Caribbean Information
The Caribbean (Dutch: Caraïben; French: Caraïbes; Spanish: Caribe; Portuguese: Caribe or Caraíbas) is a region of the Americas consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north and west of South America. Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the area comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cayes. The West Indies consist of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), and the Bahamas. Bermuda lies much further to the north in the Atlantic Ocean and is in the West Indies. Geopolitically, the West Indies are usually reckoned as a subregion of North America and are organised into 28 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies. At one time, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of ten English-speaking Caribbean territories.
More about the Caribbean ...Featured article
Bob Marley OM (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the most widely known performer of reggae music, and is famous for popularising the genre outside Jamaica. A faithful Rastafari, Marley is regarded by many as a prophet of the religion.Marley is best known for his ska, rocksteady, and reggae songs, which include the hits "I Shot the Sheriff", "No Woman, No Cry", "Three Little Birds", "Exodus", "Could You Be Loved", "Jammin", "Redemption Song", and "One Love". His posthumous compilation album Legend (1984) is the best-selling reggae album ever, with sales of more than 12 million copies.
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Did you know?
- ...that during the American Revolutionary War, Montserrat was briefly captured by France before being returned to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Versailles which ended that conflict?
- ...that the Cauto River is the longest river in Cuba at 213 miles?
- ...that Joel Garner, a leading West Indian cricket player in the 1970s and 80s, was nicknamed Big Bird because he stood at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)?
- ...that immediately after the West Indies cricket team's victory against England at Lord's in 1950, Trinidadian calypsonians Lord Beginner and Lord Kitchener began a musical march from the ground to Piccadilly followed by dancing spectators?
- ...that the University of the West Indies consists of three major campuses at Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, and Cave Hill in Barbados?
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Selected music
File:Congas player.jpg The music of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles is a mixture of native, African and European elements, and is closely connected with trends from neighboring islands like Martinique, Trinidad and Guadeloupe, as well as the mainland former Dutch possession of Suriname, which has exported kaseko music to great success on the islands. Curaçao and Bonaire likely have the most active and well-known music scenes. Curaçao is known for a kind of music called tumba, which is named after the conga drums which accompany it.| ...Archive/Nominations |
Selected cuisine
The Cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago is indicative of the blends of Indian, Amerindian, European, African, Creole, Chinese and Lebanese gastronomic influences. Many dishes are popular choices for the morning meal in Trinidad and Tobago. These dishes include: salt fish buljol, tomato choka, black pudding, fresh coconut bread, fried Accra, Tannia cakes, and boiled casava.| ...Archive/Nominations |
Selected picture
| Credit: Antonio Iribarne, Argentina |
Rico Rodriguez (b.1934) Jamaican trombone star, 2002.
| ...Archive/Nominations |
Caribbean News
- October 10 The Netherlands Antilles were dissolved. Sint Maarten & Curaçao became countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Bonaire, Saba & Sint Eustatius became special municipalities within the Netherlands.
- September 22: Cuban leader Fidel Castro made his first TV appearance in three months, saying "Well, I'm still here," in an interview taped this week. (BBC NEWS)
- August 2: The talks between UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Haitian President Rene Preval in Port Au Prince appear to have been dominated by discussion of the continued presence of the UN peace keeping force there.(BBC NEWS)
- March 18: Trinidad and Tobago has backed the move by the Venezuelan Government to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Jamaica by 2009.(JAMAICAN GLEANER)
- March 12 : The 2007 Cricket World Cup opens at the Greenfield Stadium in Jamaica with a ceremony showcasing West Indian musicians including Sly and Robbie, Sean Paul, Kevin Lyttle, Alison Hinds and Jimmy Cliff.(BBC NEWS)
- March 7: Edwin Carrington, secretary general of the 12-member Caricom announces that the Caribbean Community intends to negotiate a free trade agreement with Central America, perhaps within the next six months.(JAMAICAN OBSERVER)
- March 1: The West Indies cricket team make final preparations for the oncoming Cricket world cup, which begins on March 13 at the newly completed Sabina Park in Kingston. (CRICKET WORLD CUP NEWS)
- Feb 28: President of Cuba Fidel Castro makes a surprise phone call to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's radio talk show Aló Presidente, and the two leaders converse live on air for thirty minutes. During the conversation, Castro declares that he now has "more energy and strength".(PRAVDA)
- Feb 28: United Nations troops move into slum areas of Haiti, where almost a quarter of a million people live, as part of a new "get tough" policy against the armed gangs. (BBC NEWS)
- Feb 22: The United States applauds a unanimous decision by the U.N. Security Council to extend the world body’s stabilization mission in Haiti for another eight months, to October 15, with the intention to renew for further periods. (MEDIA NEWSWIRE)
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Selected geography article
The nation of Haiti comprises the western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, west of the Dominican Republic and between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Haiti's geographic coordinates are at a longitude of 72° 25′ west and a latitude of 19° 00′ north. The total area is 27,750km,² of which 27,560km² is land and 190km² is water. This makes Haiti slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland. Haiti has 1,771km of coastline and a 360km-border with the Dominican Republic. Haiti's lowest elevation is at sea level; its highest point is Pic la Selle at 2,680 m. There are no navigable rivers; the largest lake is Etang Saumâtre, a salt-water body located in the southern region.| ...Archive/Nominations |
Related portals
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Caribbean Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Cuba Curaçao |
Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guadeloupe Haiti Jamaica Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy |
Saba Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands |
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