Whether you pronounce it ca-RIB-ean or car-ib-bean, the Caribbean is one of the world’s most biologically diverse marine regions. The region is home to iconic wildlife and vulnerable coastal communities. But it’s also increasingly impacted by climate change and natural disasters such as hurricanes and volcanoes.

The Caribbean is a region of the Atlantic Ocean that’s south of North America, east of Central America and south of the Isthmus of Panama. It includes thirteen sovereign states and nearly two dozen non-sovereign territories. The largest countries in the Caribbean are Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas, which form part of the Greater Antilles, and Trinidad and Tobago, which make up the Lesser Antilles.

Although the word Caribbean refers to a geographic area, it’s also used as a synonym for a particular kind of person: someone who comes from or lives in the Caribbean islands. This is a people who share a common history, culture, and language and often live in the same countries.

When speaking about the Caribbean, it’s important to note that the Caribbean nations gained their independence from European powers throughout the nineteenth century and that some of the islands formed the West Indies Federation (now known as CARICOM) in 1958. This was an early example of Caribbean pan-Caribbean identity and shared vision, including the University of the West Indies.

To learn more about the history and culture of the Caribbean, visit the websites for each country and explore their official travel guides. In addition, there are a number of great books on the topic – from history to romance to guidebooks and more!