and
Islands of the Turks and Caicos for a full list of the islands of the Bahaman Archipelago.
*
Arawak*
Carib*
Ciboney*
Galibi*
Garifuna*
Igneri*
Lucayan*
Taino*
African diaspora*
Americas (terminology)*
British Afro-Caribbean community*
Caribbean English*
CONCACAF*
Council on Hemispheric Affairs*
History of the Caribbean*
Indo-Caribbean*
Music of the Caribbean*
Politics of the Caribbean*
Tongue of the Ocean*
Tourism in Caribbean*
West Indies Federation*
Islands of the CaribbeanHere are some of the bodies that several islands share in collaboration:
*
Association of Caribbean States (ACS),
Trinidad and Tobago*
Caribbean Community (CARICOM),
Guyana*
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
*
The Caribbean Regional Environmental Programme (CREP) [
2]
*
Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC), Trinidad and Tobago [
3]
*
Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA),
Puerto Rico [
4]
*
Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM),
Belize [
5]
*
Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), Barbados and
Dominican Republic [
6]
Many of the nations in the Caribbean play international cricket as one team called the
West Indies.
