3. The Caribbean Islands consist of 3 different island groups:
1) The Greater Antilles
2) The Lesser Antilles
3) The Bahamas
with the exception of some
of the islands in the
Bahamas, a# of the islands
in the Caribbean are in the
Tropics
4. The Greater Antilles include:
Cuba
Jamaica
Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican
Republic)
Puerto Rico
the 4 largest islands in the Caribbean
The Lesser Antilles form an arc that
separates the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic
Ocean and include, among others:
The Virgin Islands
Dominica
St. Lucia
Barbados
Granada
The Bahamas include nearly 700 islands
north of Cuba
The Netherlands Antilles hug the
coast of South America
Aruba
Trinidad and Tobago
5. Volcanic Islands
of the Caribbean
Many islands are actually volcanoes
pushed up from subduction taking
place along the Atlantic side of the
Archipelago.
The Soufriere Hills Volcano erupted on the island of Martinique in 1997,
killing 19 people. The volcano is still active today.
6. Coral Islands
of the Caribbean
Over time, some islands
are built as sand and
sediment accumulate on
top of a coral reef.
Eventually, the island
emerges from the ocean,
plants form and an
ecosystem develops. The
sandy soil drains too
easily and doesn’t
support agriculture.
8. Wind and Water
Temperatures affect land
temperatures on islands in
the Caribbean. As wind
blows off of cooler water
onto the shores of the
islands, it cools the
temperature over land.
Modest temperatures
hover in the 80s year
around.
Also, the windward side of
the islands receive
considerably more rainfall
(200”/year) than the
leeward sides (30”/year).
9. Where are the Natives?...
European colonists arrived shortly after Columbus’ visit in 1492 and within 100
years, most native islanders had vanished due to diseases and mistreatment.
Most currents islanders are
descendants of Africans
brought over to work on the
Sugar Cane plantations
Culturally, Calypso music, with its steel drums,
satire, and a rhythmic beat, traces back to enslaved
Africans working on the plantations in Trinidad.
There is a sizable Asian population in the Caribbean. When slavery was
abolished, the need for plantation workers brought an influx of Asians from
half way around the world.
10. Independent Island Nations of the Caribbean
Cuba
Haiti
the Dominican Republic
Barbados
Jamaica
the Bahamas
Trinidad and Tobago (one country)
about 90% of the Caribbean population live in independent countries
Other interesting connections...
Colonies of the United Kingdom
The British Virgin Islands, Monserrat, and the Cayman Islands
Independent Members of the British Commonwealth
Jamaica and the Bahamas
US Territories
US Virgin Islands
US Commonwealth
Puerto Rico
Department of France
Guadeloupe and Martinique
Netherlands Associates
the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba
11. Economics - Agriculture
fertile volcanic soils produce much of the
world’s bananas, sugar, coconuts, cocoa, rice
and cotton; secondary jobs related to
agriculture include refining sugar, packaging
products and making textiles; tertiary jobs are
found in the shipping industry
Economics - Tourism
Climate, beautiful beaches, crystal clear
waters, and coral reefs attract visitors from
all over the world; however, as tourism
thrives, many of the business associated
with tourism (hotels, cruise lines...) are
owned by foreign companies so most of the
profit doesn’t benefit the islands.
