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.

Historical groupings

Main article: History of the Caribbean

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Most islands at some point were, or still are, colonies of European nations:

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• British West Indies / Anglophone_Caribbean - Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands
• Danish West Indies - present-day United States Virgin Islands
• Dutch West Indies - present-day Netherlands Antilles and Aruba
• French West Indies - Haiti and the French overseas départements of Guadeloupe and Martinique
• Spain - Cuba, Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic and Haiti), Puerto Rico

The British West Indies were formerly united by the United Kingdom into a West Indies Federation. The independent countries which were once a part of the B.W.I. still have a unified composite cricket team that successfully competes in test matches and one-day internationals. The West Indian cricket team includes the South American nation of Guyana, the only former British colony on that continent.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - West Indies Federation - Cricket - Test match - One-day international - West Indian cricket team - Guyana

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In addition, these countries share the University of the West Indies as a regional entity. The university consists of three main campuses in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, a smaller campus in the Bahamas and Resident Tutors in other contributing territories.

Related Topics:
University of the West Indies - Jamaica - Barbados - Trinidad and Tobago - Bahamas

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