The Caribbean is a maritime region southeast of the Gulf Of Mexico, east of Central America and northeast of South America which includes the Caribbean Sea and its islands.  When most people think of the Caribbean they think of warm weather and sandy beaches.  Of course, they wouldn’t be wrong, but the countries in the Caribbean have very interesting, cultures, languages, geographies and  political histories as well.  There are also many neighbouring islands which are mistakenly considered to be part of the Caribbean.  An example would be the Honduras Bay Islands with their famous Roatan luxury rentals.

 This post will concentrate on 26 countries and territories considered to be part of the Caribbean with brief mentions of their cultures and  European political histories and other interesting facts.  Before you read this, write down how many Caribbean countries that you can name off the top of your head and see how you do!

In alphabetical order:

Anguilla

Aguilla is a British territory that lies east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.  The total land area is approximately 35 square miles with a population of less than 15,000.

Antigua And Barbuda

These two islands have the nickname of the “Land Of 365 Beaches” and gained sovereignty from Great Britain in 1981.

Aruba

Maybe made most famous by the Beach Boys’ song, “Kokomo,” Aruba is a Dutch territory.  The fact that it’s climate is much more desert-like than other Caribbean islands and it lies outside the hurricane belt has made it a popular tourist destination.

The Bahamas

The Bahamas is comprised of over 700 coral islands and was the first place that Columbus landed in the “New World.”  The Bahamas became a British territory in 1718 and gained its independence in 1973.

Barbados

After being “discovered” by the Spanish, the island was later claimed by the British and became a centre for the African slave trade.  It gained its independence in 1966.

British Virgin Islands

The BVI are composed of over 50 islands, of which 15 are populated.  People from the BVI have been considered British citizens since 2002.

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are a British territory that has become a tax haven for businesses and the wealthy.  It has a population of just over 60,000 people and also has a large tourist industry.

Cuba

Cuba is the largest Caribbean nation and one the few remaining communist countries in the world.

Dominica

Dominica is different from the Dominican Republic.  The island was inhabited mainly by the French in the 1600s until it was taken over by the British in 1763.  The island became independent in 1978.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation with a population of almost 10 million people.  It was the site of the first permanent European ( Spanish) settlement in the Americas, and with Spanish as its official language, its culture is decidedly Caribbean Latino.

Grenada

Grenada is actually a chain of seven islands which is known as the Island Of Spice due to the fact that it’s the world’s largest exporter of nutmeg.  Grenada became fully independent from Britain in 1967.

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an insular region of France and has a population of about 400,000.  It is a territory of the EU and uses the Euro as its currency.

 Haiti

Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.  It has a population of over 10 million people.  Haiti became a sovereign nation in 1804, following a bloody slave revolt against their French masters.

Jamaica

Jamaica is the fourth largest country in the Caribbean.  The island became independent of Great Britain in 1962.

Martinique

Martinique is an overseas region of France and subsequently uses the Euro.  Almost 400,000 people live on the island that’s just over 400 square miles in area.

Montserrat

Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory and many of the islanders have Irish ancestry.  The small island experiences volcanic activity which buried one of its major airports in 2010.

 Netherland Antilles

Also known as the “Dutch Antilles”.  Located just to the North of Venezuela, the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius, have a complex and variable relationship with the Netherlands, speak the languages of English, Dutch and Papiamento ( Portuguese based creole), yet have a culture which is all southern Caribbean.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States.  3.4 million people live in Puerto Rico and are considered US citizens by law.  Spanish, of course is the primary language ( and English secondary).

Saint Barthelemy

Also known as Saint Barts, it is an overseas collectivity of France.  The island seceded from Guadeloupe in 2003.  It is also the only Caribbean island that was ever under Swedish rule.

Saint Kitts And Nevis

Saint Kitts And Nevis is the smallest sovereign state in the western hemisphere and the newest state in the Americas.  It was once associated with Anguilla and gained independence from Great Britain in 1983.

Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia became independent of Great Britain in 1979 after being passed between France and England for hundreds of years.

Saint Martin/Saint Maarten

Saint Martin/Sint Maarten is split between France and Holland – the world’s smallest lived-on island split between two countries.

Saint Vincent And The Grenadines

The Grenadines are a chain of small islands that stretch south of the island of Saint Vincent towards Grenada.  Saint Vincent And The Grenadines became independent in 1979.

Trinidad And Tobago

Trinidad And Tobago is the southernmost Caribbean nation sitting just off the coast of Venezuela.  It has the third highest GDP in the Americas after the US and Canada.

Turks And Caicos Islands

The Turks And Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory known for tourism and as an offshore financial haven.  The Turks And Caicos Islands’ self government was suspended in 2009 by the UK due to alleged corruption, but was restored in 2012.

Virgin Islands Of The United States

The group of islands also known as the US Virgin Islands are located east of Puerto Rico and were sold to the US by Denmark in 1916.

Although Roatan is situated in the Caribbean, it often is left off the official lists of Caribbean islands and nations. Either way, the sun, beaches, tropical weather and stunning oceans make for a fantastic getaway and the island is packed will all types of accommodations to suit any budget, from hostels to Roatan luxury rentals.