List of Caribbean Countries
The geography of the Caribbean is diverse and includes tropical or subtropical islands. The climate is generally warm in most areas, with local variations. Still, the island chain has some high mountain ranges in Central America and the highest peaks in the West Indies are on Hispaniola.
The region has an area of about 3,000 square kilometres or just over 1% of Earth’s land surface area. About 4 million people live on its islands, which include about 528 principal ones. A quarter of them resides in Puerto Rico, which also includes other smaller islands, where Spanish is co-official with English.
Caribbean Countries
Cuba
The largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba boasts a diverse history and culture, as well as stunning natural beauty. The capital city of Havana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s also home to an impressive number of museums and galleries.
Haiti
Haiti is a Caribbean country. It is located in the western part of Hispaniola, an island that it shares with the Dominican Republic. The country is home to over 10 million people and has a population density of almost 500 people per square kilometre.
Haiti’s capital city is Port-au-Prince, which is also its largest city. Port-au-Prince was founded in 1749 when the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo was taken over by France as part of the Treaty of Ryswick. Haiti gained independence from France in 1804, though it remained under occupation until 1820.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located in the Caribbean Sea. The Dominican Republic has a population of 10,921,000 and an area of 48,831 km2. The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo and shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
The country’s name derives from its location on the island of Hispaniola, which was named after a village among the Tainos, who were indigenous people living on the island when Europeans arrived.
In 1844, its inhabitants declared independence from Haiti.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean Sea, located east of the Dominican Republic and northwest of South America. It’s part of the United States, but it’s not a state. It has its own constitution, which was approved by voters in 1952.
The island is home to 3.5 million people, making it one of the most densely populated territories in the world. The capital city is San Juan.
Jamaica
Jamaica is a Caribbean island nation and was the first country to become independent of the UK. It’s known for its beaches, music, and food. Jamaica has two official languages: English and Jamaican Patois. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago is made up of two islands: Trinidad, which is smaller than Tobago, but larger than other nearby islands like Grenada, Barbados, and Antigua; and Tobago, which is an island that’s part of an archipelago known as The Grenadines
The official languages are English and Spanish, although most people speak a creole language called Trinidadian English or Patois as well.
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is a French island in the Caribbean, just north of Dominica. an archipelago between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean. It’s part of France and shares the island of Saint Martin with Sint Maarten. It’s known for its beaches, and its main industries are agriculture, tourism and services.
Martinique
Martinique is an island located in the Caribbean Sea. Martinique is a French overseas region, and it is part of the European Union. Martinique was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. The capital city of Martinique is Fort-de-France, which has been named after Louis XIV.
Bahamas
The Bahamas is a Caribbean island nation that includes 700 islands, cays, and islets. The country’s capital is Nassau and its largest city is New Providence. The Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Caribbean Community.
Barbados
Barbados is a Caribbean island country that was colonized by the British in 1627. The country’s natives are known as Barbadians or Bajans, and they speak English as their official language. Barbados has a rich history dating back over 400 years. The country gained independence from Britain in 1966 with an elected government that was replaced by an appointed one in 1976. In 1992, Barbados became independent once again after elections were held for a new prime minister.
Saint Lucia
The Republic of Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is known for its beaches and the waterfalls at Pitons, its two volcanic peaks. The country was first named by Christopher Columbus after Saint Lucy of Syracuse, who was a martyr. It has been a British colony since 1815 and gained independence in 1979.
Curaçao
Curaçao, or Curacao, is a country located in the southern Caribbean Sea. It’s part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which also includes Aruba and Sint Maarten. Curaçao was originally colonized by the Spanish in 1499 and remained under Spanish rule until 1634 when it became part of the Dutch West Indies Company. In 2010, Curaçao became an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Aruba
Aruba is a Caribbean island country with a population of about 150 thousand. Its capital is Oranjestad, and its official language is Dutch. Aruba’s currency is the Aruban florin. Aruba became an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986. It has been independent since 1986 but remains a member of the Dutch Commonwealth.
Learn more about the flag of Aruba
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a country in the Caribbean. It is made up of two main islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The country gained independence in 1979 after being part of the British Empire for over 300 years.
United States Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands are an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Virgin Islands were first settled by the Arawak and Carib peoples and later colonized by Europeans beginning in the 16th century. In 1672 they were purchased from Denmark by Britain and became part of an overseas British colony until 1917 when they were sold to the United States for $25 million dollars to serve as a naval base during World War I.
Grenada
Grenada is a Caribbean island nation that is part of the Lesser Antilles. It consists of the island of Grenada, smaller islands and cays, and a few small uninhabited islands. The capital of Grenada is St. George’s, which has a population of about 50,000 people.
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda are a pair of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city is St. John’s. The country was first colonized by Spain in the 1500s, and then by Great Britain during the 1700s. It became independent from Britain in 1981 after a long period of social unrest.
Dominica
The Commonwealth of Dominica is a small, mountainous island nation located in the Lesser Antilles chain. It was named for the day of its independence from Great Britain, November 3rd, 1978. The country’s economy is primarily made up of agriculture and tourism.
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, located south of Cuba and west of Jamaica. The Cayman Islands are one of the three countries that form the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean. The British took over the islands in 1670 and remained until 1962 when they were granted independence as a self-governing territory within the Commonwealth. The name “Cayman” comes from a Spanish word meaning “crocodile”.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island country in the West Indies. It’s located in the Leeward Islands, which are part of the Lesser Antilles. The capital city is Basseterre, while the largest city is Charlestown. Saint Kitts and Nevis was discovered by Columbus in 1493, and it became a British colony in 1623. After gaining independence from Great Britain on September 19th 1983, it became a two-island nation consisting of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten is a country in the Caribbean Sea. It’s part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but it has its own government and collects its own taxes. Sint Maarten is divided into two parts: Sint Maarten Island, which is where most of the population lives, and St. Martin Island, which is just north of Sint Maarten Island and where most tourist attractions are located.
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. They have been a British territory since 1670 when they were granted to the Duke of York by King Charles II. The main industries on the islands include tourism and fishing. There are two main islands: Grand Turk and Salt Cay. The capital city is Cockburn Town.
Saint Martin
Saint Martin is an island in the Caribbean, between the French territory of Guadeloupe and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten. It was originally known as Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten, but in 2003 it was divided into two separate entities: Saint Martin (French) and Sint Maarten (Dutch).
The island is divided into two parts by a mountain range. The northern half, which is French, is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe; the southern side, which is Dutch, is called Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles.
The British Virgin Islands
The British Virgin Islands are a group of islands in the Caribbean. The largest island is Tortola, where most of the population lives. The capital is Road Town, on Tortola Island. They were named after the English ares Sir Richard Grenville and his men, who captured St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgin companions in 1579.
Anguilla
Anguilla is a small island nation located north of Puerto Rico and St. Maarten in the Caribbean Sea. It is made up of a number of smaller islands that make up a total land area of just over 6 square miles. The official language of Anguilla is English, but many locals speak Creole as well.
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy is a Caribbean island, located in the Leeward Islands chain. It is part of France and is also known as Saint-Barthélemy, St. Barts, or St. Barth. It is an overseas collectivity of France, which means that it has its own parliament and government, but remains under French sovereignty.
Montserrat
Montserrat is a tiny island that is part of the Lesser Antilles, located in the Caribbean Sea. The name Montserrat means “mountain with a rugged top” in Catalan and Spanish. Montserrat is made up of two islands: Great Montserrat and Little Montserrat. The island has been inhabited since at least 1713 BC by Amerindians who migrated there from South America. Montserrat was once a British colony but gained independence in 1978.
List of Official Countries in the Caribbean:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Haiti
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Jamaica
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
| Country | Area | Population |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 440 km² | 97,928 |
| Bahamas | 13,880 km² | 393,248 |
| Barbados | 430 km² | 393,248 |
| Cuba | 110,860 km² | 11,330,000 |
| Dominica | 750 km² | 71,991 |
| Dominican Republic | 48,442 km² | 10,850,000 |
| Grenada | 344 km² | 112,519 |
| Haiti | 27,750 km² | 11,400,000 |
| Jamaica | 10,991 km² | 2,961,000 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 km² | 53,192 |
| Saint Lucia | 617 km² | 183,629 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 km² | 110,947 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 5,128 km² | 1,399,000 |
List of Territories in the Caribbean:
- Anguilla – British overseas territory
- Aruba – Constituent kingdom, Netherlands
- Bonaire – Special municipality, Netherlands
- British Virgin Islands – British overseas territory
- Cayman Islands – British overseas territory
- Curaçao – Constituent kingdom, Netherlands
- Federal Dependencies of Venezuela – Territories, Venezuela
- Guadeloupe – Overseas department, France
- Martinique – Overseas department, France
- Montserrat – British overseas territory
- Navassa Island – Uninhabited territory, United States
- Nueva Esparta – State, Venezuela
- Puerto Rico – Commonwealth, United States
- Saba – Special municipality, Netherlands
- San Andrés and Providencia – Department, Colombia
- Saint Barthélemy – Overseas collectivity, France
- Saint Martin – Overseas collectivity, France
- Sint Eustatius – Special municipality, Netherlands
- Sint Maarten – Constituent kingdom, Netherlands
- Turks and Caicos Islands – British overseas territory
- United States Virgin Islands – Territory, United States
The Dutch Caribbean
The Dutch Caribbean is a collection of islands in the southern Caribbean Sea. It includes the islands that belonged to the Netherlands Antilles before their dissolution in 2010, as well as Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten (the three constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands).
The Dutch Caribbean is divided into two subgroups: Leeward Islands and Windward Islands. The Windward Islands are more developed than the Leeward Islands due to their proximity to Venezuela and Colombia.
The Caribbean Netherlands
The Dutch Caribbean comprises 3 islands and 2 island groups. These islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but they have their own government and can make their own decisions. The Caribbean Netherlands are Bonaire, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. These islands are also called the ABC islands because of their location in the Caribbean Sea. These islands were once under Spanish rule until 1634 when they were taken over by the Dutch. They then became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands when it was established in 1815.
The British Caribbean
The British Caribbean is a group of countries that make up the former British West Indies. These include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.
These countries are considered to be part of this region because they were once colonies of Great Britain.
The French Caribbean
The French Caribbean is a group of islands that are part of France and located in the Caribbean Sea.
They include Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin (or St. Maarten), Saint Barthélemy (also known as St. Barts), and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Caribbean Economy
The Caribbean economy is one of the most diverse in the world. The region has a total population of 1.27 million people and as of 2018, an estimated GDP of $44.7 billion.
As with most small economies, agriculture plays an important role in the Caribbean economy with over half of all jobs being related to this sector. However, tourism is quickly becoming a major source of revenue for many countries as well as a contributor to overall economic growth as well because it creates jobs and provides economic opportunities
The top five countries by GDP (PPP) are Jamaica ($53 billion), Trinidad & Tobago ($43 billion), Barbados ($24 billion), Saint Lucia ($15 billion) and Suriname ($11 billion).
Caribbean Lifestyle
The Caribbean is a melting pot of cultures and traditions, but it also has its own unique lifestyle.
The Caribbean lifestyle is built around the sea, and it’s no wonder that the water is such a big part of everyday life. The region’s waters are warm and inviting all year round, so it’s not unusual to see people swimming or snorkelling at all hours of the day.
The Caribbean also has a strong music tradition, which can be heard in everything from reggae to calypso to salsa. The music is often accompanied by dancing in public spaces like the beach and street corners, making the atmosphere festive and lively.
