Locating and Defining the Caribbean PDF

CARIBBEAN STUDIES Module 1: Caribbean Society and Culture Locating and defining the Caribbean The Caribbean is a large area and because of this there is much diversity. This includes islands, mainland territories and Archipelagos. Studying the Caribbean helps us to bet...

CARIBBEAN STUDIES Module 1: Caribbean Society and Culture Locating and defining the Caribbean The Caribbean is a large area and because of this there is much diversity. This includes islands, mainland territories and Archipelagos. Studying the Caribbean helps us to better appreciate the diversity and Caribbean experience. The Caribbean like any other place can be located using mainly two methods. These are by using Compass direction (cardinal points) and using absolute location (lines of latitude and longitude coordinates) The location of the Caribbean is 21.4691° N latitude, 78.6569° W longitude. The Caribbean as a region is divided into sub-regions which are: Greater Antilles: Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Jamaica, Puerto Rico Lesser Antilles: This is divided into the Windward, Leeward islands and the Netherland/ Dutch Antilles. Windward islands: Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados Leeward islands: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Virgin Islands, St Martin, ST Maarten, St Barthelemy, St Eustatius, and Saba Netherland Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao  Mainland/continental territories: Guyana, Suriname, and Belize, French Guiana The Caribbean as a region is home to Archipelagos such as the Bahamas, Cayman islands, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Leeward islands. Location Activity Using Compass Direction locate the Caribbean from the following areas. a) Florida b) Central America c) South America Defining the Caribbean There is no one way to define the Caribbean. The Caribbean can be defined in four main ways. These are geographically, historically, geologically and politically.  The Geographical Caribbean Describing the Caribbean Geographically The Caribbean itself is filled many variations of physical features which includes mountains, valleys, plains, rivers etc. With the exception of Cuba, all the islands of the Greater Antilles are mountainous. Cuba has wide elevated plains (plateaus) over 1000m in altitude. In the Greater Antilles there are also many low-lying alluvial plains and steep limestone hills with caves. The rivers on these plains are not very large and many disappear underground. The smaller volcanic islands of the Eastern Caribbean are also rugged and mountainous. Geographical Definition  Geographically the Caribbean is defined as the land area which has its coastline washed by the Caribbean Sea. The area washed by the Caribbean sea and is often described as the Caribbean Basin. Weaknesses of the Geographical Definition The definition includes countries not normally associated with the Caribbean. These countries include Panama, Columbia and other countries of Central America. By this definition Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas would however be excluded from the Caribbean. It would also include Belize, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica; Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras and Exclude the mainland territories of Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. The Historical Caribbean  Historical Definition This is the area that was colonized by European powers (Spanish, British, French and Dutch) and which has been deeply affected by the brand of European Colonialism. The Spanish through the Encomienda system and other means exterminated the original inhabitants. The British introduced the plantation system and with it, the enslavement of Africans and the indentureship of the Chinese and East Indians. The Dutch and French not only colonized but were involved in an ongoing trade within the Caribbean. In general, it is the area that experienced European colonization, slavery, indentureship and the plantation system. Since all Caribbean Countries were affected by these institutions, it has become typical to identify a country with the specific European power that dominated it. Weaknesses of the Historical Definition The problem with defining the Caribbean according to linguistic (English, Spanish, French) or European heritage, is that it tends to ignore the commonalities of Caribbean Experience at the hands of these colonial powers. This definition would include Guyana in Central America and the Bahamas. It should also include the French, Dutch and Spanish Speaking countries of the Caribbean and Central America. The Geological Caribbean  Geological Definition The Caribbean is seen as that area of the region defined by the Caribbean Plate and which therefore experiences the same tectonic, seismic and volcanic features and processes. The lands of the Caribbean are said to be formed from earth movements called Plate Tectonics. The Caribbean falls between the north and south American plates and the Cocos Plate. Weaknesses of the Geological Definition The western edge of the Caribbean Plate is located in the Pacific and includes countries such as Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama in the Caribbean. The definition would exclude territories such as Cuba, Guyana, Suriname the Bahamas, and Turks and Cacios which are usually viewed as Caribbean territories.  Political Caribbean The Political Definition The Caribbean is defined by its political status and processes. The Caribbean has three kinds of governmental status or forms: Independent states, associated states and colonial dependencies. Several of the former colonial powers still possess territories in the Caribbean or have very close relations with them. Independent States- these are former colonies which are now self governing. Example: Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Trinidad. Associate States-these are territories which are not independent but enjoy all the rights and privileges of the country that governs it. Example Puerto Rico Colonial Dependencies- these are territories that are directly governed by other countries but do not enjoy the rights and privileges that are enjoyed by inhabitants of the states governing them.  Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana are so called "departementes d'outre-mer" and thus are part of France's sovereign territory and part of the European Union political Caribbean. British Caribbean dependents are Anguilla, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Tuks and Caicos and Cayman Islands. Dutch territories are Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, St Maarten and Saba In terms of political arrangements, Cuba has a communist system,Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados are republics. The rest of the British W.I still hold to the British traditional form of government, based on the Westminster-Whitehall model. By and large the Caribbean has a rich post-colonial democratic tradition with a few exceptions of Cuba, Dominican Republic and Guyana. Weaknesses of the Political Definition The present political entities in the Caribbean have evolved from their historic association with Europe. Even the countries that are independent today now maintain a close relationship with their former colonizers. Caribbean countries have formed their own organizations to strengthen their political bond and help each other to accomplish their goals. These organizations include CARICOM, Association of Caribbean States (A.C.S) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (O.E.C.S). The diasporic definition The Caribbean Diaspora refers to people who have migrated from the Caribbean and now reside in other parts of the world. This definition speaks to what we refer to as a Caribbean identity which is formed out of a very complex and diverse background where there is the existence of different ethnic groups and even inter-mixing between these groups. Due to its history of colonisation and the knowledge of European colonizers greatly influencing Caribbean countries, there is a tendency for Caribbean natives to seek a better life in countries that are more powerful and reaching a certain stage of development. Foreign countries that hold a large amount of the Caribbean Diaspora include: The U.K, United States and Canada.  This definition is rarely used to define the Caribbean as it does not speak to its location. Weaknesses of the Diasporic Definition This definition is not strong because it does not speak to the physical location of the Caribbean. Some Caribbean migrants do not identify with their homeland over time and have adopted new cultures.