Caribbean

The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of countries and islands in the Caribbean Sea. These countries or islands are located from the southeastern areas of Mexico to the northwest of Venezuela in South America. There are at least 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cayes in the region. They are organized into 25 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies.

Related Topics:
Islands - Caribbean Sea - Mexico - Venezuela - South America - Islets - Reef - Caye - Sovereign - Dependencies

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The name "West Indies" originates from Christopher Columbus' idea that he had landed in the Indies (then meaning all of south and east Asia) when he had in fact reached the Americas. The name "Caribbean" is named after the Caribs, one of the dominant Amerindian groups in the region at the time of European contact. The Caribbean consists of the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and is often considered part of North America.

Related Topics:
Christopher Columbus - Indies - Asia - The Americas - Carib - Amerindian - Europe - Antilles - North America

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At one time, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of the English-speaking Caribbean islands of the region.

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The Caribbean area is also famous for its sea pirates. See the article piracy in the Caribbean.

Related Topics:
Pirate - Piracy in the Caribbean

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The region known as "Caribbean" is usually restricted to the islands of the Caribbean Sea, although sometimes the continental American coastline is included.

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