LOCATION AND DEFINITION OF THE CARIBBEAN REGION

Objectives
-Locate the Caribbean region and name the territories after viewing the World Map and Caribbean Map.
-Identify and list the sub-regions of the Caribbean
-Identify the Caribbean territories in relation to the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and continental land
masses: (Water bodies on the Map of the Caribbean).
-Appreciate the importance of the Caribbean as a region.

Definition of the Caribbean Region

THE CARIBBEAN is the region in the Americans which comprises the Caribbean Sea, Its islands and surrounding
areas. The region is southeast of North America and the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Central America and Northwest of
South America. The Caribbean is a large region that is marked by diversity from main land territories to islands
and archipelagoes. Having knowledge of the Caribbean’s location fosters a better understanding of the
diversity that co-exists with our shared Caribbean experiences. The Caribbean Region is a large area and
because of this there is much diversity from main land territories to islands and archipelagoes. This diversity
is often masked by people from both inside and outside the region. Studying the location of the Caribbean
helps us to better appreciate the diversity that co-exists with, and must underline, common Caribbean
experiences
There is no one way to define the Caribbean, however, the Caribbean is generally referred to as a melting
pot. This concept refers to the combination of a variety of cultures, people and experiences in the Caribbean
region. There are five ways by which we can define the Caribbean, these are:
Geographical
This describes the area washed by the Caribbean Sea and is often described as the Caribbean Basin. It would
therefore include most of the islands of the Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles as well as the mainland
territories in Central America (Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, and Honduras) and Northern South America such
as Columbia and Venezuela. The common link here is the Caribbean Sea. The main idea behind the
geographical definition of the Caribbean is that it is based on the concept of the Caribbean Basin where the
central identifying feature is the Caribbean Sea rimmed by mainland territories of Central and South
America.
The geographic Caribbean can also be defined using the lines of latitude and longitude, Caribbean Sea –
“area of about 1.02 million square miles between 9 & 22 degrees north and 60 to 89 degrees west” Area
stretching from 60 degrees west to 90 degrees west and or from near the equator 5 degrees north to 25 – 30
degrees north.
Boundaries
South – coasts of Venezuela, Columbia and Panama
West – Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico
North – Greater Antilles
East – Lesser Antilles chain of islands
Tropics
• 5 degrees to 23 (23.5) degrees north
• 10 degrees to 90 degrees west
Caribbean Islands Included:

Haiti Trinidad and Tobago

Dominican Republic Aruba and Netherland Antilles
Martinique Puerto Rico Oddities
Cayman Columbia
Belize Venezuela
Guadeloupe Panama
Jamaica Costa Rica
Cuba Nicaragua
Grenada Honduras
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Guatemala
St. Lucia Mexico
Dominica
St. Kitts and Nevis
Countries that are excluded The Bahamas, Bermuda, Guyana, Suriname, Barbados and French
Guiana

Fig. 1

NB: Notice that the territories in red all have one common feature, they are all washed by
the Caribbean Sea, even though they may speak different languages.

SHORTCOMINGS OF THIS DEFINITION - The idea of the Caribbean Basin and even the
coordinates of longitude and latitude are interpreted subjectively. The geographic conception of
the Caribbean is based on the view of the Caribbean as a basin with the surrounding territories
representing the limits of the basin. Belize is not in the Caribbean Basin, but is a large land mass
in Central America and it is very much Caribbean. The definition excludes countries that are
normally accepted as Caribbean such as Guyana, Barbados and Bahamas. Barbados and
Bahamas are located in the Atlantic Ocean and not the Caribbean Sea and Guyana’s coast also
borders the Atlantic Ocean. Bermuda is also found in the Atlantic Ocean.
Geological
There are deep seated structural features of Caribbean geology which also identifies
commonalities. It is the area that is defined by the Caribbean Plate and which experiences similar
tectonic, seismic and volcanic features and processes. Is not as well used as the other ways by
which we define the Caribbean region. However, the defining feature is the Caribbean Plate
which has marked boundaries or margins where it meets other plates. A ‘plate ‘is a subterranean
feature that is a part of the Earth’s crust and on which land and oceans are found. Much of the
Caribbean region lies on the Caribbean plate. While the Caribbean Plate is a significant entity on
which to build our conception of the Caribbean region, it does not include Guyana, the Bahamas
and much of Cuba.

The Caribbean Plate NB: The Caribbean is situated in a geologic feature known as the
Caribbean Plate which has boundaries or margins with other plates nearby. A plate is a large
piece of crust (on which there may be both land and ocean) and it moves in relation to other
plates. On the whole the earth is made up of six or seven plates and many smaller ones. The
Caribbean Plate is a small plate. Other geological features of the region include the fact that:

(a) The entire Caribbean region is in an earthquake zone

(b) The Lesser Antilles is made up of volcanoes, several of which are active

1. Guyana and the Bahamas The “problem” with defining the western edge of the do not have
coastlines on the “Caribbean” according to Caribbean Plate is located in the Caribbean Sea. Yet
linguistic or European the Pacific and includes both countries are heritage, is that, that tends to
Honduras, Costa Rica, commonly accepted as ignore the commonalities of Nicaragua and
Panama in the part of the Caribbean experience at the Caribbean. Hands of these colonial
powers.

2. This definition includes, the northern edge of the countries not normally Guyana and the
Bahamas. The Caribbean Plate defines much associated with this should also include the of
Belize, Cuba and the “Caribbean” – Panama, French, Dutch and Spanish Bahamas as extra-
regional. Columbia and the other speaking countries of the Similarly Guyana in the South.
Countries of Central Caribbean and Central America. America.
THE THEORY OF PLATE TECTONIC
The Theory of plate tectonic is an explanation of how plates move in relation to each other,
thereby creating certain tectonic activities at their margins. It is generally believed that plates
meet each other at three kinds of margin, each with distinctive characteristics. These margins are
described below:

1. The divergent (or constructive margin) where magma upwells from the mantle on to the
crustal surface. The plates move away from each other being pushed by this upwelling and
diverging movement from below. This results in gentle volcanic eruptions and some earthquake
activity, but on the whole such margins are not associated with severe environmental hazards.
The Hawaiian Islands are situated on such a margin. In the Caribbean a very small divergent
margin may be developing west of Jamaica (Sealey, 1992).
2. The transform margin (sometimes referred to as a fault) – where plates slide pass each other,
generating earthquakes as the rocks move to release the stress of the movement and friction with
the other plate. The San Andreas Fault, along the west coast of North America, passing through
San Francisco is such a margin. In the Caribbean two major transform margins delineate the
northern and the southern boundaries of the Caribbean Plate. A majority of epicenters are
associated with these transform margins. An epicenter is the point on the earth’s surface where
an earthquake is felt most intensely. This is because it is directly above the deep- seated origin of
the earthquake, the focus. Earthquakes then pose an environmental hazard to Caribbean countries
along the transform margins.

3. The convergent (or destructive margin) – this is where plates collide with each other forcing
one back down into the mantle. This margin poses two kinds of environmental hazards, namely
volcanic and seismic. For our purpose, we will emphasize the eastern edge of the Caribbean
Plate, a convergent margin along the line of the Lesser Antilles. The eastern edge of the
Caribbean Plate lies in the Pacific Ocean and affects Central America in a similar fashion. See
diagram below.

HISTORICAL
The Historical Caribbean – this describe the area that saw the impact of European colonization,
slavery, indenture ship and the plantation system. This refers to all the territories, so that one
means by which we can define the Caribbean is by identifying those countries that experienced
the rule of specific European countries, namely the English, French, Dutch and the Spanish. The
common feature in this definition is that they share the same historical or cultural experiences.
It describes the area that saw the impact of European colonization, slavery, indenture ship and
the plantation system. This refers to all the territories so that one way of defining the Caribbean
is to identify those countries that experienced the rule of specific European countries. Thus the
Caribbean may be defined as being broken up into the English, French, Dutch and Spanish
speaking countries and territories. The historical definition of the Caribbean lies in the idea that
region shares similar historical processes regardless of our English, Spanish, Dutch or French
colonial connections.
These historical processes include the occupation of the area by the indigenous peoples, the
genocide and war engaged against the indigenes, African slavery and indentureship, colonialism,
the development of plantation economy and plantation society, independence and forging a free
society out of such experiences.
Fig. 3

LEGEND ENGLISH SPANISH

FRENCH DUTCH NB: The legend
indicates the territories that were
under the control of the various
European powers. It should be
noted that Guyana (which was first
under Dutch control, then English),
Surinam (which was under Dutch
control) and French Guiana (which
is STILL under French control) are
not represented in Fig. 3. They are
a part of the Caribbean because
they share the same historical/cultural experiences as all those which are represented in fig. 3.

Language embodies these cultural differences and presents the major distinguishing factor that
delimits the Caribbean region from Latin America In defining the Caribbean using historical
criteria; the European influence looms larger than that of the indigenous peoples even though
they were brought here later as indentured laborers.

POLITICAL
In the Caribbean at least three types of governmental systems are found. They include
Independent States, Associated States and Colonial Dependencies.

INDEPENDENT STATES - These are former colonies of metropole countries which are now
self-governing. These islands have chosen to govern their countries completely different from
that of their colonial masters, namely democracy and communism, e.g., Jamaica, Haiti.

ASSOCIATED STATES - These countries are not independent but enjoy all the rights and
privileges of the country that governs it e.g. Anguilla.

COLONIAL DEPENDENCIES - These are countries who are governed by another countries but
do not enjoy the rights and privileges enjoyed by the associated states, e.g., Turks and Caicos
Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands.

CARIBBEAN DIASPORA - The word ‘Diaspora’ is Greek in origin and means ‘to scatter.’ In
Caribbean Studies, the Diasporic Caribbean refers to a group of people who reside in another
geographical location for instance people of Caribbean ancestry who reside in European
metropolitan counties, North America, Canada among others who share an emotional connection
to their homeland.

Terms to learn and remember:

Geography: field of study which emphasizes the relationship between human society and the
physical environment.
Human ecology: refers to the interrelationships that are forged between a people and their
environment.
Environmental Hazard: refers to a natural event having the potential to threaten man’s life and
property.
Hazard: refers to the threat or the risk of damage to life and property.
Environmental Disaster: refers to the realization of such a disaster.
Geomorphology: is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them.
Geomorphologists seek to understand why landscapes look the way they do: to understand
landform history and dynamics, and predict future changes through a combination of field
observation, physical experiment, and numerical modeling

LOCATION and DEFINITION OF THE CARIBBEAN ACTIVITY PAGE

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY – [40 minutes]

Instructions: On the map provided, identify and write the names of the Caribbean territories.
On the back of the map, students will identify and write the names of FIVE sub-
groups in the Caribbean. Under each sub-group identified, students will list
THREE Caribbean territories.
Rubric:
 Map /80
 Sub-groups and territories /20

= /100

GROUP ACTIVITY – [80 minutes]

Instructions: Students will to respond in complete and proper sentences to the following:
1. Create an inclusive definition of the Caribbean.
5 marks
2. Assess THREE advantages and THREE disadvantages of using each of the following criteria
to define the Caribbean:
 Geography
 Geology
 History
 Diaspora

12 marks
3. Outline FOUR difficulties of defining the Caribbean politically
8 marks
Total /25