Geography and Geographical Features

Reportedly, the physical beauty of the region fascinated the first Europeans who traveled to the Caribbean. These Spaniards in Columbus' ships described the Caribbean as green and fertile, cooled by the trade winds, with a climate of `perpetual spring'. The lush vegetation, types of fruits and the flora and fauna were portrayed with great enthusiasm.

The Caribbean region, located in the tropics, extends in a broad arc of over 4000 km from the Bahamas in the north to Guyana and Suriname in the south. The region also includes, based on historical factors, Belize which is in Central America bordering Mexico and Guatemala. The countries are widely different in physical and population size as well as landforms and geology.

Three marine geographical features, often intermixed, are evident in the sweep of the Caribbean archipelago and in the mainland territories. There is first an outer ring of mainly coral islands with white sand beaches from The Bahamas, to the Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and embracing parts of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the eastern parts of Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, the Grenadines, parts of Grenada, Tobago and Barbados. The second inner ring of more volcanic islands, with black sands, includes the islands of the Greater Antilles - Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The inner ring also includes St. Kitts, the western parts of Guadeloupe, Dominica, parts of St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and parts of Grenada. The third distinct feature is the alluvial coast of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana (Cayenne) on the South American mainland between the vast estuaries of the Orinoco and the Amazon.

It is to be noted that Dominica, St. Vincent and most of St. Kitts have no white sand beaches. The volcanic ash that characterizes these islands is extremely fertile. Historically, St. Kitts has produced sugar cane with yields comparable to those of high yield sugar-producing countries, like Australia and Cuba. The verdant green of the valleys in St. Vincent is an indication of the fertility of the soil in that island.

Guyana and Suriname have perpetually muddy sea coasts, with little prospects for the traditional sun and sand-type tourism. The silt from the rivers in South America that empty into the area between the estuaries of the Orinoco and the Amazon rivers has made that sea coast one of the best fishing grounds in the world. There can be found a wide variety of fish and among the largest species of prawns. These countries also have the potential for significant eco-tourism development.

There are four different types of landscapes that characterize the region. Most of Cuba, the Bahamas, Belize and the Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados and parts of Guadeloupe consist of limestone plateaus. Then there are the mountainous countries such as Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. There is the arc of volcanic mountainous islands from Saba to Grenada through the Windward and Leeward Islands. In the region, several active volcanoes exist. These are present in Montserrat, where recently, due to volcanic activity, much of the population has been evacuated to nearby islands and to Britain. Some volcanic activity also currently exists in St. Vincent, Martinique and Guadeloupe. Finally, there are the Guianas (on the South American mainland) formed of ancient rock.

The Caribbean countries vary in size (population, land area) and elevation. (See Table below). Among the most peopled Caribbean countries are Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti, whilst those with the smallest population include Turks and Caicos, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands. In terms of land area, the mainland territories are among the largest including Guyana, Suriname and Belize, while the larger islands include Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The countries with the highest elevation include Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guyana and Belize.

Many of the Caribbean countries are subject to earthquakes, volcanic and small-scale geothermal activity. Earthquakes are more frequent in the Northern Caribbean islands. Some earthquakes have been quite strong. In Jamaica, Port Royal was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1692, which killed many persons. The most recent volcanic activity has occurred in Montserrat during the 1990's, with negative consequences for social and economic life of the island including the relocation of many on the island's population. The most widely known volcanic eruption in the Caribbean preceding Monsterrat was Mt. Pelee in Martinique in 1902, when volcanic ash and lava killed over 30,000 persons.

The coastal areas the Caribbean countries are characterized by widely differing features. These include coral reefs, large and small sand barriers, mangroves, lagoons, river estuaries and high cliffs. Coral reefs continue to be formed in many areas of the region.

*Rock Types: L = Limestone, M = Metamorphic, S = Sedimentary, V = Volcanic.