Caribbean Studies
Caribbean Studies notes
Module 1 Caribbean society and culture
Location of the Caribbean
Greater Antilles: Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Jamaica, Puerto Rico
Lesser Antilles: * Windward islands: Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique * Leeward islands: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Virgin islands
Netherland Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (ABC"islands); Saint Marten,
Saba, St. Eustatius
Mainland Territories: Guyana, Belize, Suriname, Cayenne (French Guyana)
Others: Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Cayman Islands, Bahamas Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
b. Definitions of the Caribbean region
CARIBBEAN DEFINITIONS
The Caribbean is a disjunction land bridge between North and South America with an East - West stretch of almost 3000 Km and a North -South reach of some 1500 Km. Only 10% of this is land. Geographically the Caribbean is defined as the land area which has its coastline washed by the Caribbean Sea. This would mean that the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Cayman Islands and the islands of the Netherland Antilles all belong to the Caribbean. By this definition Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas would however be excluded from the Caribbean. It would also include Belize, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rico; Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras and exclude the mainland territories of Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana (Cayenne).
This is the area colonized by European powers (Spanish, British, French and Dutch) and which has been deeply affected by the brand of European Colonialism. The Spanish through the encomienda system and other means exterminated the original inhabitants. The British introduced the plantation system and with it, the enslavement of Africans and the indentureship of the Chinese and East Indians. The Dutch and French not only colonizedbutwere involved in an ongoing trade within the region. It has become common way to identify the
Module 1 Caribbean society and culture
Location of the Caribbean
Greater Antilles: Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Jamaica, Puerto Rico
Lesser Antilles: * Windward islands: Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique * Leeward islands: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Virgin islands
Netherland Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (ABC"islands); Saint Marten,
Saba, St. Eustatius
Mainland Territories: Guyana, Belize, Suriname, Cayenne (French Guyana)
Others: Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Cayman Islands, Bahamas Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
b. Definitions of the Caribbean region
CARIBBEAN DEFINITIONS
The Caribbean is a disjunction land bridge between North and South America with an East - West stretch of almost 3000 Km and a North -South reach of some 1500 Km. Only 10% of this is land. Geographically the Caribbean is defined as the land area which has its coastline washed by the Caribbean Sea. This would mean that the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Cayman Islands and the islands of the Netherland Antilles all belong to the Caribbean. By this definition Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas would however be excluded from the Caribbean. It would also include Belize, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rico; Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras and exclude the mainland territories of Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana (Cayenne).
This is the area colonized by European powers (Spanish, British, French and Dutch) and which has been deeply affected by the brand of European Colonialism. The Spanish through the encomienda system and other means exterminated the original inhabitants. The British introduced the plantation system and with it, the enslavement of Africans and the indentureship of the Chinese and East Indians. The Dutch and French not only colonizedbutwere involved in an ongoing trade within the region. It has become common way to identify the