The Caribbean fascinates me. The first thing people notice is the region's natural beauty, particularly the "sun, sand and sea." Of course, there's a lot more to the Caribbean than just these things: it also has historical monuments, different languages and cultures, and the incredible warmth of its people. As a Jamaica slogan says, "Once you go, you know." This is not to say that the Caribbean is problem-free. Often there are gross economic inequities that lead to resentment and strife; crooked politicians; social issues such as AIDS, teenage pregnancies, and violence; overdevelopment; ecological problems; and so on. But the Caribbean people are resourceful, intelligent, and determined to preserve their way of life in the face of many obstacles, and this earns their admiration from the rest of the world. Once you get past the beaches and probe deeper, then, you see that there is a lot more to bring you back to the Caribbean.
In the western part of the Caribbean are some familiar islands and some not-so-familiar ones. Jamaica and the Cayman Islands are among the familiar ones. Those islands belonging to Central American or South American nations are among the not-so-familiar ones: the offshore keys of Belize, the Bay Islands of Honduras, the Corn Islands of Nicaragua, Colombia's San Andres and Providencia, and Bocas del Toro and the San Blas Islands of Panama.
Johnny Key, San Andres, Colombia
Providencia, companion island to San Andres
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles, in the eastern Caribbean, include many of the familiar islands in the chain that extends from Puerto Rico to Venezuela: the US and British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St. Martin/St. Maarten, St. Barts, Saba, Statia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Guadeloupe and its outer islands, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Fort Oranje, St. Eustatius (Statia), Dutch Windward Islands
Pink Fancy Hotel, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
View of coral from Coral World, St. Thomas
Antigua countryside
ABC Islands
The ABC Islands, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, all belong to the Netherlands and are located in the south central part of the Caribbean, close to the coast of Venezuela. Aruba is well-known for its long stretch of beach on its western side, Curacao for its Dutch-style architecture as well as for the pontoon bridge in the central town of Willemstad, and Bonaire for being a nature preserve and diving spot.
Pseudo-Caribbean islands
There are several islands that are not Caribbean islands per se because they don't border on the Caribbean Sea, but are connected culturally to the Caribbean: the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Bermuda. All of these islands also have cultural connections to the American South, more so than the islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas
Bahamian Junkanoo
Aerial view of Providenciales (Provo), Turks and Caicos Islands
Bermuda scene
The Guianas
The Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) are located in northeastern South America, to the east of Venezuela and north of Brazil. Although they do not border on the Caribbean Sea but rather on the Atlantic Ocean, they are considered part of the Caribbean region because of their cultural ties to the Caribbean islands. The coastal regions, where all the capitals exist, are more populated than the interior jungle regions. Both the coast and the jungle have both African American and Amerindian populations. There is also a substantial Hindu population in the region (as in nearby Trinidad).
Copyright 2011 by Michael Esposito. All rights reserved. Todos los derechos reservados. E-mail: meesposito@gmail.com This site updated October 9, 2011/Este sitio fue ampliado el 9 de octubre de 2011 Santa Fe Travel: a division of L & M Travel - Michael Esposito: IC Travel Specialist of L & M Travel - CST# 2043262-40 L & M Travel IC Agent
