Central America and the Caribbean. Caribbean countries

Aruba attracts with its snow-white beaches, European service and casinos, of which there are a great many on the island. Curacao, Bonaire and Cayman Islands famous for their excellent diving opportunities. in tropical parks Trinidad and Tobago you can see hundreds of birds and butterflies, make a trip to the asphalt lake and go diving too. Suitable for lovers of solitude Saint Vincent, Grenadines and Barbados.

Vacationers in the Caribbean can take a trip to the "Spice Island" Grenada with its secluded beaches and many bays, visit Antigua island, where there are 365 beaches, or Dominica- the island of 365 rivers.
On Santa Lucia- waterfalls and amazing beauty mountains covered with tropical forests. St. Barthelemy known for its luxury hotels, which rests the public, accustomed to luxury and pleasure.
Guadeloupe and Martinique - places for connoisseurs of eco-tourism.

Anguila is a special, small, serene secluded island. Sixteen miles long and three miles wide, the island is full of white soft sand beaches lapped by crystal clear blue waters. Anguila is famous for its atmosphere of privacy and peace, the island is ideal for those who need an "antidote for stress." Water sports enthusiasts will love the center water sports located on the beach in Road Bay.

One of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean: green hills, endless blue skies and white sand beaches. Crystal clear seas, superb diving, diverse underwater world, coral reefs and superb beaches make Virgin Islands a real yachting paradise and an ideal sailing area.

Saint Maarten- 37 amazing beaches, diving, jungle safaris, yacht cruises, fishing, kayaking, sightseeing helicopter tours, horseback riding, mountain biking, casinos (located on the Dutch part of the island), discos.

Bahamas , or as they are also called Bahamas, are an archipelago of 700 islands and located at a distance of about 90 km from the coast of Florida. Depending on the place, the appearance also differs. Bahamas: here is the charm of the era of colonialism in historical Nassau on the island of New Providence, and modern Freeport on the island of Grand Bahama, and the idyll of Out Azlands. As if strung on a string of beads stretched Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean, being washed by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.
On famous island Paradise, connected to New Providence by a bridge, houses the most luxurious hotels in the Bahamas - Ocean Club and Atlantis Paradise Island. The small islands are the ideal sanctuary for seeking solitude and romance modern Robinsons, because little has changed here over the past thousand years ... You will find a charming pastoral atmosphere, leisurely rhythms and amazing beaches with pink sand. The local area is also ideal for water sports: diving, windsurfing, water skiing and sailing.

Antigua Island, like many others, is popular among yachtsmen for its marine area. You can start your journey from the long-known part of the island called Nelson`s Dockyard in English Harbour. It is located just 30 minutes from VC Bird International Airport. Nelson's Wharf is the perfect place to start your journey, with 365 white sand beaches stretching along its coastline.

Aruba is a tiny island located in the Caribbean Sea 180 miles off the coast of Venezuela. The area of ​​the island is 193 sq. km. Dominion of the Netherlands.
Aruba- This sand dunes, rocky shores, thickets of tropical plants, cactus hedges. Constantly blowing breezes have made the island the capital of sailing. A necklace of luxury hotels adorns it all along the coast. Aruba called the Caribbean Monte Carlo.
Dozens of chic casinos are located here, including the largest in the Caribbean - La Cabana. The whole island is a big Duty Free shop.
The luxurious white-sand beaches of Aruba occupy one of the leading places among luxury resorts peace. The width of Palm and Eagle Beach in some places reaches 700 meters. "by a miracle" Aruba it is considered to be constantly cool sand that does not burn the feet even in the hottest daytime hours. This "miracle" makes Aruba a truly "elite" holiday destination.

Barbados Island often referred to as "Little England". And this is not surprising, because for many centuries Barbados has absorbed traditions and culture british empire. Here they drink afternoon tea, play cricket and golf. However, the British were not the first to master Barbados, this merit belongs to the Portuguese, who gave the name to the island - "Los Barbados", which means "bearded".

British Virgin Islands - one of the most beautiful navigation areas in the Caribbean. Located east of Puerto Rico between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, it is an impressive group of almost 60 mostly volcanic and coral islands.
Shipwrecks, pirate legends, fortresses and sugar mills are a constant reminder of a rich history. Virgin Islands. The English, Danes, Spaniards and Dutch fought here and tried to colonize these islands, while pirates hid in caves and hidden bays and attacked merchant ships laden with treasure.
Crystal clear seas, superb diving, a diverse underwater world, coral reefs and superb beaches make the Virgin Islands a real yachting paradise and an ideal sailing area.

Guadeloupe consists of two islands separated by a narrow sea strait: Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre. From an airplane, the outline of Guadeloupe resembles a butterfly that has fallen into azure waters Caribbean Sea.
Basse-Terre is a beautiful old town with French colonial architecture. It is picturesquely spread out on the seashore at the foot of Soufrière. Made of limestone, the island of Grande-Terre is flat, with a dry climate, covered with sugar cane plantations and bordered by snow-white sandy beaches surrounded by coral reef. The main wealth of Guadeloupe is magnificent beaches that attract tourists from all over the world, and sugar cane plantations. It has long been used to produce excellent rum: the export of this drink is one of the important sectors of the economy in Guadeloupe.
Rafting, water sports, fishing, diving, trips to the five islands belonging to Guadeloupe ... Lulled by the gentle breath of the trade winds, Guadeloupe is a dreamland filled with sunshine and teeming with splendor.

Grenada- one of the smallest independent states in the Western Hemisphere. The state includes Grenada, the southernmost island in the Windward Islands group, and South part the islands of the Grenadines, the largest of which are about. Carriacou and Fr. Little Martinique. Grenada - island volcanic origin, characterized by mountainous terrain and heavily indented coastline With coral reefs, convenient bays and many secluded beaches. The interior of the island is occupied by dense rainforests, mountain ranges(the highest point of the island - Mount St. Catherine - 840 meters), rivers, waterfalls and beautiful lakes. Aromas of cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cocoa soar in Grenada. The island is famous for the best rum factories, following proven old recipes in the technology of making a pirate drink, centuries-old plantations, colorful Saturday markets and delicious fruits and vegetables exported to many countries of the world. Rare tropical flowers adorning the expanses of Grenada, pastels of coastal houses, tiled roofs and lazy rhythms local life forever fascinate travelers.

Saint Maarten- 37 amazing beaches, diving, jungle safaris, yacht cruises, fishing, kayaking, sightseeing helicopter tours, horseback riding, mountain biking, casinos (located on the Dutch part of the island), discos. Today on the island you can choose any accommodation option.

In addition, white tourists often face somewhat aggressive attitudes. local population, so it is better not to stay long in the capital of Kingston. But the coast is one of the best places for surfing and relaxing holiday.

Barbados
Another visa-free (up to a month) country for Russians. Barbados is good for an island beach holiday, famous for its rum, like Cuba. It is also the birthplace of the singer Riana.

Curacao
Here, besides the sea, there are also small bright, as if toy, colorful houses. Curacao is a subject of the Netherlands. A visa is required to visit the island, any valid multiple "" will do. If you make out for a trip, then this must be done at the Embassy of the Netherlands.

Trinidad and Tobago
Former English, which became an independent state. Consists of the islands of Trinidad, Tobago and small islets. It is very diverse, compared to the nearby islands, flora and fauna. You can meet rare species of birds. Therefore, this place is perfect for lovers of ecotourism. Trinidad and Tobago can be reached by direct flight from the Venezuelan Margarita Island.

Cuba
Most famous island among Russian and even Soviet tourists. Cuba - absolutely original country, requiring a separate story. A visa is not required for citizens of the Russian Federation. You can fly either directly from Russia, or from Europe or Canada. According to some reports, the air and ferry service with the United States.

Dominican Republic
It cannot be fully called an island state, since the Dominican Republic shares the island with Haiti. Haiti is a very poor country and is not of particular interest to tourists, as it is also unsafe. But the Dominican Republic is famous for its beaches not only in the Caribbean, but also from the Atlantic Ocean. Russian citizens do not need a visa.

Aruba
calm island with European level life. Good for diving and kitesurfing on flat water. In addition, there is a rather rich nightlife "club" life. To visit Aruba, Russians need a visa obtained from a Dutch consulate.

Guadeloupe
A French island, so a French Schengen visa is required to visit it. Guadeloupe, like most colonies, difficult story. However, this does not prevent you from enjoying the sea, the sun, waterfalls and natural beauties.

Dominica
It is often confused with the Dominican Republic, and Dominica is a small but completely independent island. The official language is English, although Dominica used to be a colony of France. On the territory of the island there are inactive volcanoes, as well as geysers.

Puerto Rico
Although this island is now considered independent, a United States visa is required to visit it. For recreation, this island will be quite expensive, significantly more expensive than the Dominican Republic. Another pride of Puerto Rico is beautiful people. Puerto Rican women have repeatedly been the owners of the titles "Miss World" and "Miss Universe". Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin are from this island.

Caribbean countries have become popular holiday destinations for many people from different parts of the Earth. Their list was supplemented by both mainland and island states.

Caribbean Sea on the world map in Russian

The Caribbean Sea has been known in modern civilization since its discovery in the 15th century. The discoverers named the sea after the tribes Caribbean that inhabited the coast, although the sea has changed its name many times throughout history.

The Caribbean Sea has a romantic and sinister history of piracy, which flourished in the 18th century.

Piracy has long sunk into the past, but is of interest to this day. It was the story of the pirates of the Caribbean that became the plot for movie of the same name. The modern Caribbean Sea is the most fashionable and popular resorts of the world, attracting people with their amazing heavenly beauty.

The Caribbean Sea is an attractive holiday destination. You can choose a vacation to your taste in any country, almost at any time of the year, which is facilitated by the climate. Caribbean is land of eternal summer!

Where is?

The Caribbean Sea is the open sea in western hemisphere, in the Atlantic Ocean basin, it seems to connect two parts American continent located between South and Central America and the Antilles. Connected through the Panama Canal Pacific Ocean, through the Yucatan Strait has access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Climate

Climate of the Caribbean tropical, with a predominance east winds- trade winds. Tropical hurricanes are also not uncommon, especially strong in the northern regions of the sea. The most hurricane season is from June to November. Most often destructive hurricanes, from which residents suffered more than once coastal areas occur in the first months of autumn.

Sometimes hurricanes are so destructive that this event becomes part of history.

The amount of precipitation can vary depending on the winds and on what area of ​​the sea this or that island is located.

Temperature about the same in the Caribbean. The average temperature in summer is +28°C, in winter from 23 to 27°C.

List of basin countries

The Caribbean Sea washes the shores of many states and territories, both continental and insular.

What territories it washes: states and their capitals

Continental States, which washes the Caribbean Sea, are located in northern, central and south America.

The only country North America in the Caribbean - or as it is called in official language, United Mexican States. The capital is Mexico City.

South American countries:

• Colombia, official name Republic of Colombia. The capital is Bogota;
• Venezuela or officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The capital is Caracas;
• Republic of Panama, partly located in Central America. The capital is Panama.

Central American countries:

1. Republic of Nicaragua, capital - Managua;
2. Republic of Honduras, the capital is Tegucigalpa;
3. Republic of Guatemala, capital - Guatemala;
4. Republic of Costa Rica, capital - San Jose;
5. Belize capital is Belmopan.

island states Caribbean:

• Cuba, official name, unofficial - Liberty Island. The capital is Havana;
• Dominican Republic, capital - Santo Domingo;
• Haiti, the official name of the Republic of Haiti, the capital of Port-au-Prince;
• Jamaica, capital - Kingston;
• Puerto Rico, officially called the Freely Associated State of Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The capital is San Juan.

Read more about Puerto Rico in: history, climate, animal, vegetable world and other.

It is possible to single out the territories that are part of European countries : (Anguilla), France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin), the Netherlands (Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius), this is due to the history of the colonization of the lands of the Caribbean. As well as territories belonging to the United States Virgin Islands, the capital is Charlotte Amalie.

Washed Islands

The islands of the Caribbean are Antilles Large and Small and Bahamas.

• Greater Antilles include the island of Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands. The smallest island is Little Cayman, its area is 28.5 km².
• Lesser Antilles these are: a chain of small islands, the largest of them are Trinidad and Tobago and Martinique, the smallest is Petit Martinique, only 2.4 km², with a population of 900 people.
• Bahamas include 700 small islands, and only 30 of them are inhabited.

Tourism in the Caribbean

The variety of resorts in the Caribbean makes it difficult to choose the best because each island is good in its own way. In the Caribbean, anyone will find a vacation to their liking. For Russian tourists the obstacle is the long and expensive journey to the Caribbean.

A nice bonus is that Russians do not need a visa to enter some states.

Popular resorts

Resorts where possible visa-free entry:

• Montego Bay- a resort for lovers of fun, movement, "hip-strip". The city of a never-sleeping port and luxurious hotels;

One of the most expensive resorts world is located just in the Caribbean Sea. Read about this and other resorts that not everyone can afford.

• Negril- snow-white beaches, peace, the kingdom of palm trees, natural area, remote from the noise of cities and industries;
• Ocho Rios charming with its inconsistency: on the one hand - quiet fishing towns, on the other hand - the center of cruise tourism. Both lovers of solitude and fans of parties can find a place for themselves in this resort.

The best beaches

Among the best beaches Caribbean Sea, there are those that deserve additional attention:

The Caribbean Sea is attractive with comfort, romance and a certain share of danger, as Caribbean beaches often find themselves in the path of hurricanes. The strongest winds and complete serenity, the opportunity to choose a vacation and a beach to your liking, enjoy sea ​​views sports, to observe the life of plants and animals in the pristine corners of nature, attracts people from all over the world.

See video About holidays in the Caribbean:

The Caribbean is an island nation located in the Caribbean Sea between North and South America. They include the Bahamas and the Greater and Lesser Antilles, with a total area of ​​almost 245,000 km².

The second official name of this region - the West Indies - arose after sailing from Europe to India through Atlantic Ocean Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered new lands, confusing them with India. This happened in 1492 and since then the Spaniards began to actively develop new territories. The indigenous tribes of the Caribs and Arawaks who lived here were eventually partially taken out to work on plantations in South America and the rest are extinct.

Along with Spain, other European states began to claim new lands, among which were Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark. In addition to the colonies they founded here, the pirate brotherhood also flourished, the settlements of which were not inferior in power and wealth to large European colonies. The fact is that deployed between the colonies and European states trade attracted not only landowners and merchants, but also filibusters who lived off easy prey.

The subject of trade was most often those growing here in large quantities cocoa beans, coconut palm fruits, cotton, agave, vanilla, tobacco, corn, indigo, as well as those well established in the local tropical climate sugar cane and coffee tree. Have been developed large areas plantations, for which slaves were imported from Africa, famous topics, which tolerated heat well and were extremely hardy.

Centuries later, when the colonies had outlived themselves as a form of controlled overseas territories, and the islands gained independence and became independent states, the population was a wild mixture of different peoples, religions, traditions and customs, which over many centuries assimilated and brought out a new original culture unlike any other.

Today, for the whole world, the countries of the Caribbean are a cluster of exotic paradise islands, which can give an unforgettable vacation on the edge of the earth. Almost all states focus on the tourism industry, because they do not own a large industry.

Built from volcanic rocks or coral reefs, the islands are covered with lush tropical vegetation and inhabited by amazing animals and birds, including monkeys, peccaries, possums, agoutis, crocodiles and turtles, as well as parrots, hummingbirds and other birds with rather bright plumage. The coastal waters of the islands are teeming with different types of fish, including colorful coral fish and sharks of several species.

A whole developed tourism infrastructure, consisting of their large hotel complexes And uninhabited islands with private bungalows, entertainment complexes and water parks, restaurants and discos. Vacationers can enjoy all kinds of sea and active rest: surfing, windsurfing, parasailing, yachting, kayaking, fishing, diving with sharks or just diving, as well as other equally interesting activities.

Ethnic processes in the Caribbean. M., 1982.

Several thousand islands of the Caribbean archipelago. Greater Antilles - Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica.

Lesser Antilles - Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Curaçao, Barbados, Saint Vincent, Grenadines, Tabago.

1592 - Klumb discovered the Bahamas (Haiti and Cuba), the settlement of the Greater Antilles was accompanied by mass death of the indigenous population.

Lesser Antilles from the last third of the 16th century became the scene of a sharp struggle between Spain, England, France, Holland. The British captured in the 20s of the 16th century Barbados, St. Christopher (St. Kitts), Nevis, Bahamas, then Antigua and Montserrat in the 30s, in the 40s Bermuda, in 1655 - Jamaica.

Dominica changed hands 10 times, and 14 wars were fought over Saint Lucia. In 1797 they captured Trinidad.

Holland captured Curacao in 1634, later it was captured by the British and French, and only in 1815 the dominance of the Netherlands was established on the island, as well as in Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatue. Sint Martin was divided between Holland and France in 1648.

1635 - France captured Martinique and Guadeloupe, at the end of the 17th century - the western part of the island of Haiti (Saint Domingo). Since 1804 it became the first independent state Latin America, the Negro Republic of Haiti.

The Spanish part of the island declared independence in 1821 (Dominican Republic).

The heyday of slavery is associated with the creation of sugarcane plantations in tropical America (in the 16th century - in Brazil, in the second half of the 18th century in the West Indies, first in the Lesser Antilles, and then in the Greater Antilles.

The French colonies are the largest supplier of sugar to Europe (primarily San Domingo), then the English colonies.

championship to Spanish Cuba passed in the 19th century, after the slave revolution in Haiti.

abolition of slavery

in the British colonies

1848 - in the French Antilles,

1863 - in the Dutch Antilles,

1873 - in Puerto Rico,

1876- on owned by Denmark parts of the Virgin Islands

As a result of the abolition of slavery, the slaves did not receive land, and the former slave owners retained their dominant economic and political position.

In 1898, as a result of the American-Spanish-Cuban War, Puerto Rico was captured by the United States, and Cuba actually became a semi-colony of the United States.

In 1917, the United States forced Denmark to sell its part of the Virgin Islands (St. John, St. Thomas and Santa Cruz).

In 1958, the West Indies Federation (Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and other islands of the West Indies) was created, giving it limited autonomy.

1946 - Guadeloupe and Martinique are declared "overseas departments" of France.

1954 - The Netherlands Antilles became an "autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands" with internal self-government.

1952 - Puerto Rico was declared a "freely affiliated" state with the United States, although in fact nothing has changed on the island.

60-70s - the collapse of the West Indies Federation, the British colonial enclave in the West Indies.

In the French West Indies, the rise of the national liberation movement, and the delimitation of national forces on the issue of self-determination. The local bourgeoisie and the Europeans were in favor of maintaining the status of an "overseas department".

The English-speaking countries of the West Indies are distinguished by a higher level of economic development. This is Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica. The rest of the island states - monocultural development, export of agricultural products, tourism. Foreign banking and insurance campaigns.

French departments - Guadeloupe and Martinique - the same basis of the economy.

Netherlands Antilles - the basis of the economy is oil refining (from Venezuela and the Middle East). Curacao has a huge number of foreign campaigns.

Puerto Rico - large oil refining and petrochemical complexes.

The Caribbean is a racially and ethnically diverse population.

Indigenous Indian population by the beginning of the 17th century, it was exterminated on almost all the islands. Carib Indians survived in Dominica, Grenada.

Black slaves were imported from the 16th century until the first half of the 19th century. Their flow increased as the plantation economy developed. Sometimes the ratio of the number of blacks and whites reached 13 to 1 (for example, in St. Domingo).

Black slaves stripped of ethnic identity cultural heritage, were forced to adapt to the culture of the white minority.

But the white population was also influenced by the African majority. It was a long cultural and ethnic process of "creolization". (p.9)

16-17 centuries - the appearance of a significant layer of mulattoes, which by the end of the 18th century on different islands made up from 5 to 25% of the population. (p. 10), these are free colored people.

It was they who first of all arose a new ethnic identity - Cuban, Dominican, and not French, African, Spanish.

After the abolition of slavery and until 1917, contracted workers were imported from India. In Trinidad - at least half of the population, they are in Jamaica, Grenada, Cuba.

In the 50-70s of the 19th century, several thousand Indians from Yucatan (Mexico) and about 140 thousand Chinese were imported to Cuba. A small number of Indians from India moved here. And from 1912 to 1930, about 300 thousand natives of Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados to work on sugar plantations. A significant part of the Portuguese came here.

At the end of the 19th century, Christian Arabs migrated from the Turkish Mediterranean (present-day Palestine, Syria, Lebanon). In the West Indies they were called Syrians. Representatives of some of these new ethnic and racial groups in the West Indies gradually partially or completely assimilated, mixing with the local "colored" population.

Others (for example, the Indians in Trinidad, the Chinese who arrived in Cuba in the 20th century) retain, to one degree or another, their customs, traditions, and old ethnic identification.

Where there was a significant influx of immigrants from Europe, the Negro population grew more slowly than the white (Puerto Rico, Cuba, light-skinned mulattos in the Dominican Republic).

On the rest of the islands, blacks make up the majority, and together with mulattoes, 9/10 of the total population.

The Caribbean is divided into 4 ethno-cultural sub-regions:

The persistence of the main social contradictions prolongs the period of "unstable democracy" in the country.

In Haiti, the racial factor has a significant impact on political life. Of the 4 million population, 90% are blacks, and 10% are mulattos. For more than 30 years (from 1920 to 1950) puppet mulatto governments ruled in the country. The Negro Duvalier clan was in power from 1957 until 1986. Duvalier came to power under the Negritude racial slogan: "Haiti for blacks!", "Power to the Negroes!", "Black racism." The black color of the skin was synonymous with "poverty and pride", and light - "wealth and betrayal."

Haiti is characterized by racial hatred between blacks and mulattoes. The cult of water, Voodoism is perceived as a religion of the broad Negro masses, reflecting the "Negro mentality". campaign against catholic church was perceived as a struggle against the main ideological stronghold of the mulatto minority.

Ethnic and cultural specifics of the country, national identity, features of the local mentality have a significant impact on political situation in the country. The main challenge for Haiti remains the need to achieve civil harmony in society.

The dominance of Great Britain was established in the 17th century. Jamaica was turned into a huge slave market.

Since 1962 - an independent state within the British Commonwealth.

Most of the population (80%) are descendants of slaves exported from Africa. The black majority is distrustful of the "new "colored elite", consisting of mulattos and people with even less African blood. The white elite is predominantly the ruling class, but there is a growing black elite and intelligentsia.

In Jamaica, the all-Caribbean Black Power movement, which made itself known in the 60s, gained significant popularity. That is why the rule of the LPJ (Liberal Party of Jamaica), led by Bustamante (“a white man of Spanish origin”), was perceived as a “white minority government”. The mulatto M. Manley, the leader of the NPP Social Democratic Party, was perceived as the "black Moses" who would lead the people of Jamaica to the promised land.

Jamaica is a country of immigrants. Mass emigration of Jamaicans began at the end of the 19th century, as a result of the dispossession of the peasantry. Jamaican blacks worked on the construction of the Panama Canal, on banana plantations in Central America, on sugar plantations in Cuba and the United States. Currently, almost a third of Jamaicans live in the UK, USA, Nicaragua, Costa Rica.

The spoken dialect has little in common with English language, it is sometimes referred to as a distinct creole dialect. The Chinese and Indians living here also use the Jamaican dialect, but in everyday life they speak their own languages. The art and architecture of Jamaica is strongly influenced by European culture and the traditions of African peoples. Traditional Jamaican folk crafts involve wood carving and metalworking.

Stone C. Class, Race and Political Behavior in Urban Jamaica. Kingston, 1979.

At the junction of three civilizations: features of the formation of English-speaking Caribbean communities. //Universal values ​​and civilization specificity of Latin America. M., 1995.

One of the features Caribbean countries- High population growth. Limitation natural resources, weak development of the economy, difficulties in solving the problem of employment - this is far from complete list factors that forced the governments of many countries in the region to take measures in the 60s to limit the birth rate.

Barbados.

The first English settlers appeared on the island in 1625. The island remained an English colony for over 300 years. The population of the country is mainly made up of descendants of African slaves who were imported to work on sugar plantations. The standard of living in Barbados is higher than in other Caribbean countries.

Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The islands were discovered by H. Columbus in 1493, and one of the islands was named San Cristobal. From 1623 it was French colony, and in 1624 the first English settlement in the West Indies was founded on the island. France and England constantly fought for the island, and only under the Treaty of Versailles in 1783 did it finally go to Great Britain. An English colony was founded on the island of Nevis in 1628.

The Caribs and Arawaks were forced out of the islands and destroyed. The modern composition of the population was formed in the course of complex ethnic processes. The British brought here prisoners of war (Irish, Scots, Welsh),_ as well as a significant number of African slaves. The main stratum of the colored population is formed from mulattoes and freed blacks. After the abolition of slavery, the Portuguese, immigrants from West Africa began to come to the islands, and from the second half of the 19th century, contract workers from India arrived here.

Creoles, the descendants of African slaves, formed the basis of the society that developed on the islands. Currently, 86% of the population has African roots. Of course, racial prejudice still persists, but the growing processes of miscegenation blur the lines between individual groups of the population.

Creole has become widespread among the population - a dialect that arose on the basis of simplified English, French and some African languages.

The dominant religion is Protestantism

Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad was captured by Great Britain in 1797, and Tobago - in 1877. After 11 years, the two islands united. After the abolition of slavery, former slaves began to farm on free lands and partially moved to cities. To replace them, a massive import of contracted workers from India began.

96% of the republic's population live on the island of Trinidad. Trinidad is distinguished by the diversity of the ethnic composition of the population - Africans, Indians, Chinese, Spaniards, French, British. Most are blacks or Afro-Creoles (42%), Indians (41%), then mulattos, descendants of Europeans and Chinese. Indians speak Hindi, Afro-Creoles use Creole (or Patois). African traditions have been preserved in the religious sphere and musical and song culture. Trinidad is where most of the Indians of the West Indies are concentrated. Indians, by virtue of their traditions, did not mix with other groups of the population and still retain many of the customs of their homeland.

The majority of the population are Catholics and Protestants (60%), they are mostly blacks and mulattos, 30% are Hindus, and Muslims are 6%.

The main export items of the republic are oil and oil products, gas, sugar, cocoa.

ETHNIC COMPOSITION IN THE COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL AMERICA.

Sources -Almanaque Mundial, 2002. Televisa.