Location and definition of the Caribbean
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Locate and define the Caribbean region and its diaspora.
2. Know the subregions of the Caribbean, for example, Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, Bahamas.
3. Identify the position of territories in relation to the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and the continental land masses.
Define the following:
(i) geographical Caribbean (ii) geological Caribbean (iii) historical Caribbean (iv) political Caribbean (v) diasporic.
Students, you must first know that it can be very elusive in trying to attach a sole definition to the term ‘Caribbean’. However, a suitable definition can evolve from the geographical, historical, geological and political perspectives.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND DEFINITION OF THE CARIBBEAN
The most striking feature of the Caribbean is, perhaps, its geographical position (Lewis, 2004). Geographically, the Caribbean may be defined as the area washed by the Caribbean Sea, which is also known as the Caribbean Basin. However, as we analyse this concept, we will soon realise how intricate things can be, as territories that were generally seen as a part of the Caribbean are excluded, based on this definition. For example, the Bahamas are located in the Atlantic Ocean and not the Caribbean Sea, thus they are not associated with the geographical school of thought.
Interestingly, on the other hand, mainland Central American countries such as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, Venezuela, Columbia, Belize and Panama are considered as ‘Caribbean countries’, predominantly due to the geographical definition of being washed by the Caribbean Sea.
Additionally, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname are located in South America and they are also omitted based on the geographical definition, as they are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. In summary, the boundaries of the geographical Caribbean encapsulate Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico in the north; Columbia, Panama and Venezuela in the south; all of the Lesser Antilles in the east, and Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Belize and Nicaragua in the west.
There are certain limitations to this definition as it excludes countries that are generally seen as Caribbean territories. Such territories are Guyana, Bermuda, Barbados and the Bahamas, as they are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and not the Caribbean Sea.
HISTORICAL DEFINITION OF THE CARIBBEAN
The Caribbean archipelago shares a common historical background as it relates to slavery/colonisation, plantation system, indentureship and the fight for freedom. The metropolitan/colonial powers of the Caribbean were England, Spain, Holland and France. Thus, the region has a blend of ethnicities and languages that are so kaleidoscopic for the ‘outside world’. As expected, the primary languages of the Caribbean are English, French, Spanish and Dutch. Most, if not all Caribbean countries have their own Creole.
SLAVERY
Slavery was an inhumane practice whereby blacks from the coast of West Africa were taken from their homeland, treated as property and forced to work on the sugar plantations in the Caribbean so that wealth could be generated in the coffers of white Europeans. The triangular trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the main system by which slaves from Africa were taken to the Caribbean. Renowned historian Eric Williams (from Beckles and Shepherd, 2000, p 457) posited that “the combination of the Negro slave trade, Negro slavery and Caribbean sugar plantation is known as the triangular trade”.
In the first leg of the trade, a ship left the metropolitan country (England, France, Spain, etc) with a cargo of European goods such as guns, mirrors, etc, which was exchanged on the coast of West Africa for slaves. The second voyage included the Middle Passage, which was the journey from West Africa to the Caribbean with slaves. The triangle was completed by the journey from the Americas (the Caribbean) to the metropolitan countries with products such as rum, sugar, cotton and tobacco.
Prior to slavery, there was the encomienda system, which was a form of slavery enforced on the Amerindians by the Spaniards. The Amerindians were stripped of their dignity and freedom, as they had to work day and night in search of gold for the Spaniards. After slavery was abolished, indentureship was instituted to fuel profits for the metropole. Thompson, LawsonDowner, St John and Thomas-Hunte (2017, p 76) highlighted that “the first group of indentured servants were over 230 East Indians who arrived in Guyana on May 5th 1838”. Importantly, all these historical facets help to shape the Caribbean as a melting pot of cultures.
THE POLITICAL DEFINITION
The Caribbean shares a common history of colonial rule. Politically, all territories of the region were governed by the metropoles. There are three dominant political systems in the Caribbean. These are:
Independent states – These are countries that were once under the leadership of colonial powers but have now gained their independence. They are also known as sovereign states, as they govern themselves.
Associates states – These are former British colonies in the Eastern Caribbean that had a semi-independent political status. They were in charge of their own constitution; however, Britain controlled their defence and external affairs. There are, however, no associated states in the Caribbean today as, over time, they all became independent (Thompson, 2017).
Colonial dependencies – These are countries that are not independent and they share in the rights and privileges of their ‘Mother Country’. For example, Turks and Caicos and the Cayman Islands (dependencies of Britain); Puerto Rico (dependency of America); and Guadeloupe (dependency of France).
THE DIASPORIC DEFINITION
The Caribbean diaspora is the exodus/migration of people of the region to reside in other places of the world. These people still identify themselves as being Caribbean people, as they retain the customs and traditions of their native home. For example, Nicki Minaj, who was born in Trinidad and grew up in the States, and Rihanna, who was born in Barbados. There are some people who were born outside of the region, yet they identify themselves as being a part of the Caribbean based on their ancestry. For example, Sean Kingston, who was born in the States to a Jamaican mother, has adopted the linguistics of Jamaica.
Next lesson, we will finish up with the geological definition of the Caribbean. In the interim, attempt this 2006 past-paper question:
‘The history of the Caribbean is the history of the exploitation of labour.’
Discuss with reference of TWO of the labour systems:
1. Encomienda
2. Slavery
3. Indentureship
(30 marks)
SOURCES USED
Caribbean slavery in the Atlantic World, Shepherd & Beckles 2000.
CAPE Revision Guide Caribbean Studies, Thompson, Lawson- Downer, St John & Thomas- Hunte 2017.
Growth of the modern West Indies, Lewis, G. 2004.
Nicole Baker teaches at Eltham High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com.