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The
Caribbean
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The
Caribbean (Dutch: Caraïben; French: Caraïbes;
Spanish: Caribe; 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. The region
is located southeast of Northern 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 cayes. 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. Bermuda
lies much further to the north in the Atlantic
Ocean and is sometimes included in the West Indies.
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
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.
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.
The use of the words "Caribbean" and
"Caribbeans" to refer to a West Indian
or West Indians is largely unknown in the English-speaking
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 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.
Historical
groupings
History of the Caribbean
Most islands at some point were, or still are,
colonies of European nations:
Spanish
West Indies - Cuba, Hispaniola (present-day Dominican
Republic and 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 (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)
British West Indies/Anglophone Caribbean - Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,
Bay Islands (briefly), 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.
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.
(Credit:
Wikipedia).
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