Southern Caribbean
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The Southern Caribbean is a group of islands that neighbor mainland South America in the West Indies. Saint Lucia lies to the north of the region, Barbados in the east, Trinidad and Tobago at its southernmost point, and Aruba at the most westerly section.
Physical geography of the region
The Southern Caribbean has the Caribbean to the north and west, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and the Gulf of Paria to the south. Most of the islands are in the Windward Islands and the Leeward Antilles.
Geologically, the islands are referred to as being a sub-continent of North America, although most islands sit on the South American continental plate. All of the Southern Caribbean islands are small, and are either volcanic or made of limestone coral, as they form at the ridge of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates.
The majority of the islands are covered in tropical rainforests and swamps; the densest of these are in Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Tobago. Various other islands' rainforests have decreased in size over the last century due to deforestation.
Due to the close proximity of the equator, the Southern Caribbean has all-year-round tropical weather. Islands such as Aruba and Barbados occasionally suffer droughts, while Grenada receives a great deal of rainfall. Dry seasons in Aruba and Barbados may occur even while Grenada is receiving rain.
Countries
Country | Capital | Population |
---|---|---|
Aruba | Oranjestad | 107,859 |
Barbados | Bridgetown | 288,223 |
Curaçao | Willemstad | 165,709 |
Grenada | St George's | 113,778 |
Saint Lucia | Castries | 185,648 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Kingstown | 111,788 |
Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain | 1,410,398 [1] |
Total: | 2,383,403 |
History
The Caribbean had been inhabited for about 7000 years by the
- Britain claimed: Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia.
- France claimed: Saint Lucia, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago (briefly).
- The Netherlands claimed: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.
- Portugal claimed: Barbados.
- Spain claimed: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao.Trinidad and Tobago, and Grenada (briefly).
Eventually, all of the islands in the region except the Dutch islands Aruba and Netherlands Antilles were occupied by the British, who were in control from the 18th century onwards. The various islands declared their independence during the 1960s. The Dutch Caribbean islands are still part of the Netherlands and none have yet declared full independence. Trinidad & Tobago was the first nation in the Southern Caribbean to become independent in 1962, followed by Barbados in 1966. All of the islands (except the Dutch Antilles) were part of the West Indies Federation from 1958 until its dissolution in 1962.
Culture
Like other Caribbean nations, the Southern Caribbean island states share similar cultures. Cricket is widely enjoyed in the region and rum is the local drink. African traditions are primarily influential on these islands, particularly in Grenada and St Lucia and Indian Traditions in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Influences from the European cultures are heavily based in Barbados and the former Netherlands Antilles. Other than English, the main language,
Demographics
The Southern Caribbean is very diverse, with over 70% of its population of
Music
Each island has its own musical flair and individuality, but musically
Island music
Barbados – Soca-Samba: A fusion of Brazilian
Grenada – Grenadian Calypso: Derived from neighboring Trinidad & Tobago, Grenadian music uses many African drums in their music, such as the "Big Drum", which arrived in Grenada when enslaved Africa were brought to the island by British and French colonizers. Carriacou has similar music to that of the French West Indies. Boula music is a type of music made using hand drums from old rum casks.
St Lucia – Soca and calypso music are St Lucia's main types of music, just as in Trinidad and the Eastern Caribbean islands. St Lucia also holds a jazz festival; many U.S. artists perform there. St Lucia is the number one island to produce
Trinidad & Tobago – Soca: A fusion of soul and its predecessor calypso given the name soul-calypso (or shortened as soca). Used in traditional carnivals, its features are a quick tempo with bass, hi-hat, bongo, and tassa drums, just as are used in Soca, as well as guitars. Trinidad's famous steel-pan music is made from oil drums and is also used in carnivals. Trinidad has contributed artists such as Machel Montano, Destra Garcia, Calypso Rose, Nicki Minaj and David Rudder.
Sport
Cricket is the major sport in the Southern Caribbean. Barbados is a hub for cricket fans and sportsmen, with legendary Sir
Diaspora of the Southern Caribbean
There are over two million people involved in the Southern Caribbean diaspora. Grenada has more expatriates than any other island in the region, and with most leaving the island for the United Kingdom, Canada, and the US, although some migrate to nearer countries such as
Jamaica vs "The Smallies"
In the US, Canada, and the UK, the non-Anglophone Caribbean community is mixed with many from the Anglophone Caribbean community. Some cases of segregation have arisen among West Indian people, however, which causes a commonly found rivalry between people from the larger island of Jamaica and those from the smaller "Smallie" islands of the Southern Caribbean. From the 1960s to the 1980s, many Jamaicans would not associate with someone from Trinidad/Barbados/Grenada, and vice versa. Tensions between the regions originate from the days of slavery, as both regions blame each other for "selling them out" to Europeans. During the 1960s-1980s, this racial tension reached a high point as many Caribbean people were discouraged from intermingling with those from other nations. They were even encouraged to marry only their "own people", that is, Jamaican man with a Jamaican woman, Trinidadian man with a Trinidadian woman and so forth.
However, it was not frowned upon for a Southern Caribbean person to marry another Southern Caribbean person (Trinidadian man with a Barbadian woman), as they classed themselves the same (unlike the Jamaicans). Jamaicans coined the term "Smallie" (meaning "small Islander") as a derogatory word used for Trinidadians, Barbadians, Grenadians, Vincentians, and St Lucians, as well as Kittians and Antiguans. For people who were not Jamaican, the Jamaican use of the term "Smallies" helped create a stereotype of Jamaicans being sneaky, common, and violent. This rift was well known in London until the Brixton Riots united the black Caribbean population, which now has a growing number of bi-national Caribbean descendants. Friendlier rivalry now occurs, such as the soca vs. reggae rivalry, which recently escalated between Jamaica's I Wayne and Trinidad's Bunji Garlin, after I Wayne labeled soca "Devil music". Other than that, the two regions challenge each other to who can "wuk up" the best.
See also
References
- ^ Trinidad and Tobago 2011 Population and Housing Census Demographic Report Archived May 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Reid, Basil A. Myths and Realities of Caribbean History, University of Alabama Press, 2009.