What Is Considered The West Indies?

Advertisements

Caribbean is the term most politically correct social scientists and historians would use to denote the 7,000-odd islands that lie in the Caribbean Sea area — West Indies was a term coined by colonising European powers.

What are the West Indies called today?

Nowadays, the term West Indies is often interchangeable with the term Caribbean, although the latter may also include some Central and South American mainland countries which have Caribbean coastlines, such as Belize, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, and the Atlantic island nations of Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda …

What is a person from the Caribbean called?

It’s become commonplace to refer to people from the Caribbean/West Indies as Caribbeans, Caribbeaners, even Antillians, in addition to the historical label of West Indians. More recently Afro-Caribbean and African-Caribbean have been added to the lexicon, to describe those who are of African descent.

Is the Bahamas a part of the West Indies?

The Bahamas, archipelago and country on the northwestern edge of the West Indies. Formerly a British colony, The Bahamas became an independent country within the Commonwealth in 1973.

Which country has no capital?

Nauru, an island in the Pacific Ocean, is the second-smallest republic in the world—but it doesn’t even have a capital city.

Is Jamaica and West Indies same?

Jamaica and the West Indies are not the same. Jamaica is actually an island in the West Indies. The West Indies is a group of crescent-shaped islands over 3,200 km (2,000 miles) long which separates Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north.

What language do West Indies speak?

Of the 38 million West Indians (as of 2001), about 62% speak Spanish (a west Caribbean lingua franca). About 25% speak French, about 15% speak English, and 5% speak Dutch. Spanish and English are important second languages: 24 million and 9 million speak them as second languages.

What country owns Bahamas?

The Bahamas is an independent country. It was formerly a British Territory for 325 years. It became independent in 1973 and joined the United Nations during the same year. Despite its proximity to the United States, at no point was the Bahamas ever a U.S. territory.

Does the West Indies have a flag?

The flag was originally designed by Edna Manley. The flag is shown as 1:2; the upper two white stripes reflect the lower ones. … The flag of the West Indies Federation was flown at the cricket test match between Australia and the West Indies held in Barbados in 1999.

Advertisements

What is the poorest Caribbean country?

Haiti, with a population of 11 million, is considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

What is the richest West Indian country?

The Bahamas

This stable, developing nation is not only the richest country in the West Indies, but it also has the 14th highest nominal GDP in North America. Like much of the Caribbean, the Bahamas is heavily dependent on tourism.

Which country will be richest in 2050?

Richest Country in 2050 will be United Kingdom

The present gap between the British economic wealth and Germany’s economic wealth will contract significantly. BZZZZy 2050 (from 346 billion US dollars to 138 billion US dollars), with the annual estimated increase in the UK working population.

Is West Indies part of USA?

The Virgin Islands are also part of the West Indies, and as Puerto Rico, they are a territory of the United States. Since Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are part of the United States, if you are American, you do not even have to leave the country to visit the West Indies.

Is Bahamas owned by England?

The Bahamas became a British crown colony in 1718, when the British clamped down on piracy. … Today Afro-Bahamians make up 90% of the population of 332,634. The country gained governmental independence in 1973 led by Sir Lynden O. Pindling, with Elizabeth II as its queen.

Do you need a passport to go to Bahamas?

U.S. citizens are generally required to present a valid U.S. passport when traveling to The Bahamas, as well as proof of anticipated departure from The Bahamas. … U.S. travelers coming for tourism will not need a visa for travel up to 90 days. All other travelers will need a visa and/or work permit.

How safe is Bahamas?

Country Summary: The vast majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands. In Nassau, exercise caution in the “Over the Hill” area (south of Shirley Street). Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assault occur, but generally not in tourist areas.

What language is spoken in Grenada?

Grenada’s official language is English, though a variety of dialects are spoken by its 107,000 citizens. Among the most widely used is (French) Patois, which combines English…

Advertisements