Caribbean Studies (1) - Location of The Caribbean

Caribbean Studies
Module 1 : Caribbean Society and Culture.
Topic : Location and Definition of the Caribbean Region

* Geographical Location
Geographical Location of the Caribbean.

The Caribbean region, located in the tropics, extends in a broad arc of over 4000 km from the Bahamas in the north to Guyana and Suriname in the south. The region also includes, based on historical factors, Belize which is in Central America bordering Mexico and Guatemala.
The Greater Antilles

The islands of the Greater Antilles include Jamaica , Hispaniola , Cuba and Puerto Rico.
The Lesser Antilles

The islands include Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados , St. Lucia, etc.
Which islands are the Windward and Leeward Islands ?

The Windward Islands and Leeward Islands are part of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean sea. The Windward Islands are part of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean Sea. The Windward Islands are southeastern islands of the Caribbean and include Martinique,St. Lucia,St. Vincent , the Grenadines and Grenada. They are called the Windward Islands because they are exposed to the wind (windward) of the northeast trade winds. (northeasterlies) The Leeward Islands include the Virgin Islands,Dominica,Guadeloupe,Montserrat,Antigua,Barbuda,St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla.
Definitions of the Caribbean Region

The Geographical Caribbean this describes the area washed by the Caribbean Sea and is often described as the Caribbean Basin. It would therefore include most of the islands of the Lesser and Greater Antilles as well as the mainland territories of Central America and Northern South America such as Venezuela and Columbia.
NB: Notice that the territories in red all have one common feature, they are all washed by the Caribbean Sea, even though they may speak different languages.
The Geological Caribbean this is not as well-used as the other ways by which we define the Caribbean region. However, it shows that there are deep-seated structural features of Caribbean geology which also identifies commonalities. It is the area that is defined by the Caribbean Plate and which expresses similar tectonic, seismic and volcanic features and processes.
The Caribbean Plate
NB. The Caribbean is situated in a geologic feature known as the Caribbean Plate which has boundaries or margins with other plates nearby. A plate is a large piece of crust (on which there may be both land and ocean) and it moves in relation to other plates. On the whole the earth is made up of six or seven plates and many smaller ones. The Caribbean Plate is a small plate. Other geological features of the region include the fact that: A) the entire Caribbean region is in an earthquake zone B)the Lesser Antilles is made up of volcanoes, several of which are active
The Historical Caribbean this describes the area that saw the impact of European colonization, slavery, indentureship and the plantation system. This refers to all the territories, so that one means by which we can define the Caribbean is by identifying those countries that experienced the rule of specific European countries, namely the English, French, Dutch and the Spanish. The common feature in this definition is that they share the same historical or cultural experiences.
LEGEND
ENGLISH
SPANISH FRENCH DUTCH
NB: The legend indicates the territories that were under the control of the various European powers. It should be noted that Guyana (which was first under Dutch control, then English), Surinam (which was under Dutch control) and French Guiana (which is STILL under French control) are not represented in Fig. 3. They are apart of the Caribbean because they share the same historical/cultural experiences as all those which are represented in fig. 3
The Political Caribbean the Caribbean has three main government systems, namely
A) Independent States these are former colonies which are now self-governing. These are islands which have chosen a method of governance that is different from that of their colonial masters, namely democracy or communism;
B) Associated States these are territories which are not independent but enjoy all the rights and privileges of the country that governs it; C) Colonial Dependencies these ate territories which are directly governed by other countries but do not enjoy the rights and privileges thats enjoyed by inhabitants in an Associated State.
LEGEND Independent States Associated State Colonial Territories
Problems in defining the Caribbean
Geographical
1.
Historical
The problem with defining the Caribbean according to linguistic or European heritage, is that, that tends to ignore the commonalities of Caribbean experience at the hands of these colonial powers. This definition would include Guyana and the Bahamas. It should also include the French, Dutch and Spanish speaking countries of the Caribbean and Central America.
Geological
The western edge of the Caribbean Plate is located in the Pacific and includes Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama in the Caribbean.
Guyana and the Bahamas do not have coastlines on the Caribbean Sea. Yet both countries are commonly accepted as part of the Caribbean
2.
This definition includes countries not normally associated with the Caribbean Panama, Columbia and the other countries of Central America.
The northern edge of the Caribbean Plate defines much of Belize, Cuba and the Bahamas as extraregional. Similarly Guyana in the South.

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Caribbean Studies

Module 1 : Caribbean Society and Culture.

Topic : Location and Definition of the Caribbean Region

Geographical Location of the Caribbean.

The Greater Antilles

The Lesser Antilles

Which islands are the Windward and Leeward Islands ?

Definitions of the Caribbean Region

The Caribbean Plate

LEGEND Independent States Associated State Colonial Territories

Problems in defining the Caribbean

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