Carib Studies

Location of the Caribbean
Greater Antilles: Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Jamaica, Puerto Rico
Lesser Antilles:
  * Windward islands: Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique (France)
  * Leeward islands: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Virgin Islands, St. Barts (France)
Netherland Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (ABC islands); Saint Marten, Saba, St. Eustatius
Mainland Territories: Guyana, Belize, Suriname, Cayenne (French Guyana)
Others: Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Cayman Islands, Bahamas Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Isla de Providencia and Isla de San Andres (Colombia), Isla de la Bahia (Honduras), Isle of Youth (Cuba), Isla de las Reques (Venezuela), Tuneriffe Islands (Belize)







































Definitions of the Caribbean Region

I. Geographical Caribbean
The Caribbean serves as a land bridge between North and South America with an East - West stretch of almost 3000 Km and a North -South reach of some 1500 Km. Only 10% of this is land. Geographically the Caribbean is defined as the land area which has its coastline washed by the Caribbean Sea. This would mean that the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Cayman Islands and the islands of the Netherland Antilles all belong to the Caribbean along with include Belize, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rico; Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras. This definition would exclude Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas from the Caribbean as well as the mainland territories of Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana (Cayenne).
II. Historical Caribbean
This refers to the area that shares a common bond of historical experiences through the ‘discovery’/conquest and subsequent colonization by European powers (Spanish, British, French and Dutch). These historical experiences include the encomienda system introduced by the Spanish which was... [continues]

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