ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN

The Caribbean is a region that consist of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean), and the surrounding coasts. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.

Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the region comprises more than 700 islands, islets, reefs, and cays. The Caribbean island, consisting of the Greater Antilles on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east, are part of the somewhat larger West Indies grouping.

Geopolitically, The Caribbean islands are usually regarded as a subregion of North America and are organised into 30 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies.

Geography & Climate

The geography and climate in the Caribbean region varies: some islands in the region have relatively flat terrain of non-volcanic origin. Others possess rugged towering-ranges like the islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Dominica Republic, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Kitts etc.

The climate of the area is tropical but rainfall varies with elevation, size, and water current. Warm, moist trade winds blow consistently from the east creating rainforest/ semi desert divisions on mountainous islands. Occasional northwesterlies affect the northern islands in the winter. The region enjoys year-round sunshine, divided into ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ season, with the last six month of the year being wetter than the first half.

Countries where it occasionally snows, in the Caribbean, are: Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Cuba.

The waters of the Caribbean Sea host large, migratory schools of fish, turtles, and corals reef formations.

Hurricanes that sometimes batter the region usually strike northwards of Grenada and the west of Barbados.

AREA: The Caribbean islands cover a total area of 2,754,000 km²(1,063,000 sq mi). The Land Area is 239,681 km² (92,541 sq mi).

POPULATION: The population of the Caribbean is around 39 million (39,169,962).

ETHNIC GROUPS: AfroCaribbean, European,IndoCaribbean, ChineseCaribbean, Amerindians (Arawak, Island Caribs, Tainos)

LANGUAGEES: English, Spanish, French, Dutch, among others

GOVERNMENT: 13 Sovereign states and 17 dependent territories

COUNTRIES: The countries in the Caribbean islands include the following:

Anguilla, Barbados, Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Island, Bonaire, Saint Lucia, Cayman Islands, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Eustatius, Saint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, 
United States Virgin Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, 
Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, 
Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba

LIFE IN THE CARIBBEAN

The Caribbean island is one of the most exciting places to live in the world. It has an exciting lifestyle, music, food and culture. The people in the Caribbean are very close with their family, that’s why they are considered a happy people. They put themselves around the people they love and are rarely alone.  When it comes to receiving foreign visitors, the people of the Caribbean islands are very hospitable and this is the reason why the very rich and influential people in our societies today go to the Caribbean to spend their vacation. No doubt, you will sure enjoy your stay in this beautiful region as a student.