The Caribbean
Click
here to view our properties in this country
The Caribbean is a region of the Americas consisting
of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (most of which enclose
the sea), and the surrounding coasts. The region is
located southeast of North America, east of Central
America, and to the north of South America.
Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the region
comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs,
and cays. Also called the West Indies, since Christopher
Columbus landed here in 1492 believing he was in India,
the region consists of the Antilles, divided into
the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on
the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and
east (including the Leeward Antilles), and the Bahamas.
Geopolitically, the West Indies are usually reckoned
as a subregion of North America and are organised
into 27 territories including sovereign states, overseas
departments, and dependencies. At one time, there
was a short-lived country called the Federation of
the West Indies composed of ten English-speaking Caribbean
territories.
The Caribbean islands are an island chain 4,020 kilometres (2,500 mi) long and no more than 257 kilometres (160 mi) wide at any given point. They enclose the Caribbean Sea.
Indians were the first inhabitants in the Caribbean, and then, in 1492, Christopher Columbus began his exploration of these islands, becoming the first European to venture into the area.
After landing in the Bahamas, Columbus named these islands the Indies, because he thought he had finally reached Asia (and the East Indies).
Numerous explorers followed in his path, then settlers arrived from the Americas and Europe.
Included in that mix were religious outcasts, slaves from Africa, and a small army of infamous pirates.
Great military powers would fight for control of the islands, and finally, a blended mix of African and European cultures and languages transformed this large group of islands and its peoples into one of the premier tourist destinations on the planet.
Long called the West Indies, the overall area is
now commonly referred to as the Caribbean, a name
that became popular after World War II.
Some of this information has been provided by Wikipedia.
Region Information - Antigua | Bahamas | Barbados | Grand Bahama | St Lucia | Tobago | Turks and Caicos Islands
If you would like
to add information to this page please email
us with the details.
If you are an agent selling property in this country and would like
to add your properties to this site, please email
us or call us on 00 44 1702 603210.
If you would like to add a reciprocal link to this page, please go
to our links page. If you would like to add your banner/text link
here, please email
us with the details.
