Caribbean

The Caribbean is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to its east and north, the coast of South America to its south, the coast of Central America to its southwest, and by the Gulf of Mexico to its northwest.

The West Indies is the name for the group of the islands of The Bahamas and the Antilles. The Antilles are divided into two groups: the larger Greater Antilles, on the north limit of the Caribbean Sea, and the Lesser Antilles, on the east and south.

The Caribbean islands have many different types of land. Because of this, the islands have many different kinds of plants and animals, even uncommon ones.

Famous islands in the Caribbean include Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. The countries of Dominican Republic, and Haiti are on Hispaniola. There is also a lot of white sandy beaches and hot sun there.^[1]

The name Caribbean comes from Carib, Indigenous people living in the Lesser Antilles and north South America when the Europeans came to the Americas.

The 18th century saw many countries trying to colonize the islands.^[4] Because of this, Caribbean culture is very similar to those of Africa, India, and many countries in Europe.