Where is west india located on the world map. West Indies - West Indies, Antilles, Caribbean, Caribbean, Caribbean

The West Indies is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, stretching in an arc from the coast of North America to the shores of South. These islands are separated from the ocean by the Caribbean (formerly incorrectly called the Caribbean) Sea. The northernmost groups of the islands of the West Indies are the Bahamas and Bermuda, followed by the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico) and the Lesser Antilles. These latter consist of the Virgin, Windward, and Leeward Islands.

Politically, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic are considered independent states; in fact the latter two are dependent on the United States of America. In 1958, a national liberation revolution took place in Cuba, and Cubans are fighting for independent development. Directly in the colonial possession of the United States is island of Puerto Rico(the last few years - under the name of "Freely Associated State") and part Virgin Islands(St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix). Colonial possessions Great Britain, except for Bermuda, the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands, are united in the so-called West Indies Federation. This includes Jamaica, Trinidad, the British Windward Islands (Antigua, Barbuda, St. Christopher (St. Kitts), Nevis, Anguilla, Montserrat), the British Windward Islands (Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, etc.) » Barbados, Tobago. Their total area is 32.7 thousand km 2, the population is a little over 3 million people. French possessions include the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, with adjacent islands (area - 2.9 thousand km 2, population - about 600 thousand people). Since 1946, Martinique and Guadeloupe have been considered "overseas departments" of France. The Dutch West Indies (the islands of Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, and others) are small in area (1,000 km 2) and in population (more than 180,000).

The surface of the islands of the West Indies is mountainous, and these mountains are a direct continuation of the mountains American continent. Their northern arc runs from the coast of Guatemala through the Cayman Islands, southeast Cuba, northwest Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In its composition (on the island of Haiti) is highest peak West Indies - Mount Tina (3140 m). The southern arc from the coast of Honduras stretches to the Blue Mountains in Jamaica, from there to the southwest of Haiti and Puerto Rico, where it connects with northern group mountains Some of the Windward Islands - volcanic origin, and volcanic eruptions (the most famous - in Martinique in 1902) still occur. The climate is tropical, hot and humid: average temperature January from +24 to +25°, the average temperature in August from +26 to +28°. Only in mountainous areas at an altitude of more than 1.5 thousand meters, the temperature drops to +18 (-12 °. The islands are generally well irrigated, especially in summer; however, in winter, the leeward slopes of mountains and deep valleys are worse supplied with moisture, and agriculture sometimes even requires artificial irrigation here From November to January, Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas and parts of the Lesser Antilles are often subject to the devastating effects of hurricanes, causing great economic damage and loss of life. tropical forests. By now there are very few of them left.

Most of the West Indian Islands were discovered by Columbus during his first travels (Cuba and Haiti - in 1492, Puerto Rico - in 1493, Jamaica - in 1494). Indigenous people- Arawak to Bahamas, Jamaica and parts of Haiti and the Caribbean in Haiti, Puerto Rico * and the Lesser Antilles - numbered, according to various sources, from 60 to 600 thousand people. Despite fierce resistance, some of them were killed by the colonialists, some died from diseases brought from Europe, and some finally died from overwork in the mines and plantations.

By the end of the XVI century. small groups of Indians remained only in the depths of the mountainous regions on individual islands.

To work on sugar, tobacco, cotton plantations as early as the 16th century. the importation of Negro slaves from Africa began, which especially intensified in the 17th century. Total number Negroes imported into the West Indies are not exactly counted, but, in any case, it is not less than 1-1.5 million. The huge death rate of Negroes, who were forced to hard labor, was covered by the importation of more and more hundreds of thousands of slaves. On the other hand, the history of the West Indies is characterized by almost unceasing Negro uprisings. Only in Jamaica for the period from the end of the 17th to the beginning of the 19th century. there were at least thirty of them. In the interior regions of the islands (Jamaica, Haiti, etc.) inaccessible to the colonialists, settlements of Maroons, or Maroons - fugitive slaves, arose; they attacked plantations, killed slave owners, freed blacks. The Jamaican Maroons retained their independence until the end of the 18th century.

In connection with the nomination at the end of the XVI-beginning of the XVII century. new maritime powers(primarily England) between the strongest states of Europe begins the struggle for the West Indies. In 1605-1682. the British manage to capture St. Kitts, Barbados, Tobago, St. Croix, in the middle of the century Jamaica passes to them, and at the end - the Bahamas. The French take over Martinique and Guadeloupe; the Dutch, who joined this struggle a little later, are the islands of the present-day Netherlands West Indies. Some islands at one time were under the rule of Sweden, others were part of the Danish possessions, and the island of Tobago in the 17th century. was (albeit not for long) a colony of the Duke of Courland. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. The Caribbean Sea was the scene of activity for English, French and other pirates. Pirate raids on Spanish possessions did not stop for several centuries.

By the end of the XVIII century. the situation has stabilized. The last to pass from the Spaniards to the British the island of Trinidad(1797). In the 19th century from all the vast colonial empire Spain was left only with Cuba, Puerto Rico and. East End Haiti.

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West Indies(English West-Indies, Dutch West-Indië - “ Western India"or" Western Indies") - the traditional historical name of the Caribbean islands, including the Caribbean Islands (see list), the Bahamas and the islands in the waters adjacent to them Gulf of Mexico And Atlantic Ocean(including some continental islands - off the coast of the continent). Contrasted with the East Indies (" East India"") - the countries of the South and South-East Asia.

Name

The name of the West Indies region was given by the first European navigators, who mistakenly believed that they got to India, moving westward from Europe. Hence the name of the native inhabitants of America - the Indians. It is necessary to distinguish the West Indies from the West Indies - this is completely different regions, although "West Indies" literally translates to "Western Indies".

There is an opinion that it is correct to say "West Indies" (eng. West indies, "Western Indies"), since the West Indies include the Spanish West Indies, Portuguese, British, French and other West Indies - the lands of each states of Europe in this region since the end of the 15th century. Some of these West Indies are referred to as the Antilles: for example, the English use the term "English West Indies", while the French say both "French West Indies" and "French Antilles". When the majority European countries occupied the lands of the New Continent, the term West Indies appeared. So the West Indies and the West Indies to some extent different concepts. The first concept means the entire region, and the second - political and economic (trade) formations in this region.

West Indies

WEST INDIA (eng. West Indies, letters. - West. India) common name islands of the Atlantic ca. between the continents and Yuzh. America. Includes the islands: Bahamas, B. Antilles, M. Antilles and others. Most of the islands were discovered during the voyages of H. Columbus (1492-1502), who mistakenly took them for part of India. Unlike India (East Indies), these islands later became known as the West Indies. total area islands approx. 240 thousand km2. Population 35 million (1993). The following states are located on the islands: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Grenada, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, possessions of Great Britain, Netherlands, France and USA.

West Indies

(eng. West Indies, literally ≈ Western India), the general name of the islands of the Atlantic Ocean between the continents of North and South America; elongated in the form of an arc about 3500 km long. In V.-I. includes the Bahamas, Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. The islands belong to North America. The total area is about 240 thousand km2. The population is over 24 million people. (1968). The relief of the islands is strongly dissected, mostly mountainous; height up to 3175 m (on the island of Haiti). Many active and extinct volcanoes; frequent earthquakes. Deposits of manganese ore, chromites, iron ore, asphalt, oil, bauxites, phosphorites. The climate is tropical trade wind. In the lowlands the vegetation is mainly cultivated, in the mountains there are laurel and coniferous forests.

On the islands of V.-I. the states of Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, as well as a number of possessions of Great Britain, the Netherlands, France and the USA are located.

Ethnic composition. Bulk modern population Negroes are the descendants of slaves imported from Africa in the 16th and early 19th centuries. (Haiti - over 90%, Barbados - about 89%, Jamaica - about 80%), as well as mulattos (Dominican Republic - about 70%, Puerto Rico - at least 50%). The descendants of Europeans (mainly Spaniards) are found in significant numbers only in Cuba (about 50%), Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. In other countries, the white population (mainly English) does not exceed a few percent. Peculiar ethnic composition Trinidad, where about 50% are descendants of immigrants from India. In all countries there are small groups of Chinese and Syrians. A few descendants of the indigenous Indian population, almost completely exterminated during colonization, survived only on the islands of Dominica, Cuba, Trinidad. Languages: Spanish ≈ in former colonies Spain (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico), English - in the former English colonies (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados), French - in the former and current French colonies (Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique); local dialects prevail everywhere. In the Dutch colonies, in addition to Dutch and in English, the Papiamento dialect is widespread. By religious affiliation, the inhabitants of the former Spanish and French colonies are Catholics, the rest are Protestants of various persuasions. Most Indians are Hindus. In some countries, remnants of African beliefs are also preserved.

A. D. DRIZO.

Historical essay. Most of the islands of VI, inhabited by Indian tribes of the Arawaks and Caribs, were discovered during the voyages of Columbus (1492–1502), who mistakenly took them for part of India. In contrast to India in the East (East Indies), these islands later became known as the East Indies. Colonization V.-I. the Spaniards was accompanied by the total extermination of the Indians, and already from the middle of the 16th century. began a massive import of slaves from Africa to work on sugar and tobacco plantations, in mines. With the decline of the power of Spain, V.-I. evolved into main object rivalry between European powers in America. During the 17≈18 centuries. as a result of seizures, wars and under international treaties, Great Britain acquired the islands of St. Christopher (St. Kitts), Barbados, Antigua, Montserrat, Jamaica, Grenada, Dominica, Trinidad, etc.; France ≈ the islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti; Holland - the islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire; Denmark ≈ the islands of St. John, St. Thomas and Santa Cruz from the group of the Virgin Islands. By the beginning of the 19th century. Spain retained only Puerto Rico and Cuba.

The brutal exploitation of the plantations caused frequent uprisings of the slaves against the oppressors. The largest of them is in Haiti at the end of the 18th century. ≈ developed into a war for independence, as a result of which the Republic of Haiti was proclaimed in 1804. In 1844, the Dominican Republic was established in the eastern part of the island of Haiti. The rest V.-I. still remained in colonial dependence. Slavery was legally abolished in the English colonies in 1833, the French in 1848, the Dutch in 1863, and the Spanish in 1880.

From the 2nd half of the 19th century. US intensified penetration into V.-I. As a result of the Spanish-American War of 1898, Puerto Rico became a colony of the United States, Cuba was declared independent republic(1902), although in fact it became a US protectorate back in 1901 (see "Platta Amendment"). The US has repeatedly occupied Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic. In 1917, the United States bought part of the Virgin Islands that belonged to Denmark.

The victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia big influence for deployment in V.-I. anti-imperialist national liberation movement. In the 20s ≈ 40s. in many countries V.-I. communist parties emerged. In the 30s. major anti-imperialist and anti-colonial demonstrations took place in Cuba (revolution of 1933), in British VI. The first political parties arose in the English colonies, putting forward the slogan of independence.

During World War II (1939–45), the United States increased its influence in V.-I. Under the Anglo-American agreement of 1940, the United States received the right to build military bases in British possessions in America for 99 years. With the creation of the Caribbean Commission (1942), the resources of the colonies of the European powers were actually transferred into the hands of the United States. Severely cracking down on the liberation movement in the colonies, which had especially intensified after the end of the war (arrests of leaders of the movement in Jamaica ≈ 1943, military reprisals against strikers on the island of Grenada ≈ 1951, suppression of the 1950 uprising in Puerto Rico), the ruling circles of the imperialist powers at the same time were forced to maneuver by proclaiming a number of political reforms that were supposed to cover up colonial domination in the countries of V.-I. To this end, Martinique and Guadeloupe were declared "overseas departments" of France (1946), Puerto Rico a "freely acceded (to the USA) state" (1952), and the Dutch colonies in V.-I. ≈ " integral part Kingdom of the Netherlands" (1954). The English colonies in 1958 were united into the West Indies Federation.

The victory of the Cuban Revolution of 1959 led to the emergence of the first socialist state in America and contributed to a new upsurge in the liberation movement in VI. In 1962 the West Indies Federation broke up; independent states were formed - Jamaica (1962), Trinidad and Tobago (1962), Barbados (1966). The English colonies of Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts ≈ Nevis ≈ Anguilla (1967) and Saint Vincent (1969) received internal self-government and were declared "states associated with the United Kingdom."

Political division of the West Indies

States and territories

Modern status

Area, km2

Population, thousand people (1968)

Capital or administrative center

Bahamas

British possession

Nassau (Nassau)

Independent state

Bridgetown

Bermuda

British possession

Hamilton

Virgin Islands

British possession

Virgin Islands: Santa Cruz

St. Thomas

Saint John

ý58 Charlotte Amalie

Independent state

Port-au-Prince

Guadeloupe

Overseas Department of France

"British Associated State"

St. George's

Dominica

"British Associated State"

Independent state

Santo Domingo

Cayman islands

British possession

Georgetown

Independent state

Martinique

Overseas Department of France

fort de france

Montserrat

British possession

Dutch

Saint-Martin (southern part)

Sint Eustatius

Autonomous overseas part

ýWillemstad

═(Curaçao Island)

Puerto Rico

"Freely affiliated (to the United States) state"

2723 San Juan

Saint Vincent

"British Associated State"

Kingstown

Saint Kitts ≈ Nevis ≈ Anguilla

"British Associated State"

Saint Lucia

"British Associated State"

Turke and Caicos Islands

British possession

Grand Turk

Independent state

Port of Spain

Independent state

kingston

* In brackets is the date of declaration of independence.

Lit .: Peoples of America, vol. 2, M., 1959; Countries Latin America in modern international relations, M., 1967, Ch. 9.

E. L. Rovinskaya.

Wikipedia

West Indies

West Indies- the traditional historical name of the islands of the Caribbean Sea, including the Caribbean Islands (see list), the Bahamas and the islands adjacent to them in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It is opposed to the East Indies - the countries of South and Southeast Asia. It should also be understood that the West Indies and the West Indies are completely different regions, although "West Indies" is translated as "Western Indies", but it is not.

Some believe that it is correct to say the West Indies, since the West Indies include the Spanish West Indies, Portuguese, Danish and other West Indies - the lands of every European state in this region since the end of the 15th century. Some of these West Indies are called the Antilles: for example, the English say French West Indies, and the French say both French West Indies and French Antilles are the same thing. However, the name of the West Indies region was given by the first European navigators erroneously, as they thought that they got to India, moving westward from Europe. Hence the name of the indigenous people - Indians. When more European countries occupied the lands of the New Continent, the term West Indies appeared - then they stopped confusing the western part of India with the West Indies. Thus, the West Indies and the West Indies are to some extent different concepts. The first concept means the entire region, and the second - political and economic entities in this region.

Examples of the use of the word West Indies in the literature.

Barrington Island and the Pirates About two centuries ago, Barrington Island was home to a well-known branch of pirates from West Indies, who, after being expelled from the waters of Cuba, went beyond the Isthmus of Darien, robbed pacific coast Spanish colonies and regularly, with the accuracy of a modern postal service, lay in wait for the royal ships with the treasury, plying between Manila and Acapulco.

West Africa, rocks of Gibraltar, Malta, Jamaica, several small slave colonies in West Indies, British Guiana in South America and, on opposite side globe, two transit points for prisoners in Australia and Tasmania.

Almost always, after listening to the conversations going around in the harbor of Providence, a few people immediately deserted, and were replaced by new crew members recruited in West Indies became very difficult for Karven.

On all islands West Indies alluvial gold was available, and the Indians were used to wash the sand.

The President intended to use for this purpose aviation and naval forces operating from bases in Greenland, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, in the United States, on Bermuda and in West Indies and possibly later in Brazil.

Don Miguel de Espinosa - Admiral of Spain West Indies and his nephew Don Esteban passionately dreamed of capturing this adventurer and hanging him on the yardarm of their ship.

A little time passed, and the anatomist realized that this strange disease, this monstrous deformity, in essence, was something like a new West Indies.

Has not Barbados itself disappeared in one of those terrible earthquakes that occur in West Indies?

Secondly, this morning he went to petition for me to be appointed to the vacant post of company commander, which is located in West Indies, and since he intends to use all his influence for this, neither he nor I have the slightest doubt of success.

The punch seemed exceedingly delicious to us, and led to a long conversation between Owen and our host about the benefits of the union of the kingdoms, which opened up a charitable opportunity for Glasgow to establish trade with the British colonies in America and West Indies and thanks to new markets to expand its exports.

He reported that common yam beans are cultivated plant in some parts West Indies and in South America, moreover, their cultivation is facilitated by the fact that the plant has insecticidal properties.

Cuba, Cuba, Cubana Legalize Marijuana Cuba - capital West Indies Until now, it is buried for everyone, Jamaica is nearby, reggae is dancing nearby. The same climate - marijuana - is the land of Rastaman.

If now it is the turn of Martinique, one can only be surprised that this did not happen earlier, for there is something to profit from on this island, and France does not have West Indies armed forces capable of resisting these conquistadors.

The purpose of his arrival in Nevis is the largest West Indies slave market, - according to him, was the acquisition of some guy fit as a cabin boy.

Directly translated into Russian, it means Western India, but this Latin American subregion should not be confused with western part peninsulas of Hindustan. The West Indies got its name in memory of how the ships of Christopher Columbus, moving to discover India, moored to the shores western islands. As you know, these islands did not belong to India at all, but the name "West Indies" remained unchanged.

It is the smallest, both in terms of area and population, sub-region of Latin America. A bunch of island states located in the Caribbean Sea, and some of these states have gained independence quite recently. For many years, most of them remained colonies of European maritime powers such as Spain, Holland, France, and Great Britain. On the territory of the West Indies, there were even Danish colonies, which later came under the protectorate of the United States of America. The influence of the former metropolises in the West Indies has survived to this day. This is expressed not only in architectural monuments, religious preferences, but also in official language and the percentage of tourists visiting a particular state Caribbean.

The largest income of the states of this subregion is travel business and banking activities. Moreover, the first source of income extends to almost all countries of the West Indies. The largest number of tourists arrive in such countries and regions as Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Lesser Antilles and Greater Antilles.

No doubt the most unusual country Cuba has been the West Indies for many years. This is a state where the socialist regime has been maintained for half a century. The policy of the Castro brothers continues to be the only correct one for ordinary Cubans. Perhaps this position of the people has developed due to the non-interference of the state in religious affairs. That is why, despite the communist principles of development, Catholicism is the official religion in Cuba. Today Cuba is one of the most developed countries in the region in terms of education, but in terms of economic development seriously inferior to many Latin American countries. Thanks to the climate great beaches and low prices, several million tourists visit Cuba every year.

In the Lesser Antilles group of the West Indies, there are states that rely on the banking sector in their development. One such state is Barbados. This is the main offshore zone of the entire sub-region. Barbados is an independent state, however, like a number of other countries, it considers its head the British Queen. That is why in all information brochures Barbados is called a constitutional monarchy. This state has a very high standard of living compared to many other countries of the West Indies. Thanks to its unique location in the Caribbean, where sea ​​waves reach several meters, Barbados is a favorite place active rest for surfers from all over the world.

The former French colony, and now the parliamentary republic of Dominica, is one of the poorest states in the subregion. According to the UN, it is in 209th place in the world in terms of WFP. However, agriculture and the principle of non-taxation of foreign companies in last years began to improve the situation in the country's economy.

It remains the sub-region of Latin America, which has the richest potential, which, unfortunately, remains unrealized. There is a large outflow of capital and human resources from the region to the United States and EU countries.

See also:

Central America

To the continental Central America seven states belong: from Guatemala and Belize in the north to Panama in the south. It is a geographical link between South America and Northern.

Middle America

The northernmost sub-region of Latin America is the so-called Middle America. This is a collection of both mainland and island states, predominantly with Spanish as the official language.

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West Indies(eng. West-Indies, Dutch. West-Indië - "Western India" or "Western Indies") - the traditional historical name of the islands of the Caribbean, including the Caribbean Islands (see list), the Bahamas and islands adjacent to waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean (including some continental islands - off the coast of the continent). It is opposed to the East Indies ("Eastern India") - to the countries and.

Name

The name of the West Indies region was given by the first European navigators, who mistakenly believed that they got to India, moving westward from Europe. Hence the name of the native inhabitants of America - the Indians. The West Indies should be distinguished from the West Indies - they are completely different regions, although "West Indies" literally translates as "Western Indies".

There is an opinion that it is correct to say "West Indies" (eng. West indies, "Western Indies"), since the West Indies include the Spanish West Indies, Portuguese, British, French and other West Indies - the lands of each states of Europe in this region since the end of the 15th century. Some of these West Indies are referred to as the Antilles: for example, the English use the term "English West Indies", while the French say both "French West Indies" and "French Antilles". When most European countries occupied the lands of the New Continent, the term West Indies appeared. Thus, the West Indies and the West Indies are to some extent different concepts. The first concept means the entire region, and the second - political and economic (trade) formations in this region.

Geography

The West Indies is located between the Americas, between 10° and 28° north latitude and 59° and 85° west longitude, from the mouth of the Orinoco to the Florida and Yucatan peninsulas. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia classifies the West Indies as, however, all the islands, except for Cuba, Jamaica, Huventud, and are located closer to the coast than to the coast of the North.

The West Indies consists of several groups of islands, namely: the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles and the Bahamas. The area of ​​​​all the islands is 244,890 km² (Great Antilles - 216,260, Lesser Antilles - 14,095 and Bahamas - 14,535). All the Antilles rise significantly above sea level. The Bahamas are formed by coral reefs. Most high mountains are located in the western part of Haiti (Duarte Peak, 3087 m), in the eastern part of Cuba (2375 m) and in the northern part of Jamaica (2341 m); eastern shores The Lesser Antilles are covered with plains; mountains descend steeply into valleys. Numerous bays of the islands provide convenient harbors. Cuba and the Bahamas are surrounded by huge coral reefs jutting out to the surface of the sea and covered with palm trees. Many islands (especially the Lesser Antilles) bear traces of volcanic origin.

The following states and territories are located on the territory of the archipelago:

Climate

West Indies

The climate of the West Indies is fairly even. The hot and damp season, spring, begins in May; in the middle of the month the first periodic rain falls, then repeating daily around noon. After two weeks of rain, a dry tropical summer begins. The heat is somewhat softened by sea coastal winds and easterly trade winds, blowing throughout the whole year; however, despite extreme heat, the climate is damp, which contributes to the development of yellow fevers and other diseases characteristic of tropical countries. Cleaner and healthier air - in the mountains. In July, the rains are stronger, especially in the Greater Antilles, while in the Lesser Islands, the most rain falls in August and October; at the same time, large floods of rivers occur. Hurricanes rage from August to October, often causing severe devastation. From the end of November, winter begins (a relatively dry time), lasting until May - the best and most pleasant time of the year.

Flora and fauna

Tobago beach

The islands are covered with lush American vegetation; grow in the lowlands tropical plants, In The Mountains - European Fruit Trees. Inner areas big islands occupied by vast meadow spaces (savannas). The main obtained vegetable wealth of the islands is the products of processing of industrial crops; vanilla grows wild in the forests of Jamaica, agave in Cuba and the Bahamas; many islands grow indigo, cocoa, coconut palms, tobacco, and cotton. In Jamaica, breadfruit is cultivated, brought from Tahiti. Of the grain crops, corn is widely cultivated, while wheat is very little. The main exports are sugar and coffee. Sugar cane, which grows in the West Indies, was brought here with the Spaniards in the 16th century, and the coffee tree was brought here by the Dutch and French from Arabia.

Before the arrival of Europeans, there were very few native species of four-legged animals on the islands: agoutis, peccaries (Mexican pig), opossums and breeds of small monkeys, but quite a lot of scorpions, snakes. To this day in still waters caimans live, turtles are caught in Jamaica. Island birds are distinguished by their brilliant plumage: parrots, hummingbirds. All domestic animals have been transported from Europe for agricultural purposes, but now cattle and horses are found in the wild, as they do in the savannahs of South America.

The Caribbean waters are full of life. coastal Coral reefs give shelter to a huge number of living beings. Various types of invertebrates, cartilaginous and bony fish. Of the large predators found here different kinds sharks, including bull shark, tiger shark, silky shark and Caribbean reef shark.

Historical information

Historical map of the West Indies

Columbus in 1492 discovered the Bahama, Cuba, Haiti and; on these islands, as well as on the Bahamas and on, there lived two different tribes who spoke different languages: the Caraibs, a warlike tribe, and the Arawaks ( arrowaks, Arawaks) is peaceful. By the end of the 19th century, the smallest number of Caribs remained on the shores, where the Spaniards resettled them.

The Danish West Indies (Danish colonies) (359 km²) consisted of the islands of the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz), St. John (St. John) and St. Thomas (St. Thomas). Later they moved to. From 1784 to 1878. there was a colony on the island of St. Barthelemy (21 km²).

The black population appeared on the islands from the time of the importation of African slaves here (about 1511). In the British colonies, slavery was abolished from 1834; in Haiti, slavery ceased from the time of the Negro uprising at the end of the 18th century; in the Danish colonies, from 1847;

At present, most of the West Indies are occupied by independent states.

Assistance to the countries of the Caribbean is actively provided by Great Britain within the framework of the Commonwealth. In 1999, the Caribbean Forum was established. He launched several programs, among which is the creation of the General Caribbean Department of Inland Investment. Currently, London maintains close ties with the countries of the region, which are provided with financial assistance, including to combat drug trafficking and epidemics.

see also

• Western India
• List of Caribbean islands by area
• List of volcanoes in the West Indies
• Danish West Indies
• University of the West Indies

Notes

1. West Indies // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
2. Al. Gromyko Great Britain era of reforms, M., 2007

Literature

• West Indies