Who We Are

As a
Caribbean
People
From a Presentation
by Blossom Whyte
at a Conecar in
guyana

Definition
CARIBBEAN
The islands and the sea which contains
them
Catherine McAfee 28 countries from
Belize in Central America to The Bahamas
to the Greater Antilles through to the
Leeward and Windward Island chain
through Trinidad and Tobago to Guyana,
Suriname and French Guiana on the North
Coast of South America
Islands within the Caribbean Sea and its
territories

Common
Components
1. Sphere of overseas
plantation system
2. Social Structure which is
sustained by overseas
domination
3. Individualisation
4. Subtropical Temperatures

Common
Components
5. Similar food in markets
6. System of Gardening
7. Cuisine
8. African derived religions
9. Similarities in birth customs,
death and funeral rites

Common
Components
10.Synthesis of diverse African,
European cultures resulting
in a unique Caribbean
11.Culture of Resistance
developed
12.Poor Self Image

Developing a Strong Self

Image
Recognition and retention of
our resources
Rejection of Negative images
Reorientation of our values
and beliefs and redefinition of
what we want as a people for
the future

What do you want for

the Caribbean?

NAME
Anguilla
Antigua/Barb
uda
Aruba

LOCATION
Eastern
Caribbean
Eastern
Caribbean
S. Caribbean

The Bahamas 50 miles S. of

Florida
Barbados
Windwards
Belize
Central
America
BR Virgin
Islands
Cayman
Islands
Curacao
Dominica
Source:
Caribbean,
Population,
Population,
Size, Language
by
Xavier Murphy
2003

Dominican
Republic
French
Guiana
Grenada

SIZE
40 Sq. Miles

POPULATION
10,300

LANGUAGE
English

108 Sq. Miles

66,500

English

77 Sq. Miles

81,507

700 Islands 29
Inhabited
166 Sq. Miles
8,867 Sq. Miles

273,000

Dutch,
English,
Spanish,
Papiamento
English

E. of Puerto
36 Islands - 59
Rico
Sq Miles
NW of Jamaica 3 Islands - 100
Sq Miles
S. Caribbean
444 Sq. Miles
Eastern
290 Sq. Miles
Caribbean
E. 1/3 of
18,700 Sq Miles
Hispaniola
South
33,135 Sq. Miles
American
Coast
E. Caribbean
133 Sq. Miles

264,000
214,000
17,896

English
English,
Spanish,
Creole
English

31,930

English

146,828

7.7 million

Dutch, English,
Spanish,
Papiamento
English, French
Creole
Spanish

130,000

French

95,500

English

73.500

NAME

LOCATION

SIZE

Guyana

South America 83,000 Sq. Miles

5% Inhabited
Haiti
W 1/3 of
10,700 Sq. Miles
Hispaniola
Jamaica
South of Cuba 4,111 Sq. Miles
Martinique
E. Caribbean
840 Sq. Miles
Montserrat Leeward Islands 39.5 Sq. Miles
St.
Leeward Islands 133 Sq. Miles
Kitts/Nevis
St. Lucia
E. Caribbean
238 Sq. Miles
St. Martin/St. 150 miles SE of
Maarten
Puerto Rico
St. Vincent &
the
Grenadines
Suriname

Source:
Caribbean,
Population,
Population,
Size, Language
by
Xavier Murphy
2003

Trinidad &
Tobago
Turks &
Caicos
US Virgin
Islands

E. Caribbean

37 sq. miles

150 Sq. Miles

POPULATION

LANGUAGE

730,000

English

7 Million

French, Creole

2.5 million
360,000
10,581
42,000

English
French, Creole
English
English

142,689

English &
French Patois
French, Dutch,
English

32,000 (St
Martin) &
38,876 (St.
Maarten )
118,000

English

S. America,
63,251 Sq. Miles
north of Brazil

455,000

7 miles west of 1,980 Sq. Miles

Venezuela
SE end of the
192 Sq. Miles
Bahamas
SE of Puerto
135 sq miles
Rico

1.2 Million

Dutch,
Surinamese,
Hindi, Chinese
and Javanese
English

13,800

English

119,827

English