Caribbean from A to Z

For most people on the planet, the Caribbean is an archipelago of heavenly islands, beaches with turquoise waters fringed by coconut palms and spirit of the holiday, exotism, etc... Many ignore that this archipelago it's nearly 42 million inhabitants, 30 states or dependencies of European states, nearly 10 spoken languages and a rich, strong culture. We will start briefly by geography.

Geography

Carte de la Caraïbe The Caribbean is an archipelago located near the American continent and bathing in the Caribbean Sea.
The Caribbean is Greater and Lesser Antilles islands and some States outside the Caribbean islands such as the Bahamas, Turkish and Caicos Islands to the north. It is customary to add him Yucatan Peninsula (South East Region Central American countries including Mexico, Belize and Guatemala), the Caribbean facade of Central America and the coastal plains of Colombia, Venezuela and the Guiana Shield (Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana).
The northernmost state is the Bahamas, a group of islands, Grand Bahama, most northern is only 54mi to the coast of Florida. The southernmost Caribbean island is Trinidad, which is only 7mi away to the coast of Venezuela!

List of islands of the Caribbean archipelago per alphabetical order

Country + Political status Population (year) Area (sq. km) Capital city Head of state
Anguilla (British Overseas Territory) 17 087 hab. (2017) 102 The Valley Gouvernment:
- Head of state: Charles III
- Governor: Tim Foy
- Prime Minister: Victor Banks
Antigua and Barbuda (Constitutional monarchy) 94 731 hab. (2017) 442 St. John's Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- General Governor: Sir Rodney Williams
- Prime Minister: Gaston Browne
Aruba (Netherlands Kingdom) 115 120 hab. (2017) 442 Oranjestad Government:
- Head of state: Willem-Alexander (Roi des Pays-Bas)
- Governor: Alfonso Boekhoudt
- Minister President: Evelyn Wever-Croes
Bahamas (Constitutional monarchy) 329 988 hab. (2017) 13 962 Nassau Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- General Governor: Dame Marguerite Pindling
- Prime Minister: Hubert Minnis
Barbados (Republic) 292 336 hab. (2017) 430 Bridgetown Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- Governor: Dame Sandra Mason
- Prime Minister: Mia Mottley
Bonaire (Municipality with special status) 18 905 hab. (2015) 294 Kralendijk Government:
- Lieutenant Governor: Edison Rijna
British Virgin Islands (British Overseas Territory) 30 677 hab. (2016) 153 Roadtown Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- Governor: Augustus Jaspert
- Prime Minister: Orlando Smith
Cayman Islands (British Overseas Territory) 61 733 hab. (2016) 264 Cayman City Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- Governor: Martyn Roper
- Chef du Government: Alden Mac Laughlin
Cuba (Republic) 11 116 396 hab. (2018) 109 884 La Havane Government:
- President of the Council of State: Miguel Díaz-Canel
Curaçao (Government of Netherlands and Autonomous Government) 149 648 hab. (2017) 450 Willemstad Government:
- Head of state: Willem-Alexander
- Governor: Lucille George-Wout
- Minister President: Eugene Rhuggenaath
Dominica (Republic) 73 607 hab. (2017) 754 Roseau Government:
- President: Charles Savarin
- Prime Minister: Roosevelt Skerrit
Dominican Republic (Republic) 10 298 756 hab. (2018) 48 734 Saint-Domingue Government:
- President: Danilo Medina
Grenada (Constitutional monarchy) 110 694 hab. (2018) 350 Saint-Georges Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- Governor: Cécile La Grenade
- Ministre-President: Keith Mitchell
Guadeloupe (French overseas department and region) 394 110 hab. (2018) 1 628 Basse-Terre Government:
- Head of state: Emmanuel Macron
- President of the Region: Ary Chalus
- President of the Departmental Council: Josette Borel-Lincertin
Haiti (République) 11 646 715. (2017) 27 748 Port-au-Prince Government:
- President: Jovenel Moïse
Jamaica (Constitutional monarchy) 2 990 561 hab. (2017) 11 425 Kingston Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- Governor: Patrick Allen
- Prime Minister: Andrew Holness
Martinique (Unique French overseas collectivity) 376 480 hab. (2017) 1 128 Fort-de-France Government:
- Head of state: Emmanuel Macron
- President of the Executive Council of the Unique Collectivity: Alfred Marie-Jeanne
Montserrat (British Overseas Territory) 5 189 hab. (2013) 102 Plymouth Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- Governor: Elizabeth Carriere
- Chief Minister: Donaldson Romeo
Puerto Rico (Commonwealth of the United States) 3 337 177 hab. (2017) 9 104 San-Juan Government:
- Head of state: Joe Biden
- Governor: Ricardo Rosselló
Saba (Caribbean Netherlands) 1 991 hab. (2013) 13 The Bottom Government:
- Lieutenant Governor Edison Rijna
Saint Barths (French overseas collectivity) 9 427 hab. (2014) 24 Gustavia Government:
- Head of state: Emmanuel Macron
- Assemblée délibérante (President): Bruno Magras
Saint Kitts and Nevis (Constitutional monarchy) 52 329 hab. (2016) 261 Basseterre Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- General Governor : Tapley Seaton
- Prime Minister: Timothy Harris
Saint Lucia (Constitutional monarchy) 51 538 hab. (2014) 261 Castries Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- General Governor : Pearlette Louisy
- Prime Minister: Kenny Anthony
Saint Martin (French overseas collectivity) 36 992 hab. (2011) 53 Marigot Government:
- Head of state: Emmanuel Macron
- Assemblée délibérante (President) : Daniel Gibbs
Sint Maarten (Constitutional monarchy) 4 020 hab. (2013) 13 Philipsburg Government:
- Head of state: Willem-Alexander
- Governor: Eugene Holiday
- Prime Minister: Leona Marlin-Romeo
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Constitutional monarchy) 101 844 hab. (2018) 261 Kingstown Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- General Governor : Frederick Ballantyne
- Prime Minister: Ralph Gonsalves
Sint Eustatius (Caribbean Netherlands) 4 020 hab. (2013) 13 Oranjestad Government:
- Lieutenant Governor: Edison Rijna
Trinidad and Tobago (Republic) 1 359 193 hab. (2018) 5 128 Port-of-Spain Government:
- President: Paula-Mae Weekes
- Prime Minister : Keith Rowley
Turks and Caicos Islands (British Overseas Territory) 51 507 hab. (2015) 5 128 Cockburn Town Government:
- Head of state: Charles III
- General Governor : John Freeman
- Prime Minister: Sharlene Cartwright Robinson
United States of America Virgin Islands (United States of America Territory) 104 983 hab. (2015) 346 Charlotte Amélie Government:
- Head of state: Joe Biden
- Governor: Albert Bryab

History

What is the history of the Caribbean?

Unknown archipelago in the European world before Christopher Columbus travels who thought he had reached the Indies, the Caribbean was populated by people from South America. Some islands were inhabited by the Arawak/Taino, a peaceful people living fishing, hunting small animals, harvesting cassava, others by the Karib Indians, known to be retoutables warriors, hunters and fishermen. They invaded the entire area exterminating the Taino men and taking women as wives or servants. The islands are approached by Columbus during his four trips between 1492 and 1503 other navigators missioned.

These islands are colonized by the Spanish, British, Dutch and French colonial empires which will compete for these territories seen as gold mines dedicated to the production of commodities (coffee, cocoa, tobacco, sugar cane, bananas) for the market European. After three centuries marked by slavery and the arrival of slaves from Africa, it's to Asia and especially India that the European empires will turn after the abolition of slavery. Subsequently, all Caribbean States will get a different political status by obtaining independence or nearly complete autonomy (Commonwealth, constitutional monarchy) or a status integrating them into the European State which had colonized them.

Spoken languages

The languages spoken in the Caribbean are numerous. To official languages came during colonization (Spanish, French, English and Dutch in order of persons speaking the language) were added regional languages which have become predominant as Haitian Creole became the official language of the Republic of Haiti.

The spoken languages in the Caribbean are:

- Spanish : Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
- English : Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Barbade, Dominique, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- French : Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barths, Saint-Martin
- Dutch : Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba
- Creole with French lexical base (differences exist as islands) : Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Dominique, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines
- Creole with English lexical base : All previous British colonies
- Papamiento : Netherlands Caribbean

So, do you know the Caribbean better now?

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