Caribbean

The Caribbean is a beautiful region made up of many islands in the middle of the Americas. It is centered around the Caribbean Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean and overlaps mostly with the West Indies. To the north, it is bordered by North America, and to the south by South America. To the west, it reaches through Central America.

This area includes many islands, small rocks called cays, tiny islands called islets, reefs, and underwater banks. Some of the main island groups are the Lucayan Archipelago, Greater Antilles, and Lesser Antilles. There are also islands near the Quintana Roo area and the Yucatán Peninsula, as well as islands along the coasts of Central America and South America.

The Caribbean is special because of its rich culture, beautiful beaches, and diverse wildlife. People from many different backgrounds live there, creating a unique mix of traditions and languages. The region is also known for its important role in history and its influence on music, food, and art around the world.

Overview

The Caribbean is a beautiful region surrounded by the Caribbean Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has thousands of islands, small land pieces called islets, reefs, and sandy spots known as cays. The big islands in the north are called the Greater Antilles, and the smaller ones to the east and south are the Lesser Antilles, which include the Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, and the Leeward Antilles. Nearby, the Lucayan Archipelago, made up of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the island of Barbados, are also part of the Caribbean even though they don’t touch the Caribbean Sea. All these islands together are known as the West Indies, a name often used instead of “Caribbean.”

On the mainland of the Americas, the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South America—including areas like the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico—are also considered part of the Caribbean. Places such as Bay Islands Department of Honduras and cities like Cartagena in Colombia belong to this region. Even though Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana don’t border the Caribbean Sea, they are included because of their strong connections to the Caribbean.

Today, the Caribbean has many different groups of people because of history. Many different European countries, like the Spanish, English, Dutch, and French, settled there. People from Africa were brought over during the time of slavery, and later workers came from places like the Indian subcontinent and East Asia. Now, people from all over the world live in the Caribbean, making it a very mixed and interesting place.

Etymology and pronunciation

The Caribbean gets its name from the Caribs, an Amerindian group that lived in the Lesser Antilles and nearby parts of South America. When Europeans arrived, the Spanish named the area after them.

People say "Caribbean" in different ways. Outside the Caribbean, two common ways are KARR-ə-BEE-ən and kə-RIB-ee-ən. In the Caribbean, the most common way stresses the first syllable, sounding like KARR-ih-bee-an.

Definition

The word Caribbean has different meanings, mostly about geography and politics. Sometimes, the Caribbean also includes areas with strong cultural ties to Africa, history of slavery, European colonisation, and the plantation system.

According to the United Nations geoscheme for the Americas, the Caribbean is a special region in the Americas. Geographically, it is mainly a group of islands around the Caribbean Sea. To the north, it is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida, and the Northern Atlantic Ocean. To the south, it borders the coastline of South America.

History

Main article: History of the Caribbean

The Caribbean has a rich and complex history. The oldest signs of people living there were found on the island of Trinidad, dating back about 7,000 years. These early people were part of a group known as the Ortoiroid. Later, around 3600 BC, the first known settlement on the island of Hispaniola was discovered, though these dates are still debated. By about 3100 BC, people had settled in Cuba, and by 2000 BC, they lived in the Lesser Antilles, such as Antigua. These early groups likely came from Central America.

Over time, new groups arrived. Between 400 BC and 200 BC, people known as the Saladoid culture came from South America to Trinidad and then spread throughout the Caribbean islands. After 250 AD, another group called the Barancoid arrived in Trinidad, but their society declined around 650 AD. The Arauquinoid followed and expanded through the Caribbean. By around 1300 AD, the Mayoid became the main group in Trinidad until European arrival.

When Europeans first arrived, three main groups of native people lived in the Caribbean: the Taíno in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Leeward Islands; the Island Caribs and Galibi in the Windward Islands; and the Ciboney in western Cuba. The Taíno were further divided into Classic, Western, and Eastern groups, living in places like Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The southern Lesser Antilles, such as Martinique and Trinidad, were home to both Carib-speaking and Arawak-speaking peoples.

European contact

See also: Slavery in the British and French Caribbean and Encomienda § Deaths, disease, and accusations of ethnocide or genocide

In 1492, Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Soon after, Portuguese and Spanish explorers claimed lands in Central and South America. These early colonies sent valuable goods, like gold, back to Europe, especially to England, the Netherlands, and France. The Caribbean became a place where European countries fought for control.

In 1512, the Spanish introduced laws to protect the rights of native people, but these had little effect. The Spanish used a system called the Encomienda, which treated native people unfairly. Because many native people died from disease and harsh conditions, African slaves were brought to the Caribbean starting in 1503. Over time, millions of African people were forced to work there.

Different European countries controlled parts of the Caribbean. By the 17th century, British, French, and Dutch merchants dominated the slave trade. Slavery ended at different times in different places. It ended first in the Dutch Empire in 1814, then in Spain in 1811 (except in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo). Britain ended the slave trade in 1807 and fully abolished slavery in 1833. France ended slavery in its colonies in 1848. Cuba was the last to end slavery, doing so in 1886.

The Caribbean was also known for pirates, especially between 1640 and 1680. These pirates were sometimes called buccaneers. The region saw many wars, often influenced by conflicts in Europe, but some wars began because of local issues.

In 1791, a group of people who were enslaved in the French colony of Saint-Domingue rose up. This led to the creation of Haiti in 1804, the first republic in the Caribbean. Nearby Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) gained independence three times: in 1821, 1844, and 1865. Cuba became independent in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. After this war, Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States.

Decolonisation and modern period

Between the 1960s and 1980s, many British colonies in the Caribbean became independent countries. This included Jamaica in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago in 1962, Guyana in 1966, Barbados in 1966, The Bahamas in 1973, Grenada in 1974, Dominica in 1978, St. Lucia in 1979, St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1979, Belize in 1981, Antigua and Barbuda in 1981, and St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The Netherlands gave more self-rule to its Caribbean territories, and the United States, Britain, France, and the Netherlands still have some areas in the Caribbean today.

As traditional industries declined, the Caribbean focused on new ways to grow. Tourism became very important, starting in the early 1900s and growing fast in the 1960s when air travel made travel easier and cheaper. Today, tourism brings in about $50 billion each year. Another growing industry was banking and financial services, especially in The Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, because these places had simpler rules and lower taxes, making them popular for international banks.

US interventions

See also: Foreign interventions by the United States and American imperialism

The United States has been involved in the Caribbean for over 100 years. The U.S. still controls the area around Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Since the Monroe Doctrine, the United States has had a big influence on Caribbean nations. In the early 1900s, the U.S. got more involved, especially after winning the Spanish-American War. This led to the U.S. having the right to get involved in Cuba’s politics and economy, even using military force if needed. After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, relations between the U.S. and Cuba got worse. This led to events like the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. also sent troops to Haiti and the Dominican Republic at different times, and invaded Grenada in 1983.

The U.S. keeps a naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. This base is part of a group of military commands responsible for Central and South America and the Caribbean, with its main office in Miami, Florida.

Geography

The Caribbean region has many different landscapes and climates. Some islands, like Aruba, Curaçao, and Barbados, have flat terrain, while others, such as Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, have tall, rugged mountains.

The Caribbean Sea is home to many fish, turtles, and coral reefs. The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean is the Puerto Rico Trench, located near Puerto Rico.

The climate in the Caribbean is mostly tropical. Some areas have rainforests, while others are drier. The region experiences wet and dry seasons, and temperatures stay warm year-round. Hurricanes are common between June and November, especially in the northern islands.

Island groups

The Caribbean includes several groups of islands:

Lucayan Archipelago

• The Bahamas
• Turks and Caicos Islands (United Kingdom)

Greater Antilles

• Cuba
• Cayman Islands (United Kingdom)
• Jamaica
• Hispaniola
  • Haiti
  • Dominican Republic
• Puerto Rico (U.S. Commonwealth)
  • Spanish Virgin Islands
• Navassa Island (United States)

Lesser Antilles

• Leeward Islands
  • United States Virgin Islands (U.S.)
    • Saint Croix
    • Saint Thomas
    • Saint John
    • Water Island
  • British Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
    • Tortola
    • Virgin Gorda
    • Anegada
    • Jost Van Dyke
  • Anguilla (United Kingdom)
  • Saint Martin (divided between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  • Saint Barthélemy (France)
  • Antigua and Barbuda
    • Antigua
    • Barbuda
    • Redonda
  • Saba (Caribbean Netherlands, Netherlands)
  • Sint Eustatius (Caribbean Netherlands, Netherlands)
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
    • Saint Kitts
    • Nevis
  • Montserrat (United Kingdom)
  • Guadeloupe (France)
    • Les Saintes
    • Marie-Galante
    • La Désirade

• Windward Islands

  • Dominica
  • Martinique (France)
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
    • Saint Vincent
    • The Grenadines
  • Barbados
  • Grenada
    • Grenada
    • Carriacou and Petite Martinique
  • Trinidad and Tobago
    • Tobago
    • Trinidad

• Leeward Antilles

  • Aruba (Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  • Curaçao (Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  • Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands, Netherlands)

Biodiversity

The Caribbean islands have rich and varied plant and animal life. The region is known for its coral reefs, which are home to many fish and marine creatures. The islands also have forests, mountains, and dry areas, each with unique wildlife.

Many animals in the Caribbean are threatened due to habitat loss and other changes. Efforts are being made to protect these natural areas and the species that live there.

Plants and animals

The Caribbean is home to many interesting plants and animals, including colorful frogs, unique trees, and beautiful fish. Some species, like the Martinique amazon, a type of parrot, are no longer alive today. Others, like the Puerto Rican amazon, are rare and need protection.

Politics

Regionalism

Caribbean societies are quite different from other Western societies because of their size, culture, and how mobile their citizens are. The economic and political challenges that each Caribbean country faces are common to all of them. Regional development has helped in solving current problems and avoiding future ones. From a political and economic point of view, regionalism helps Caribbean countries take part in international affairs by working together in groups. In 1973, the first political regional group in the Caribbean Basin was created by English-speaking Caribbean nations through the Caribbean Common Market and Community (CARICOM), located in Guyana.

Some scholars think the political systems of Caribbean countries are very different, ranging from socialist to capitalist styles. Others believe these differences are not important and that Caribbean countries share many similarities. Today, Caribbean political systems mix old and new ideas, creating unique but functional governments. The influence of regionalism in the Caribbean is often small. Some scholars say regionalism cannot exist because each small country is unique. Others argue that common histories and locations have led to cooperation and a desire to work together. This regional cooperation helps Caribbean nations compete in the global economy.

With less interest from the United States after the Cold War, regionalism in the Caribbean has grown. The United States and the European Union have also disagreed about trade rules, affecting Caribbean economies.

United States–European Union trade dispute

See also: Lomé Convention

The Lomé Convention allowed banana exports from former colonies of the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states to sell cheaply in Europe when it started in 1976. In 1999, the United States, under President Bill Clinton, challenged the European Union at the World Trade Organization. The WTO agreed with the United States, and parts of the Lomé Convention were replaced by the Cotonou Agreement.

During this disagreement, the United States threatened to put high taxes on European goods to push Europe to change its agreement with Caribbean nations. Farmers in the Caribbean have struggled with lower profits and higher costs as the Lomé Convention weakened.

African Union relations

Many Caribbean countries have worked to strengthen ties with Africa. The African Union calls the Caribbean a possible "Sixth Region" of Africa. Some Caribbean countries like Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, and The Bahamas have joined African institutions such as the African Export Import Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank has also partnered with the African Development Bank. Countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Suriname are working on direct flights to Africa to improve connections and trade.

The first Africa-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit happened in September 2021. In August 2023, the African Union's African Export–Import Bank opened its first Caribbean office in Barbados.

Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and Association of Caribbean States

Caribbean nations have also worked together through the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and other groups to oversee industries. One key group is the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), proposed by CARICOM in 1992 and founded in July 1994. The ACS helps Caribbean countries work together on issues important to the region. Through groups like ACS and CARICOM, regionalism has become an important part of Caribbean politics and economics.

Bolivarian Alliance

The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, started an economic group called the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA), which some eastern Caribbean islands have joined.

List of countries and territories

Main article: List of Caribbean islands

See also: Caribbean South America and West Indies

Demographics

Life expectancy

Main article: List of countries in the Americas by life expectancy

Life expectancy in some Caribbean countries was measured in 2023. You can see how it changed from 2019 to 2021.

Indigenous groups

Main article: Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean

Before Europeans arrived, many different groups of people lived in the Caribbean. Some of these groups included the Taíno and the Island Caribs. After Europeans came, many of these native groups faced big changes because of new diseases and other difficulties.

Language

Main article: Languages of the Caribbean

Spanish, French, English, Dutch, Haitian Creole, and Papiamento are commonly spoken in the Caribbean. Many places also have their own special creole language or dialect that people use in everyday life.

Religion

See also: Religion in the Caribbean

Christianity is the most common religion in the Caribbean. Other religions you might find there include Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Rastafari, Buddhism, and many more. There are also many different spiritual traditions that mix African, European, and Indigenous beliefs.

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Caribbean

The Caribbean has a rich and varied culture, especially in its food, landmarks, and shared groups. Each island or region has its own special dishes that people love to eat.

Cuisine

Favourite or national dishes

• Anguilla – rice, peas and fish
• Antigua and Barbuda – fungee and pepperpot
• The Bahamas – Guava duff, Conch Salad, Peas n' Rice, and conch fritters
• Barbados – Cou-cou and flying fish
• Belize – rice and beans, stew chicken with potato salad; white rice, stew beans and fry fish with cole slaw
• British Virgin Islands – fish and fungee
• Cayman Islands – turtle stew, turtle steak, grouper, conch stew, Cayman-style beef with rice and beans, cassava cake
• Colombian Caribbean – rice with coconut milk, arroz con pollo, sancocho, Arab cuisine (due to the large Arab population)
• Cuba – platillo Moros y Cristianos, ropa vieja, lechon, maduros, ajiaco
• Dominica – mountain chicken, rice and peas, dumplings, saltfish, dashin, bakes (fried dumplings), coconut confiture, curry goat, cassava farine, oxtail
• Dominican Republic – arroz con pollo with stewed red kidney beans, pan fried or braised beef, salad/ ensalada de coditos, empanadas, mangú, sancocho
• Grenada – oil down, Roti and rice & chicken
• Guyana – roti and curry, pepperpot, cook-up rice, metemgee, pholourie
• Haiti – griot (fried pork) served with du riz a pois or diri ak pwa (rice and beans)
• Jamaica – ackee and saltfish, callaloo, jerk chicken, curry chicken
• Montserrat – Goat water
• Puerto Rico – yellow rice with green pigeon peas, saltfish stew, roasted pork shoulder, Puerto Rican style pasteles (root vegetable meat patties), chicken fricassée, pasteles, mofongo, tripe soup, tostones, alcapurria, codfish fritters, coconut custard, rice pudding, guava turnovers, Mallorca bread
• Saint Kitts and Nevis – goat water, coconut dumplings, spicy plantain, saltfish, breadfruit
• Saint Lucia – callaloo, dal roti, dried and salted cod, green bananas, rice and beans
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – roasted breadfruit and fried jackfish
• Suriname – brown beans and rice, roti and curry, peanut soup, battered fried plantain with peanut sauce, nasi goreng, moksi-alesi, bara, pom
• Trinidad and Tobago – doubles, curry with roti or dal bhat, aloo pie, phulourie, callaloo, bake and shark, curry crab and dumpling
• United States Virgin Islands – stewed goat, oxtail or beef, seafood, callaloo, fungee
• Venezuela Caribbean – fried fish with salad and rise, tostones, sancocho, patacon, pabellon

Major sights and landmarks in the region

• Harrisons Cave in Barbados - a natural cave complex
• Dunns Falls in Jamaica - a famous water feature near Ocho Rios
• The old city centers of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Willemstad (Curaçao), and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
• St. Maarten's airport for landings over Maho Beach
• The naturally occurring, strikingly pointed Piton peaks in St. Lucia

Sport

Regional institutions

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

• African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
• Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Trinidad and Tobago
• Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC), Trinidad and Tobago
• Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations (CANTO), Trinidad and Tobago
• Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Guyana
• Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Barbados
• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDERA), Barbados
• Caribbean Educators Network
• Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC), Saint Lucia
• Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP), UN Environment Programme–administered Regional Seas Programme, secretariat located in Kingston, Jamaica
• Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Barbados and Jamaica
• Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), Trinidad and Tobago
• Caribbean Food Crops Society, Puerto Rico
• Caribbean Football Union (CFU), Jamaica
• Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), Florida and Puerto Rico
• Caribbean Initiative (Initiative of the IUCN)
• Caribbean Programme for Economic Competitiveness (CPEC), Saint Lucia
• Caribbean Regional Environmental Programme (CREP), Barbados
• Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Belize
• Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), Barbados and Dominican Republic
• Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Trinidad and Tobago
• Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Barbados
• Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)
• Foundation for the Development of Caribbean Children, Barbados
• Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Centre (LACNIC), Brazil and Uruguay
• Latin American and the Caribbean Economic System, Venezuela
• Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Saint Lucia
• United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Chile and Trinidad and Tobago
• University of the West Indies, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Antigua & Barbuda. In addition, the fourth campus, the Open Campus was formed in June 2008 as a result of an amalgamation of the Board for Non-Campus Countries and Distance Education, Schools of Continuing Studies, the UWI Distance Education Centres and Tertiary Level Units. The Open Campus has 42 physical sites in 16 Anglophone Caribbean countries.
• West Indies Cricket Board, Antigua and Barbuda
• The Caribbean World