Caribbean

This article is about the group of islands. For the body of water surrounding them, seeCaribbean Sea.For the Indigenous inhabitants of the Caribbean or people of Caribbean descent, seeCaribbean people.For other uses, seeCaribbean (disambiguation).

Caribbean

Area	239,681 km2(92,541 sq mi)
Population	44,182,048
Population density	151.5/km2(392/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Afro-Caribbean,LatinoorHispanic,(Spanish,Portuguese,Criollo,Mestizo,Mulatto,Pardo,andZambo),Indian,European,Chinese,Jewish,Arab,Amerindian,Javanese,Hmong,Multiracial
Religions	Christianity,Hinduism,Islam,Afro-American religions,Traditional African religions,Rastafari,Native American religions,Judaism,Buddhism,Chinese folk religions(incl.ConfucianismandTaoism),Bahá'í,Kebatinan,Sikhism,Irreligion,others
Demonym	Caribbean,West Indian
Countries	16
Dependencies	12
Languages	English Spanish French Dutch French Creoles English Creoles Dutch Creoles Spanish Creoles Papiamento Caribbean Hindustani Chinese among others
Time zones	UTC−05:00toUTC−04:00
InternetTLD	Multiple
Calling code	Multiple
Largest cities	List of metropolitan areas in the West Indies Santo Domingo Port-au-Prince San Juan Havana Kingston Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago de Cuba Willemstad Oranjestad Punta Cana Cap-Haïtien Nassau Paramaribo Chetumal Spanish Town Porlamar Cayenne Georgetown Bridgetown San Fernando Belize City
UN M49code	029– Caribbean 419–Latin America and the Caribbean 019–Americas 001–World

TheCaribbean(/ˌkærɪˈbiːən,kəˈrɪbiən/KARR-ih-BEE-ən, kə-RIB-ee-ən,locally/ˈkærɪbiːæn/KARR-ih-bee-an;Spanish:el Caribe;French:les Caraïbes;Dutch:de Caraïben) is asubregionof theAmericasthat includes theCaribbean Seaand itsislands,some of which are surrounded by the Caribbean Seaand some of which border both the Caribbean Sea and the NorthAtlantic Ocean;the nearby coastal areas on themainlandare sometimes also included in the region. The region is south-east of theGulf of MexicoandNorthern America,east ofCentral America,and north ofSouth America.

Situated largely on theCaribbean Plate,the region has thousands ofislands,islets,reefs,andcays.Island arcsdelineate the northern and eastern edges of the Caribbean Sea:theGreater Antillesin the north and theLesser Antilles,which includes theLeeward Antilles,in the east and south. The nearbyLucayan Archipelago,comprisingThe Bahamasand theTurks and Caicos Islands,is considered to be a part of the Caribbean despite not bordering the Caribbean Sea, the same goes forBarbadosin theLesser Antilles.All the islands in theAntillesplus theLucayan Archipelagoform theWest Indies,which is often interchangeable with the term Caribbean. On the mainland,Belize,the eastern and northern coasts of Central and South American countries such as theBay Islands DepartmentofHonduras,theNorthandSouthCaribbean Autonomous Regions ofNicaragua,theLimón ProvinceofCosta Rica,and theArchipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa CatalinaofColombiaare also considered culturally Caribbean.French Guiana,Guyana,Panama,andSurinameare often included as parts of the Caribbean due to theirpoliticalandculturalties with the region.

Geopolitically,theislands of the Caribbeanare often regarded as a subregion ofNorth America,though sometimes they are included inMiddle Americaor left as a subregion of their own;alternately, the term "Caribbean" may have the intended exclusion, or even unintentional inclusion, as part ofLatin America.Generally the Caribbean area is organized into 33political entities,including 13sovereign states,12dependencies,historicaldisputed territorieshave existed, and seven otheroverseas territories.From 15 December 1954 to 10 October 2010, there was a territory known as theNetherlands Antillescomposed of five islands, all of which wereDutchdependencies.From 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962, there was also a short-lived political union called the BritishWest Indies Federationcomposed of tenEnglish-speaking Caribbean territories, all of which were thenBritishdependencies.

Because of a history of waves of immigration brought by colonization by the Spanish, English, Dutch, and French, theAtlantic slave tradefromAfrica,andindentured servitudefromAsia,as well as modern immigration, the modern Caribbean is one of the most ethnically diverse regions on the planet with persons of all these ethnic backgrounds.

Etymology and pronunciation

The region takes its name from that of theCaribs,anethnic grouppresent in theLesser Antillesand parts of adjacent South America at the time of theSpanish conquest of the Americas.

The two most prevalent pronunciations of "Caribbean" outside the Caribbean are/ˌkærɪˈbiːən/(KARR-ə-BEE-ən), with the primarystresson the thirdsyllable,and/kəˈrɪbiən/(kə-RIB-ee-ən), with the stress on the second. Most authorities of the last century preferred the stress on the third syllable.This is the older of the two pronunciations, but the stressed-second-syllable variant has been established for over 75 years.It has been suggested that speakers ofBritish Englishprefer/ˌkærɪˈbiːən/(KARR-ə-BEE-ən) whileNorth American speakersmore typically use/kəˈrɪbiən/(kə-RIB-ee-ən),but major American dictionaries and other sources list the stress on the third syllable as more common inAmerican Englishtoo.According to the American version of Oxford Online Dictionaries, the stress on the second syllable is becoming more common in UK English and is increasingly considered "by some" to be more up to date and more "correct".

The Oxford Online Dictionaries claim that the stress on the second syllable is the most common pronunciation in the Caribbean itself, but according to the Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, the most common pronunciation inCaribbean Englishstresses the first syllable instead,/ˈkærɪbiæn/(KARR-ih-bee-an).

Definition

Map of the Caribbean (Colombian islands in the western Caribbean Sea not shown)

The word "Caribbean" has multiple uses. Its principal ones are geographical and political. The Caribbean can also be expanded to include territories with strong cultural and historical connections to Africa,slavery,European colonisationand theplantation system.

• TheUnited Nations geoscheme for the Americaspresents the Caribbean as a distinct region within theAmericas.
• Physiographically, the Caribbean region is mainly a chain of islands surrounding the Caribbean Sea. To the north, the region is bordered by theGulf of Mexico,theStraits of Floridaand the NorthernAtlantic Ocean,which lies to the east and northeast. To the south lies the coastline of thecontinentofSouth America.

Countries and territories list

Main article:List of Caribbean islands

See also:Caribbean South AmericaandWest Indies

Flag	Country or territory	Sovereignty	Status	Area (km2)	Population (2021 est.)	Density (people per km2)	Capital
	Anguilla	United Kingdom	Overseas territory	91	15,753	164.8	The Valley
	Antigua and Barbuda	Independent	Constitutional monarchy	442	93,219	199.1	St. John's
	Aruba	Kingdom of the Netherlands	Constituent kingdom	180	106,537	594.4	Oranjestad
	The Bahamas	Independent	Constitutional monarchy	13,943	407,906	24.5	Nassau
	Barbados	Independent	Republic	430	287,025	595.3	Bridgetown
	Bay Islands Department	Honduras	Department	229	110,000	480	Coxen Hole
	Belize	Independent	Constitutional monarchy	22,966	400,031	17.79	Belmopan
	Bonaire	Netherlands	Special Municipality	294	20,104	41.1	Kralendijk
	British Virgin Islands	United Kingdom	Overseas territory	151	31,122	152.3	Road Town
	Cayman Islands	United Kingdom	Overseas territory	264	68,136	212.1	George Town
	Cuba	Independent	Republic	109,886	11,256,372	102.0	Havana
	Curaçao	Kingdom of the Netherlands	Constituent kingdom	444	190,338	317.1	Willemstad
	Dominica	Independent	Republic	751	72,412	89.2	Roseau
	Dominican Republic	Independent	Republic	48,671	11,117,873	207.3	Santo Domingo
	Federal Dependencies of Venezuela	Venezuela	Dependency	342	2,155	6.3	Gran Roque
	French Guiana	France	Overseas department	83,846	297,449	3.6	Cayenne
	Grenada	Independent	Constitutional monarchy	344	124,610	302.3	St. George's
	Guadeloupe	France	Overseas department	1,628	396,051	246.7	Basse-Terre
	Guyana	Independent	Republic	214,970	804,567	3.502	Georgetown
	Haiti	Independent	Republic	27,750	11,447,569	361.5	Port-au-Prince
	Jamaica	Independent	Constitutional monarchy	10,991	2,827,695	247.4	Kingston
	Martinique	France	Overseas department	1,128	368,796	352.6	Fort-de-France
	Montserrat	United Kingdom	Overseas territory	102	4,417	58.8	Plymouth(Brades)
	Navassa Island	United States/Haiti	Territory (uninhabited)	5	0	0.0	n/a
	Panama	Independent	Republic	75,517	4,351,267	58.66	Panama City
	Puerto Rico	United States	Commonwealth	8,870	3,256,028	448.9	San Juan
	Quintana Roo	Mexico	State	44,705.2	1,857,985	42	Chetumal
	Saba	Netherlands	Special municipality	13	1,537	118.2	The Bottom
	San Andrés and Providencia	Colombia	Department	52.5	75,167	1431	San Andrés
	Saint Barthélemy	France	Overseas collectivity	21	7,448	354.7	Gustavia
	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Independent	Constitutional monarchy	261	47,606	199.2	Basseterre
	Saint Lucia	Independent	Constitutional monarchy	539	179,651	319.1	Castries
	Saint Martin	France	Overseas collectivity	54	29,820	552.2	Marigot
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Independent	Constitutional monarchy	389	104,332	280.2	Kingstown
	Sint Eustatius	Netherlands	Special municipality	21	2,739	130.4	Oranjestad
	Sint Maarten	Kingdom of the Netherlands	Constituent kingdom	34	44,042	1176.7	Philipsburg
	Suriname	Independent	Republic	163,821	612,985	3.9	Paramaribo
	Trinidad and Tobago	Independent	Republic	5,130	1,525,663	261.0	Port of Spain
	Turks and Caicos Islands	United Kingdom	Overseas territory	948	45,114	34.8	Cockburn Town
	United States Virgin Islands	United States	Territory	347	100,091	317.0	Charlotte Amalie
Total				235,667	44,636,789	189.4

History

Main article:History of the Caribbean

Pre-Columbian languages of the West Indies.Ciboney Taíno,Classic Taíno,andIñeriwere Arawakan,KarinaandYaowere Cariban.Macorix,CiguayoandGuanahatabeyare unclassified.

The oldest evidence of humans in the Caribbean is in southernTrinidadatBanwari Trace,where remains have been found from seven thousand years ago. These pre-ceramic sites, which belong to the Archaic (pre-ceramic) age, have been termedOrtoiroid.The earliest archaeological evidence of human settlement inHispanioladates to about 3600 BC, but the reliability of these finds is questioned. Consistent dates of 3100 BC appear inCuba.The earliest dates in theLesser Antillesare from 2000 BC inAntigua.A lack of pre-ceramic sites in theWindward Islandsand differences in technology suggest that these Archaic settlers may have Central American origins. Whether an Ortoiroid colonization of the islands took place is uncertain, but there is little evidence of one.

DNAstudies changed some of the traditional beliefs about pre-Columbian indigenous history. According toNational Geographic,"studies confirm that a wave of pottery-making farmers—known as Ceramic Age people—set out in canoes from the northeastern coast of South America starting some 2,500 years ago and island-hopped across the Caribbean. They were not, however, the first colonizers. On many islands they encountered a foraging people who arrived some 6,000 or 7,000 years ago...The ceramicists, who are related to today'sArawak-speaking peoples, supplanted the earlier foraging inhabitants—presumably through disease or violence—as they settled new islands. "

Between 400 BC and 200 BC, the first ceramic-using agriculturalists, theSaladoid culture,entered Trinidad from South America. They expanded up the Orinoco River to Trinidad, and then spread rapidly up the islands of the Caribbean. Some time after 250 AD another group, theBarancoid,entered Trinidad. The Barancoid society collapsed along the Orinoco around 650 AD and another group, theArauquinoid,expanded into these areas and up the Caribbean chain. Around 1300 AD a new group, theMayoid,entered Trinidad and remained the dominant culture until Spanish settlement.

At the time of the European discovery of most of the islands of the Caribbean, three major Amerindian indigenous peoples lived on the islands: theTaínoin theGreater Antilles,the Bahamasand theLeeward Islands,theIsland CaribsandGalibiin the Windward Islands, and theCiboneyin western Cuba. The Taínos are subdivided into Classic Taínos, who occupied Hispaniola andPuerto Rico,Western Taínos, who occupied Cuba,Jamaica,and the Bahamian archipelago, and the Eastern Taínos, who occupied the Leeward Islands. Trinidad was inhabited by both Carib speaking and Arawak-speaking groups.

European contact

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

Soon afterChristopher Columbuscame to the Caribbean, both Portuguese and Spanish explorers began claiming territories in Central and South America. These early colonies brought gold to Europe; most specifically England, the Netherlands, and France. These nations hoped to establish profitable colonies in the Caribbean. Colonial rivalries made the Caribbean a cockpit for European wars for centuries.

Columbus, and the early colonists of Hispaniola, treated the indigenous peoples brutally, even enslaving children.In 1512, after pressure from Dominican friars, theLaws of Burgoswere introduced by the Spanish Crown to better protect the rights of the New World natives. The Spanish used a form of slavery called theEncomienda,where slaves would be awarded to the conquistadors, who were charged with protecting and converting their slaves. This had a devastating impact on the population,so starting in 1503, slaves from Africa were imported to the colony.

While early slave traders were Portuguese and Spanish, known as the First Atlantic System, by the 17th century the trade became dominated by British, French, and Dutch merchants. This was known as the Second Atlantic System. 5 million African slaves would be taken to the Caribbean, and around half would be traded to the British Caribbean islands. Slavery was abolished first in the Dutch Empire in 1814. Spain abolished slavery in its empire in 1811, with the exceptions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo. Slavery was not abolished in Cuba until 1886.Britainabolished the slave trade in 1807,andslavery proper in 1833.France abolished slavery in its colonies in 1848.

TheBattle of the Saintesbetween British and French fleets in 1782, byNicholas Pocock

The Caribbean was known forpirates,especially between 1640 and 1680. The term "buccaneer"is often used to describe a pirate operating in this region. The Caribbean region was war-torn throughout much of its colonial history, but the wars were often based in Europe, with only minor battles fought in the Caribbean. Some wars, however, were born of political turmoil in the Caribbean itself.

In 1791,a slave rebellionin the French colony of Saint-Domingue led to the establishment in 1804 ofHaiti,the first republic in the Caribbean. Neighboring Santo Domingo (nowDominican Republic) would attain its independence on three separate occasions in 1821, 1844 and 1865. Cuba became independent in 1898 following American intervention in theWar of Independenceduring theSpanish-American war.Following the war, Spain's last colony in the Americas,Puerto Rico,became an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Decolonisation and modern period

Between the 1960s and 80s, most of the British holdings in the Caribbean achieved political independence, starting withJamaica in 1962,thenTrinidad and Tobago(1962),British Guiana(1966),Barbados(1966),Bahamas(1973),Grenada(1974),Dominica(1978),St. Lucia(1979),St. Vincent(1979),Antigua and Barbuda(1981),St. Kitts and Nevis(1983). Presently, the United States, Britain, France and the Netherlands still have someCaribbean possessions.

The decline of the export industries meant a need to diversify the economies of the Caribbean territories.The tourism industrystarted developing in the early 20th century, rapidly developing in the 1960s when regular international flights made vacations affordable and is now a $50 billion industry. Another industry that developed in the early 20th century wasoffshore banking and financial services,particularly in The Bahamas and theCayman Islands,as the proximity of the Caribbean islands to North America made them an attractive location for branches of foreign banks seeking to avail themselves of less complicated regulations and lower tax rates.

US interventions

See also:Foreign interventions by the United StatesandAmerican imperialism

TheUnited Stateshas conducted military operations in the Caribbean for at least 100 years.

Since theMonroe Doctrine,the United States gained a major influence on most Caribbean nations. In the early part of the 20th century this influence was extended by participation in theBanana Wars.Victory in the Spanish–American War and the signing of thePlatt Amendmentin 1901 ensured that the United States would have the right to interfere in Cuban political and economic affairs, militarily if necessary. After theCuban Revolutionof 1959, relations deteriorated rapidly leading to theBay of Pigs Invasion,theCuban Missile Crisis,and successive US attempts to destabilize the island, based uponCold Warfears of theSovietthreat. The US invaded and occupied Hispaniola for 19 years (1915–34), subsequently dominating the Haitian economy through aid and loan repayments. The US invaded Haiti againin 1994and in 2004 were accused byCARICOMof arranging acoup d'étatto remove elected Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In 1965, 23,000 US troops were sent to the Dominican Republic to quash a local uprising against military rule (seeDominican Civil War). President Lyndon Johnson had ordered the invasion to stem what he deemed to be a "Communist threat." However, the mission appeared ambiguous and was roundly condemned throughout the hemisphere as a return togunboat diplomacy.In 1983, the USinvaded Grenadato remove populist left-wing leader Maurice Bishop. The US maintains a naval military base in Cuba atGuantanamo Bay.The base is one of five unified commands whose "area of responsibility" isLatin Americaand the Caribbean. The command is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

• 
  Counter-attack byCuban Revolutionary Armed Forcessupported byT-34tanks near Playa Giron during theBay of Pigs Invasion,19 April 1961.
• 
  AMarineheavy machine gunner monitors a position along the international neutral corridor in Santo Domingo, 1965.
• 
  A Soviet-madeBTR-60armored personnel carrier seized by US forces duringOperation Urgent Fury(1983)
• 
  US ArmySikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk,Bell AH-1 CobraandBell OH-58 Kiowahelicopters on deck of the US Navy aircraft carrier USSDwight D. Eisenhower(CVN-69) off Haiti, 1994.

Geography and geology

TheCaribbean Plateis the reason islands exist here. On the north,obductionhas scraped rocks onto theNorth American Plate(such asin western Cuba). On the east, theLesser Antilles subduction zoneproducesvolcanismand anisland arc.Complex interactions with theSouth American Platehas created islands along the southern boundary.Coral islandsare found ininsular Columbianear the east coast of Central America.

The geography and climate in the Caribbean region varies: Some islands in the region have relatively flat terrain of non-volcanic origin. These islands includeAruba(possessing only minor volcanic features),Curaçao,Barbados,Bonaire,theCayman Islands,Saint Croix,the Bahamas,andAntigua.Others possess rugged towering mountain-ranges like the islands ofSaint Martin,Cuba,Hispaniola,Puerto Rico,Jamaica,Dominica,Montserrat,Saba,Sint Eustatius,Saint Kitts,Saint Lucia,Saint Thomas,Saint John,Tortola,Grenada,Saint Vincent,Guadeloupe,MartiniqueandTrinidad and Tobago.

Definitions of the terms Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles often vary. The Virgin Islands as part of the Puerto Rican bank are sometimes included with the Greater Antilles. The term Lesser Antilles is often used to define an island arc that includes Grenada but excludes Trinidad and Tobago and the Leeward Antilles.

The waters of the Caribbean Sea host large, migratory schools of fish, turtles, andcoral reefformations. ThePuerto Rico Trench,located on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea just to the north of the island of Puerto Rico, is the deepest point in all of the Atlantic Ocean.

The region sits in the line of several major shipping routes with thePanama Canalconnecting the western Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean.

Climate

Tropical monsoon climate inSan Andrés island,Caribbean,Colombia.

Köppen climatemap of the islands of the Caribbean.

The climate of the area istropical,varying fromtropical rainforestin some areas totropical monsoonandtropical savannain others. There are also some locations that arearidclimates with considerable drought in some years, and the peaks of mountains tend to have coolertemperate climates.

Rainfall varies with elevation, size and water currents, such as the cool upwellings that keep theABC islandsarid. Warm, moisttrade windsblow consistently from the east, creating both rain forest and semi arid climates across the region. The tropical rainforest climates include lowland areas near the Caribbean Sea fromCosta Ricanorth toBelize,as well as theDominican RepublicandPuerto Rico,while the more seasonal dry tropical savanna climates are found inCuba,northernColombiaandVenezuela,and southernYucatán, Mexico.Arid climates are found along the extreme northern coast of Venezuela out to the islands includingArubaandCuracao,as well as the northwestern tip of Yucatán.

While the region generally is sunny much of the year, the wet season from May through November sees more frequent cloud cover (both broken and overcast), while the dry season from December through April is more often clear to mostly sunny. Seasonal rainfall is divided into 'dry' and 'wet' seasons, with the latter six months of the year being wetter than the first half. The air temperature is hot much of the year, varying from 25 to 33 C (77 F to 90 F) between the wet and dry seasons. Seasonally, monthly mean temperatures vary from only about 5 C (7 F) in the northern most regions, to less than 3 C in the southernmost areas of the Caribbean.

Hurricane season is from June to November, but they occur more frequently in August and September and more common in the northern islands of the Caribbean.Hurricanesthat sometimes batter the region usually strike northwards ofGrenadaand to the west of Barbados. The principal hurricane belt arcs to northwest of the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean. A great example being recent events ofHurricane Irmadevastating the island of Saint Martin during the 2017 hurricane season.

Sea surface temperatures change little annually, normally running from 30 °C (87 °F) in the warmest months to 26 °C (76 °F) in the coolest months. The air temperature is warm year round, in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and only varies from winter to summer about 2–5 degrees on the southern islands and about a 10–20 degrees difference on the northern islands of the Caribbean. The northern islands, like the Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, may be influenced by continental masses during winter months, such as cold fronts.

Aruba: Latitude 12°N

Climate data for Oranjestad, Aruba (1981–2010, extremes 1951–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	32.5 (90.5)	33.0 (91.4)	33.9 (93.0)	34.4 (93.9)	34.9 (94.8)	35.2 (95.4)	35.3 (95.5)	36.1 (97.0)	36.5 (97.7)	35.4 (95.7)	35.0 (95.0)	34.8 (94.6)	36.5 (97.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	30.0 (86.0)	30.4 (86.7)	30.9 (87.6)	31.5 (88.7)	32.0 (89.6)	32.2 (90.0)	32.0 (89.6)	32.6 (90.7)	32.7 (90.9)	32.1 (89.8)	31.3 (88.3)	30.4 (86.7)	31.5 (88.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)	26.7 (80.1)	26.8 (80.2)	27.2 (81.0)	27.9 (82.2)	28.5 (83.3)	28.7 (83.7)	28.6 (83.5)	29.1 (84.4)	29.2 (84.6)	28.7 (83.7)	28.1 (82.6)	27.2 (81.0)	28.1 (82.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	24.5 (76.1)	24.7 (76.5)	25.0 (77.0)	25.8 (78.4)	26.5 (79.7)	26.7 (80.1)	26.4 (79.5)	26.8 (80.2)	26.9 (80.4)	26.4 (79.5)	25.8 (78.4)	25.0 (77.0)	25.9 (78.6)
Record low °C (°F)	21.3 (70.3)	20.6 (69.1)	21.4 (70.5)	21.5 (70.7)	21.8 (71.2)	22.7 (72.9)	21.2 (70.2)	21.3 (70.3)	22.1 (71.8)	21.9 (71.4)	22.0 (71.6)	20.5 (68.9)	20.5 (68.9)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	39.3 (1.55)	20.6 (0.81)	8.7 (0.34)	11.6 (0.46)	16.3 (0.64)	18.7 (0.74)	31.7 (1.25)	25.8 (1.02)	45.5 (1.79)	77.8 (3.06)	94.0 (3.70)	81.8 (3.22)	471.8 (18.58)
Source: DEPARTAMENTO METEOROLOGICO ARUBA,(extremes)

Puerto Rico: Latitude 18°N

Climate data for San Juan, Puerto Rico
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	33 (92)	36 (96)	36 (96)	36 (97)	36 (96)	36 (97)	35 (95)	35 (95)	36 (97)	36 (97)	37 (98)	36 (96)	34 (94)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (83)	29 (84)	29 (85)	30 (86)	31 (87)	32 (89)	31 (88)	31 (88)	32 (89)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	30 (86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22 (72)	22 (72)	23 (73)	23 (74)	24 (76)	26 (78)	26 (78)	26 (78)	26 (78)	25 (77)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Record low °C (°F)	16 (61)	17 (62)	16 (60)	18 (64)	18 (64)	19 (66)	21 (69)	20 (68)	21 (69)	19 (67)	18 (65)	17 (62)	16 (61)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	95 (3.7)	60 (2.4)	49 (1.9)	118 (4.6)	150 (5.9)	112 (4.4)	128 (5.0)	138 (5.4)	146 (5.7)	142 (5.6)	161 (6.3)	126 (5.0)	1,431 (56.3)
Source: The National Weather Service

Cuba: at Latitude 22°N

Climate data for Havana
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	32.5 (90.5)	33.0 (91.4)	35.9 (96.6)	36.4 (97.5)	36.9 (98.4)	37.2 (99.0)	38.0 (100.4)	36.1 (97.0)	37.5 (99.5)	35.4 (95.7)	35.0 (95.0)	34.8 (94.6)	38.0 (100.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	25.8 (78.4)	26.1 (79.0)	27.6 (81.7)	28.6 (83.5)	29.8 (85.6)	30.5 (86.9)	31.3 (88.3)	31.6 (88.9)	31.0 (87.8)	29.2 (84.6)	27.7 (81.9)	26.5 (79.7)	28.8 (83.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	22.2 (72.0)	22.4 (72.3)	23.7 (74.7)	24.8 (76.6)	26.1 (79.0)	27.0 (80.6)	27.6 (81.7)	27.9 (82.2)	27.4 (81.3)	26.1 (79.0)	24.5 (76.1)	23.0 (73.4)	25.2 (77.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	18.6 (65.5)	18.6 (65.5)	19.7 (67.5)	20.9 (69.6)	22.4 (72.3)	23.4 (74.1)	23.8 (74.8)	24.1 (75.4)	23.8 (74.8)	23.0 (73.4)	21.3 (70.3)	19.5 (67.1)	21.6 (70.9)
Record low °C (°F)	5.1 (41.2)	5.6 (42.1)	5.4 (41.7)	11.5 (52.7)	16.8 (62.2)	19.7 (67.5)	18.2 (64.8)	19.3 (66.7)	19.1 (66.4)	11.9 (53.4)	10.0 (50.0)	7.5 (45.5)	5.1 (41.2)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	64.4 (2.54)	68.6 (2.70)	46.2 (1.82)	53.7 (2.11)	98.0 (3.86)	182.3 (7.18)	105.6 (4.16)	99.6 (3.92)	144.4 (5.69)	180.5 (7.11)	88.3 (3.48)	57.6 (2.27)	1,189.2 (46.84)
Source:World Meteorological Organisation(UN),Climate-Charts

A field inPinar del Rioplanted withCubantobacco

Puerto Rico's south shore, from theCordillera CentralinJayuya

Grand Anse beach, St. George's,Grenada

A church cemetery perched in the mountains ofGuadeloupe

A view ofNevisisland from the southeastern peninsula ofSaint Kitts

Island groups

Lucayan Archipelago

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

Greater Antilles

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

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)
  • Antigua and Barbuda
    • Antigua
    • Barbuda
    • Redonda
  • Saint Martin,politically divided between
    • Saint Martin(France)
    • Sint Maarten(Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  • Saba(Caribbean Netherlands,Netherlands)
  • Sint Eustatius(Caribbean Netherlands,Netherlands)
  • Saint Barthélemy(French Antilles,France)
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
    • Saint Kitts
    • Nevis
  • Montserrat(United Kingdom)
  • Guadeloupe(French Antilles,France) including
    • Les Saintes
    • Marie-Galante
    • La Désirade
• Windward Islands
  • Dominica
  • Martinique(French Antilles,France)
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
    • Saint Vincent
    • The Grenadines
  • Grenada
    • Grenada
    • Carriacou and Petite Martinique
  • Barbados
  • Trinidad and Tobago
    • Tobago
    • Trinidad
• Leeward Antilles
  • Aruba(Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  • Curaçao(Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  • Bonaire(Caribbean Netherlands,Netherlands)

Historical groupings

Main article:History of the Caribbean

Spanish Caribbean Islands in the American Viceroyalties 1600

Political evolution of Central America and the Caribbean from 1700 to present

The mostly Spanish-controlled Caribbean in the 18th century

The mostly Spanish-controlled Caribbean in the 16th century

All islands at some point were, and a few still are,coloniesof European nations; a few areoverseas or dependent territories:

• British West Indies/Anglophone Caribbean–Anguilla,Antigua and Barbuda,Bahamas,Barbados,Bay Islands,Guyana,Belize,British Virgin Islands,Cayman Islands,Dominica,Grenada,Jamaica,Montserrat,Saint Croix(briefly),Saint Kitts and Nevis,Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Trinidad and Tobago(from 1797) and theTurks and Caicos Islands
• Danish West Indies– Possession ofDenmark-Norwaybefore1814,thenDenmark,present-dayUnited States Virgin Islands
• Dutch West Indies–Aruba,Bonaire,Curaçao,Saba,Sint Eustatius,Sint Maarten,Bay Islands(briefly),Saint Croix(briefly),Tobago,SurinamandVirgin Islands
• French West Indies–Anguilla(briefly),Antigua and Barbuda(briefly),Dominica,Dominican Republic(briefly),Grenada,Haiti(formerlySaint-Domingue),Montserrat(briefly),Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Sint Eustatius(briefly),Sint Maarten,St. Kitts(briefly),Tobago(briefly),Saint Croix,the current FrenchoverseasdépartementsofFrench Guiana,MartiniqueandGuadeloupe(includingMarie-Galante,La DésiradeandLes Saintes), the current Frenchoverseas collectivitiesofSaint BarthélemyandSaint Martin
• Portuguese West Indies– present-dayBarbados,known asOs Barbadosin the 16th century when the Portuguese claimed the island en route to Brazil. The Portuguese left Barbados abandoned years before the British arrived.
• Spanish West Indies–Cuba,Hispaniola(present-dayDominican Republic),Haiti(until 1659, lost to France),Puerto Rico,Jamaica(until 1655, lost to Great Britain), theCayman Islands(until 1670 to Great Britain)Trinidad(until 1797, lost to Great Britain) andBay Islands(until 1643, lost to Great Britain), coastal islands ofCentral America(except Belize), and some Caribbean coastal islands ofPanama,Colombia,Mexico,andVenezuela.
• Swedish West Indies– present-day FrenchSaint-Barthélemy,Guadeloupe(briefly) andTobago(briefly).
• Courlander West Indies–Tobago(until 1691)

The British West Indies were united by the United Kingdom into aWest Indies Federationbetween 1958 and 1962. The independent countries formerly part of the B.W.I. still have a jointcricketteam that competes inTest matches,One Day InternationalsandTwenty20 Internationals.TheWest Indian cricket teamincludes the South American nation ofGuyana,the only former British colony on the mainland of that continent.

In addition, these countries share theUniversity of the West Indiesas 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 such as Trinidad.

Continental countries with Caribbean coastlines and islands

• Belize
  • Ambergris Caye
  • Caye Caulker
  • Glover's Reef
  • Hick's Cayes
  • Lighthouse Reef
  • St. George's Caye
  • Tobacco Caye
  • Turneffe Atoll
• Colombia
  • Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina
    • Bajo Nuevo Bank
    • Crab Cay
    • Quita Sueño Bank
    • Roncador Bank
    • Roncador Cay
    • San Andrés (island)
    • Santa Catalina Island (Colombia)
    • Serrana Bank
    • Serranilla Bank
  • Rosario Islands
• Costa Rica
  • Brava Island, Costa Rica
  • Isla Calero
  • Uvita Island
• Guatemala
• Honduras
  • Islas de la Bahía
    • Cayos Cochinos
    • Guanaja
    • Roatán
    • Swan Islands
    • Útila
    • Cayos Cochinos
    • Cayo Gorda
  • Bobel Cay
• Nicaragua
  • Corn Islands
  • Miskito Cays
  • Pearl Cays
    • Calala Island
  • Rama Cay
• Panama
  • Archipelago offGuna Yalacoast (including theSan Blas Islands)
  • Bocas del Toro Archipelago(approximately 300 islands)
  • Galeta Island (Panama)
  • Isla Grande
  • Soledad Miria
    • Cayos Limones
• Mexico
  • Quintana Roo
    • Banco Chinchorro
    • Cozumel
    • Isla Blanca
    • Isla Contoy
    • Isla Holbox
    • Isla Mujeres
• Venezuela
  • Blanquilla Island
  • Coche Island
  • Cubagua Island
  • Isla Aves
  • Islas Los Frailes
  • Isla Margarita
  • La Orchila
  • La Sola Island
  • La Tortuga Island
  • Las Aves archipelago
  • Los Hermanos Archipelago
  • Los Monjes Archipelago
  • Los Roques archipelago
  • Los Testigos Islands
  • Patos Island

Cayo de Agua,Los Roques Archipelago,Venezuela

Palancar Beach inCozumel Island,Mexico

Guanaja Island, Bay Islands, Honduras

Biodiversity

The Caribbean islands have one of the most diverse eco systems in the world. The animals, fungi and plants, and have been classified as one ofConservation International'sbiodiversity hotspotsbecause of their exceptionally diverse terrestrial and marine ecosystems, ranging from montanecloud forests,totropical rainforest,tocactusscrublands.The region also contains about 8% (by surface area) of the world's coral reefsalong with extensive seagrass meadows,both of which are frequently found in the shallow marine waters bordering the island and continental coasts of the region.

For the fungi, there is a modern checklist based on nearly 90,000 records derived from specimens in reference collections, published accounts and field observations.That checklist includes more than 11,250 species of fungi recorded from the region. As its authors note, the work is far from exhaustive, and it is likely that the true total number of fungal species already known from the Caribbean is higher. The true total number of fungal species occurring in the Caribbean, including species not yet recorded, is likely far higher given the generally accepted estimate that only about 7% of all fungi worldwide have been discovered.Though the amount of available information is still small, a first effort has been made to estimate the number of fungal species endemic to some Caribbean islands. For Cuba, 2200 species of fungi have been tentatively identified as possible endemics of the island;forPuerto Rico,the number is 789 species;for theDominican Republic,the number is 699 species;for Trinidad and Tobago, the number is 407 species.

Many of theecosystemsof the Caribbean islands have been devastated bydeforestation,pollution, and human encroachment. The arrival of the first humans is correlated with extinction ofgiantowlsanddwarf ground sloths.The hotspot contains dozens of highly threatened animals (ranging from birds, to mammals and reptiles), fungi and plants. Examples of threatened animals include thePuerto Rican amazon,two species ofsolenodon(giant shrews) in Cuba and the Hispaniola island, and theCuban crocodile.

Saona Island,Dominican Republic

The region's coral reefs, which contain about 70 species of hard corals and from 500 to 700 species of reef-associated fisheshave undergone rapid decline in ecosystem integrity in recent years, and are considered particularly vulnerable to global warming and ocean acidification.According to aUNEPreport, the Caribbean coral reefs might get extinct in next 20 years due to population explosion along the coast lines, overfishing, the pollution of coastal areas and global warming.

Some Caribbean islands have terrain that Europeans found suitable for cultivation for agriculture.Tobaccowas an important early crop during the colonial era, but was eventually overtaken bysugarcaneproduction as the region's staple crop. Sugar was produced from sugarcane for export to Europe.CubaandBarbadoswere historically the largest producers ofsugar.The tropical plantation system thus came to dominate Caribbean settlement. Other islands were found to have terrain unsuited foragriculture,for exampleDominica,which remains heavily forested. The islands in the southernLesser Antilles,Aruba,BonaireandCuraçao,are extremely arid, making them unsuitable for agriculture. However, they havesaltpans that were exploited by the Dutch. Sea water was pumped into shallow ponds, producing coarse salt when the water evaporated.

The natural environmental diversity of the Caribbean islands has led to recent growth ineco-tourism.This type of tourism is growing on islands lacking sandy beaches and dense human populations.

Plants and animals

See also:List of invasive marine fish in the Caribbean

• 
  Epiphytes (bromeliads, climbing palms) in therainforestofDominica
• 
  A green and black poison frog,Dendrobates auratus
• 
  Caesalpinia pulcherrima,Guadeloupe
• 
  Costus speciosus,a marsh plant,Guadeloupe
• 
  AnAtlantic ghost crab(Ocypode quadrata) inMartinique
• 
  Crescentia cujete,or calabash fruit,Martinique
• 
  Thalassoma bifasciatum(bluehead wrasse fish), overBispira brunnea(social feather duster worms)
• 
  TwoStenopus hispidus(banded cleaner shrimp) on aXestospongia muta(giant barrel sponge)
• 
  A pair ofCyphoma signatum(fingerprint cowry), off coastalHaiti
• 
  TheMartinique amazon,Amazona martinicana,is an extinct species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.
• 
  Anastrepha suspensa,a Caribbean fruit fly
• 
  Hemidactylus mabouia,a tropical gecko, inDominica.Edited by: Taniya Brooks

Demographics

Life expectancy

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

Life expectancyin some countries of the Caribbean in 2022, according to estimation of theWorld Bank Group:

Countries & territories	2022				Historical data									recovery from COVID-19: 2019→2022
	All	Male	Female	Sex gap	2014	2014 →2019	2019	2019 →2020	2020	2020 →2021	2021	2021 →2022	2022
Saint Martin	80.55	77.50	83.66	6.16	79.97	0.02	79.98	0.17	80.15	0.23	80.38	0.17	80.55	0.57
Virgin Islands (U.S.)	80.32	77.10	83.70	6.60	78.87	0.80	79.67	0.15	79.82	0.25	80.07	0.25	80.32	0.65
Puerto Rico	79.72	75.58	83.90	8.32	78.93	0.13	79.06	−1.02	78.04	2.12	80.16	−0.44	79.72	0.66
Antigua and Barbuda	79.24	76.51	81.64	5.14	77.86	0.83	78.69	0.15	78.84	−0.34	78.50	0.74	79.24	0.55
Cuba	78.16	75.79	80.56	4.77	77.85	−0.24	77.61	−0.04	77.57	−3.88	73.68	4.47	78.16	0.54
Barbados	77.71	75.68	79.58	3.90	76.48	0.78	77.26	0.14	77.39	0.18	77.57	0.14	77.71	0.45
British Virgin Islands	76.37	73.62	79.26	5.63	75.61	0.25	75.86	−0.01	75.85	−1.36	74.49	1.88	76.37	0.51
Grenada	75.33	72.59	78.30	5.71	74.98	−0.12	74.86	0.06	74.92	0.01	74.94	0.40	75.33	0.47
Aruba	74.99	72.14	77.68	5.54	75.60	0.65	76.25	−0.53	75.72	−1.10	74.63	0.37	74.99	−1.26
Turks and Caicos Islands	74.92	72.17	77.99	5.82	77.14	−1.81	75.33	−0.32	75.00	−0.41	74.59	0.34	74.92	−0.40
Trinidad and Tobago	74.71	71.31	78.15	6.85	74.22	0.01	74.23	0.18	74.41	−1.44	72.97	1.74	74.71	0.48
Sint Maarten	74.41	71.96	77.14	5.18	76.77	−1.34	75.44	−0.85	74.58	−0.61	73.97	0.44	74.41	−1.03
Bahamas	74.36	70.76	77.84	7.09	73.37	−2.16	71.20	1.47	72.68	−1.08	71.60	2.76	74.36	3.15
Dominican Republic	74.17	71.04	77.54	6.49	72.87	0.71	73.58	−0.69	72.89	−0.27	72.61	1.56	74.17	0.59
Dominica	72.98	69.88	76.45	6.58	69.43	4.12	73.56	0.09	73.65	−0.84	72.81	0.17	72.98	−0.58
St. Kitts and Nevis	72.03	68.68	75.67	6.98	70.97	0.61	71.57	0.05	71.63	0.06	71.68	0.34	72.03	0.45
World	72.00	69.60	74.53	4.93	71.88	1.10	72.98	−0.74	72.24	−0.92	71.33	0.67	72.00	−0.98
Caribbean small states	71.63	68.84	74.50	5.66	72.68	−0.16	72.52	0.06	72.58	−1.58	71.00	0.63	71.63	−0.89
St. Lucia	71.29	68.00	74.89	6.88	72.86	0.58	73.44	−0.03	73.42	−2.30	71.11	0.18	71.29	−2.15
Jamaica	70.63	68.53	72.74	4.20	72.98	−1.22	71.77	0.10	71.87	−1.37	70.50	0.13	70.63	−1.14
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	68.97	66.69	71.73	5.04	74.47	−1.64	72.83	−0.71	72.13	−2.50	69.63	−0.66	68.97	−3.86
Haiti	63.73	60.89	66.69	5.80	62.99	1.27	64.25	−0.20	64.05	−0.86	63.19	0.54	63.73	−0.53
Cayman Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	82.01	—	—	—

Change in life expectancy in the Caribbean from 2019 to 2021

Indigenous groups

Main article:Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean

• Arawak peoples
  • Igneri
  • Taíno
• Caquetio people
• Ciboney
• Ciguayo
• Garifuna
• Kalina
• Kalinago
• Lucayan
• Macorix
• Raizal

A linen market inDominicain the 1770s

Agostino Brunias. Free Women of Color with Their Children and Servants in a LandscapeBrooklyn Museum

Asian Indiansin the late nineteenth century singing and dancing inTrinidad and Tobago

Street scene,Matanzas,Cuba

At the time ofEuropean contact,the dominant ethnic groups in the Caribbean included theTaínoof theGreater Antillesand northernLesser Antilles,theIsland Caribsof the southern Lesser Antilles, and smaller distinct groups such as theGuanajatabeyof western Cuba and theCiguayoof eastern Hispaniola. The population of the Caribbean is estimated to have been around 750,000 immediately before European contact, although lower and higher figures are given. After contact, social disruption and epidemic diseases such as smallpox and measles (to which they had no natural immunity)led to a decline in the Amerindian population.such as theKongo,Igbo,Akan,FonandYorubaas well as military prisoners fromIreland,who were deported during the Cromwellian reign inEngland.Immigrants fromBritain,Italy,France,Spain,theNetherlands,PortugalandDenmarkalso arrived, although the mortality rate was high for both groups.

The population is estimated to have reached 2.2 million by 1800.Immigrants fromIndia,China,Indonesia,and other countries arrived in the mid-19th century as indentured servants.After the ending of theAtlantic slave trade,the population increased naturally.The total regional population was estimated at 37.5 million by 2000.

InHaitiand most of theFrench,AnglophoneandDutch Caribbean,the population is predominantly ofAfricanorigin; on many islands there are also significant populations of mixed racial origin (includingMulatto-Creole,Dougla,Mestizo,Quadroon,Cholo,Castizo,Criollo,Zambo,Pardo,Asian Latin Americans,Chindian,Cocoa panyols,and Eurasian), as well as populations of European ancestry:Dutch,English,French,Italian,PortugueseandSpanishancestry.Asians,especially those ofChinese,Indiandescent, andJavaneseIndonesians,form a significant minority in parts of the region.Indiansform a plurality of the population inTrinidad and Tobago,Guyana,andSuriname.Most of their ancestors arrived in the 19th century as indentured laborers.

TheSpanish-speaking Caribbeanpopulations are primarily ofEuropean,African, or racially mixed origins.Cubahas a European majority, along with a significant population of African ancestry. Puerto Rico has a mixed race majority with a mixture of European-African-Native American (tri-racial), and a large White and West African (black) minority. The Dominican Republic has the largest mixed-race population, primarily descended from Europeans,West Africans,and Amerindians.

Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago

The majority ofJamaicais of West African origin, in addition to a significant population of mixed racial background, and has minorities ofChinese,Europeans,Indians,Latinos,Jews,andArabs.This is a result of years of importation of slaves and indentured laborers, and migration. Most multi-racial Jamaicans refer to themselves as either mixed race or brown. Similar populations can be found in theCaricomstates ofBelize,GuyanaandTrinidad and Tobago.Trinidad and Tobagohas a multi-racial cosmopolitan society due to the arrivals ofAfricans,Indians,Chinese,Arabs,Jews,Latinos,andEuropeansalong with thenative indigenous Amerindianspopulation. This multi-racial mix of the Caribbean has created sub-ethnicities that often straddle the boundaries of major ethnicities and includeMulatto-Creole,Mestizo,Pardo,Zambo,Dougla,Chindian,Afro-Asians,Eurasian,Cocoa panyols,andAsian Latinos.

Language

Main article:Languages of the Caribbean

Spanish(64%),French(25%),English(14%),Dutch,Haitian Creole,andPapiamentoare the predominant official languages of various countries in the region. However, virtually every Caribbean country has a distinctcreole languageor dialect that often serves as itsvernacular language.Most of these do not enjoy official status, with the aformentioned Haitian Creole and Papiamento being notable exceptions. Other languages such asCaribbean Hindustani,Chinese,Javanese,Arabic,Hmong,Amerindian languages,otherAfrican languages,otherEuropean languages,and otherIndian languagescan also be found.

Religion

See also:Religion in the Caribbean

Havana Cathedral(Catholic) inCubacompleted in 1777

Holy Trinity Cathedral,anAnglicanChristiancathedralinTrinidad and Tobago

Temple in the Sea,aHindumandirinTrinidad and Tobago

Muhammad Ali JinnahMemorial Masjid, aMuslimmasjidinTrinidad and Tobago

AJewishsynagogueinSuriname

AHaitian Vodoualtar

Christianityis the predominant religion in the Caribbean (84.7%).Other religions in the region areHinduism,Islam,Judaism,Rastafari,Buddhism,Chinese folk religion(incl.TaoismandConfucianism),Bahá'í,Jainism,Sikhism,Kebatinan,Traditional African religions,Yoruba(incl.Trinidad Orisha),Afro-American religions,(incl.Santería,Palo,Umbanda,Brujería,Hoodoo,Candomblé,Quimbanda,Orisha,Xangô de Recife, Xangô do Nordeste, Comfa,Espiritismo,Santo Daime,Obeah,Candomblé,Abakuá,Kumina,Winti,Sanse,Cuban Vodú,Dominican Vudú,Louisiana Voodoo,Haitian Vodou,andVodun).

Politics

Regionalism

Flag of the Caribbean Common Market and Community (CARICOM)

Caribbean societies are very different from other Western societies in terms of size, culture, and degree of mobility of their citizens.The current economic and political problems the states face individually are common to all Caribbean states. Regional development has contributed to attempts to subdue current problems and avoid projected problems. From a political and economic perspective,regionalismserves to make Caribbean states active participants in current international affairs through collective coalitions. In 1973, the first political regionalism in theCaribbean Basinwas created by advances of the English-speaking Caribbean nations through the institution known as the Caribbean Common Market and Community (CARICOM)which is located in Guyana.

Certain scholars have argued both for and against generalizing the political structures of the Caribbean. On the one hand the Caribbean states are politically diverse, ranging from socialist systems towards more capitalist Westminster-style parliamentary systems. Other scholars argue that these differences are superficial, and that they tend to undermine commonalities in the various Caribbean states. Contemporary Caribbean systems seem to reflect a "blending of traditional and modern patterns, yielding hybrid systems that exhibit significant structural variations and divergent constitutional traditions yet ultimately appear to function in similar ways."The political systems of the Caribbean states share similar practices.

The influence of regionalism in the Caribbean is often marginalized. Some scholars believe that regionalism cannot exist in the Caribbean because each small state is unique. On the other hand, scholars also suggest that there are commonalities amongst the Caribbean nations that suggest regionalism exists. "Proximity as well as historical ties among the Caribbean nations has led to cooperation as well as a desire for collective action."These attempts at regionalization reflect the nations' desires to compete in the international economic system.

Furthermore, a lack of interest from other major states promoted regionalism in the region. In recent years, the Caribbean has suffered from a lack of U.S. interest. "With the end of the Cold War, U.S. security and economic interests have been focused on other areas. As a result there has been a significant reduction in U.S. aid and investment to the Caribbean."The lack of international support for these small, relatively poor states, helped regionalism prosper.

Following the Cold War another issue of importance in the Caribbean has been the reduced economic growth of some Caribbean States due to the United States andEuropean Union's allegations of special treatment toward the region by each other.

United States–EU trade dispute

The United States under PresidentBill Clintonlaunched a challenge in theWorld Trade Organizationagainst the EU over Europe's preferential program, known as theLomé Convention,which allowedbananaexports from the former colonies of theGroup of African, Caribbean and Pacific states(ACP) to enter Europe cheaply.The World Trade Organization sided in the United States' favour and the beneficial elements of the convention to African, Caribbean and Pacific states have been partially dismantled and replaced by theCotonou Agreement.

During the US/EU dispute, the United States imposed large tariffs on European Union goods (up to 100%) to pressure Europe to change the agreement with the Caribbean nations in favour of the Cotonou Agreement.

Farmers in the Caribbean have complained of falling profits and rising costs as the Lomé Convention weakens.Some farmers have faced increased pressure to turn towards the cultivation of illegal drugs, which has a higher profit margin and fills the sizable demand for these illegal drugs in North America and Europe.

African Union relations

Many Caribbean nations have sought to deepen ties with the continent ofAfrica.The African Union-bloc has referred to the Caribbean as the potential "Sixth Region" of theAfrican Union.Some Caribbean states have already moved to join Africa institutions including Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, and the Bahamas which have all became members of the African Export Import Bank.And the Caribbean Development Bank signing a cooperation strategic partnership agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB)At present Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Suriname are at various stages of establishing direct air flights with Africa to boost person-to-person links and boost trade between both regions.

The first inter-regional Africa-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit took place in September 2021. In August 2023 the African Union'sAfrican Export–Import Bankofficially opened its first Caribbean Community office in Barbados beginning the process of integrating willing Caribbean states as the 6th region of the African Union.[1][2]

Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and Association of Caribbean States

Caribbean nations have also started to more closely cooperate in theCaribbean Financial Action Task Forceand other instruments to add oversight of the offshore industry. One of the most important associations that deal with regionalism amongst the nations of theCaribbean Basinhas been theAssociation of Caribbean States(ACS). Proposed by CARICOM in 1992, the ACS soon won the support of the other countries of the region. It was founded in July 1994. The ACS maintains regionalism within the Caribbean on issues unique to the Caribbean Basin. Through coalition building, like the ACS and CARICOM, regionalism has become an undeniable part of the politics and economics of the Caribbean. The successes of region-building initiatives are still debated by scholars, yet regionalism remains prevalent throughout the Caribbean.

Bolivarian Alliance

The President ofVenezuela,Hugo Chavezlaunched an economic group called theBolivarian Alliance for the Americas(ALBA), which several eastern Caribbean islands joined.

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–administeredRegional 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 andUruguay
• 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),Chileand 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

Cuisine

Main article:Caribbean cuisine

Favourite or national dishes

Doubles,one of the national dishes ofTrinidad and Tobago

Arroz con gandules,one of the national dishes ofPuerto Rico

• Anguilla– rice, peas and fish
• Antigua and Barbuda–fungeeandpepperpot
• Bahamas–Guava duff,Conch Salad, Peas n' Rice, andconch fritters
• Barbados–cou-couandflying fish
• Belize– rice and beans, stew chicken with potato salad; white rice, stew beans and fry fish with cole slaw
• British Virgin Islands– fish andfungee
• Cayman Islands– turtle stew, turtle steak,grouper,conch stew, Cayman-style beef with rice and beans, cassava cake
• ColombianCaribbean – 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, cassavafarine,oxtail
• Dominican Republic–arroz con pollowith stewed redkidney beans,pan friedorbraisedbeef, salad/ ensalada de coditos,empanadas,mangú,sancocho
• Grenada–oil down,Roti and rice & chicken
• Guyana–rotiandcurry,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 greenpigeon 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, spicyplantain,saltfish,breadfruit
• Saint Lucia–callaloo,dalroti,dried and salted cod,greenbananas,rice and beans
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines– roastedbreadfruitand fried jackfish
• Suriname– brown beans and rice,rotiandcurry,peanut soup,batteredfried plantainwithpeanut sauce,nasi goreng,moksi-alesi,bara,pom
• Trinidad and Tobago–doubles,currywithrotiordal bhat,aloo pie,phulourie,callaloo,bake and shark,curry crab and dumpling
• United States Virgin Islands– stewed goat, oxtail or beef, seafood,callaloo,fungee
• VenezuelaCaribbean – fried fish with salad and rise,tostones,sancocho,patacon,pabellon

See also

• African diaspora
• Anchor coinage
• British African-Caribbean people
• British Indo-Caribbean people
• Caribbean people
• Climate change in the Caribbean
• CONCACAF
• Council on Hemispheric Affairs
• Culture of the Caribbean
• Economy of the Caribbean
• Indian diaspora
• Indo-Caribbean
• Indo-Caribbean American
• List of Caribbean music genres
• List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Caribbean
• Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin
• Piracy in the Caribbean
• Politics of the Caribbean
• Democracy in the Caribbean
• Tourism in the Caribbean

Geography:

• Americas (terminology)
• List of archipelagos by number of islands
• List of Caribbean islands
• List of indigenous names of Eastern Caribbean islands
• List of mountain peaks of the Caribbean
• List of Ultras of the Caribbean
• Middle America (Americas)
• Latin America and the Caribbean

Bibliography

• Engerman, Stanley L. "A Population History of the Caribbean", pp. 483–528 inA Population History of North AmericaMichael R. Haines and Richard Hall Steckel (Eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2000,ISBN0-521-49666-7.
• Hillman, Richard S., and Thomas J. D'agostino, eds.Understanding the Contemporary Caribbean,London: Lynne Rienner, 2003ISBN1-58826-663-X.

Further reading

• Develtere, Patrick R. 1994. "Co-operation and development: With special reference to the experience of the Commonwealth Caribbean" ACCO,ISBN90-334-3181-5
• Gowricharn, Ruben, ed.Caribbean Transnationalism: Migration, Pluralization, and Social Cohesion.Lanham, Maryland: Le xing ton Books, 2006.ISBN978-0-7391-1167-3
• Henke, Holger, and Fred Reno, eds.Modern Political Culture in the Caribbean.Kingston:University of West IndiesPress, 2003.ISBN976-640-135-7
• Heuman, Gad.Brief Histories: The Caribbean.London: Hodder Arnold, 2006.ISBN9780340763636
• de Kadt, Emanuel, (editor).Patterns of foreign influence in the Caribbean,Oxford University Press,1972.ISBN0-19-214988-1
• Knight, Franklin W. and Colin A. Palmer, eds.The Modern Caribbean(The University of North Carolina Press, 1989).ISBN0-8078-1825-9
• Kurlansky, Mark. 1992.A Continent of Islands: Searching for the Caribbean Destiny.Addison-Wesley Publishing.ISBN0-201-52396-5
• Langley, Lester D.The United States and the Caribbean in the Twentieth Century.London:University of Georgia Press,4th edition, 1989.ISBN0-8203-1153-7
• Maingot, Anthony P.The United States and the Caribbean: Challenges of an Asymmetrical Relationship.Westview Press, 1994.ISBN0-8133-2242-1
• Palmié, Stephan, and Francisco A. Scarano, eds.The Caribbean: A History of the Region and Its Peoples(University of Chicago Press; 2011); 660 pp.; writings on the region since the pre-Columbian era.ISBN978-0-226-64506-3
• Ramnarine, Tina K.Beautiful Cosmos: Performance and Belonging in the Caribbean Diaspora.London: Pluto Press, 2007.ISBN978-0-7453-1767-0
• Rowntree, Lester, Martin Lewis, Marie Price, William Wyckoff.Diversity Amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development,Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 4th edition, 2009.ISBN978-0-13-600554-4

External links

• CaribbeanatCurlie
• Digital Library of the Caribbean
• Latin American, Caribbean, U.S. Latinx, and Iberian Online Free E-Resources (LACLI).
• Manioc, open access digital Library, books, images, conferences, articles about the Caribbean
• Federal Research Division of the U.S. Library of Congress:Caribbean Islands (1987)
• Media related toCaribbeanat Wikimedia Commons