The Caribbean is a group of more than 700 islands in the Americas, covering an area of approximately 1,063,000 square miles. This is a tropical part of the world that is broadly divided into four regions: the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Netherlands Antilles. Six official languages are spoken here: Dutch, English, French, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Papiamentu.
With a population of more than 43 million, the Caribbean is a melting pot of cultures with influences from European colonizers, the native community who lived here prior to colonization, and the waves of immigration. This is also a very politically complex part of the world, with structural and constitutional variations depending on the colonial history of each specific island. While some islands are largely sovereign states, others are dependencies of the UK, the US, the Netherlands, or France.
The region’s economy is varied but largely dependent upon natural resources, agriculture, and travel and tourism. The Caribbean is also home to many offshore financial centers, and has immense economic growth potential. It is highly regarded for its political and social stability, highly skilled workforce, superior infrastructure, and access to international telecommunication services.
