Documents for "Caribbean Political Geography":

• Acklins Island see Bahamas.

• Aguadilla town (1990 pop. 59,335), NW Puerto Rico, a port on Mona Passage. It is the trade center for an agricultural region. Columbus reputedly landed at the site of Aguadilla in 1493.

• Andros Island see Bahamas.

• Anegada see Virgin Islands.

• Anguilla island and British dependency (2005 est. pop. 13,300) 35 sq mi (91 sq km), West Indies, northernmost of the Leeward Islands. The capital is the town of The Valley. Its population, which is mainly of African descent, speaks English, the official language. Most Anguillans are Anglican or Methodist. Fishing (mainly...

• Antigua and Barbuda independent Commonwealth nation (2005 est. pop. 68,700), 171 sq mi (442 sq km), West Indies, in the Leeward Islands. It consists of the island of Antigua (108 sq mi/280 sq km) and two smaller...

• Antigua Guatemala [Span.,=Old Guatemala], town (1991 pop. 58,114), S central Guatemala. It is the capital of Sacatepéquez dept. Founded in 1542 by survivors from nearby Ciudad Vieja, which had been destroyed by...

• Antilles see West Indies.

• Arecibo city (1990 pop. 93,385), N Puerto Rico, a port on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Rio Grande de Arecibo. It has rum distilleries and is the commercial and industrial center of a region that...

• Aruba island, autonomous part of the Netherlands (2005 est. pop. 71,600), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), in the Lesser Antilles off the coast of Venezuela. Oranjestad is the capital and main port. The population is largely a mixture of European and indigenous Caribbean peoples. Roman Catholics make up more than three quarters of the island's population, and...

• Aux Cayes see Les Cayes , Haiti.

• Bahamas, the officially Commonwealth of the Bahamas, independent nation (2005 est. pop. 301,800), 4,403 sq mi (11,404 sq km), in the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of some 700 islands and islets and about 2,400...

• Baní city (1993 pop. 47,554), Peravia prov., S Dominican Republic. It is the commercial and manufacturing center in a region producing bananas and coffee. Baní is linked to Santo Domingo by highway....

• Barahona city Dominican Republic: see Santa Cruz de Barahona.

• Barbados island state (2005 est. pop. 279,300), 166 sq mi (430 sq km), in the West Indies. The capital and largest city is Bridgetown.

• Barbuda see Antigua and Barbuda.

• Basseterre town (1990 est. pop. 15,500), capital of St. Kitts and Nevis , on St. Kitts island, West Indies. It is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands. Sugar refining is the leading industry....

• Basse-Terre town (1999 pop. 12,410), on Basse-Terre Island, capital of Guadeloupe , a French overseas department in the West Indies. Basse-Terre is a port that ships the products of the surrounding agricultural area. Founded by the French in 1643, it retains its French colonial...

• Bayamón city (1990 pop. 202,103), NE Puerto Rico, a residential, commercial, and industrial city. Founded in 1772, it is one of the oldest settlements on the island. It produces foods, metals, clothing,...

• Bermuda British dependency (2005 est. pop. 65,400), 21 sq mi (53 sq km), comprising some 150 coral rocks, islets, and islands (of which some 20 are inhabited), in the Atlantic Ocean, c.570 mi (920 km) SE...

• Biminis island group in the Straits of Florida, forming the northwest section of the Bahamas. The group includes North Bimini, South Bimini, and surrounding cays. Exceptionally good fishing attracts many...

• Bonaire island (1990 est. pop. 11,000), 112 sq mi (290 sq km), in the Netherlands Antilles , West Indies. Kralendijk is the chief town. Tourism is the economic mainstay, though salt mining is also a significant industry. The island is known for its fine beaches, skin diving, and pink...

• Bridgetown city (1990 pop. 5,928), capital, commercial center, and chief port of Barbados , West Indies. It is, in addition, a tourist and health resort. Sugar, rum, and molasses are the leading exports, and Bridgetown also serves as an important financial center and transshipment point...

• British West Indies see West Indies ; West Indies Federation.

• Caguas city (1990 pop. 133,447), E central Puerto Rico. Largest of Puerto Rico's inland cities, Caguas is an industrial center. Sugar is refined there, and the varied manufacturing includes diamond...

• Caicos Islands see Turks and Caicos Islands.

• Cap-Haïtien city (1995 est. pop. 100,600), N Haiti, on the Atlantic Ocean. Haiti's second largest city, it is a seaport, commercial center, and tourist attraction. Agriculture dominates the regional economy,...

• Castries town (1991 pop. 11,147; 1991 metropolitan area pop. 51,994), capital and commercial center of Saint Lucia. Its excellent landlocked harbor is one of the best in the West Indies. Castries was founded...

• Cayes Haiti: see Les Cayes.

• Cayey town (1990 pop. 46,553), SE Puerto Rico, in the Sierra de Cayey Mts. It is a sugar, tobacco, and poultry center and a summer resort. Cigars and clothing are manufactured. Founded in 1774, it is...

• Cayman Islands British dependency (2005 est. pop. 44,300), 100 sq mi (259 sq km), comprising three islands in the West Indies. George Town, the capital and chief port, is on Grand Cayman; the other islands are...

• Charlestown town (1991 pop. 1,411) on the island of Nevis, St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies. Charlestown is the chief town and port of the island. Sugar processing is the major industry; the port serves...

• Charlotte Amalie town (2000 pop. 11,044), capital of the Virgin Islands of the United States, on St. Thomas Island. It is the commercial center of the islands, a free port, and a popular tourist resort. Founded in the late 17th cent., Charlotte Amalie was a center of...

• Christiansted town (2000 pop. 2,637), chief city of St. Croix , one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a shipping port for sugar and rum; tourism is the leading industry. Founded in 1733, Christiansted served briefly as capital of the Danish West Indies...

• Coamo town and municipality (1990 pop. 33,837), S central Puerto Rico, on the Coamo River. It is the trade center of a sugar and tobacco region. Manufactures include aircraft equipment, machines, and...

• Crooked Island see Bahamas.

• Désirade see Guadeloupe.

• Dominica officially Commonwealth of Dominica, republic (2005 est. pop. 69,000), consists of the island of Dominica (290 sq mi/750 sq km), located in the Windward Islands, West Indies. Roseau is the capital...

• Dominican Republic republic (2005 est. pop. 8,950,000), 18,700 sq mi (48,442 sq km), West Indies, on the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola. The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo. ...

• Dutch West Indies see Netherlands Antilles.

• Eleuthera see Bahamas.

• Eustatius Island see Saint Eustatius.

• Exuma and Cays see Bahamas.

• Fajardo town (1990 pop. 36,882), NE Puerto Rico. Its manufactures include cigars, and metal and electronic parts. Its nearby port, Playa de Fajardo, exports sugar. Fajardo attracts many tourists.

• Fort-de-France city (1999 pop. 94,049), capital of the French overseas dept. of Martinique , West Indies. It is a popular tourist resort and a free port, exporting mainly bananas, sugar, and rum. It was settled in 1762 by the French, who built Fort-Royal by the strategically situated...

• Fort-Royal Martinique: see Fort-de-France.

• Frederiksted town (2000 pop. 732), historically the chief port and commercial center of St. Croix , U.S. Virgin Islands; it has been replaced by Christiansted. Sugar provided the principal export until the industry...

• Freeport city (1990 pop. 25,115), Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas. A popular resort area, it developed out of a 1955 agreement between the Bahamian colonial government and a private development company to...

• French West Indies see West Indies.

• George Town town (1989 pop. 12,921), capital of the Cayman Islands, in the West Indies. It is a major offshore banking and business center, and many companies have subsidiaries there because of the tax...

• Gonaïves city (1995 est. pop. 59,000), W Haiti, a port on the Gulf of Gonaïves and capital of Artibonite dept. The region's agricultural products (including coffee, cotton, sugar, and bananas) are exported...

• Grand Bahama see Bahamas.

• Greater Antilles see West Indies.

• Grenada independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations (2005 est. pop. 89,500), 133 sq mi (344 sq km), in the Windward Islands, West Indies. The state includes the island of Grenada (120 sq mi/311...

• Grenadines see Grenada ; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ; Windward Islands.

• Guadeloupe overseas department and administrative region of France (2005 est. pop. 449,000), 687 sq mi (1,779 sq km), in the Leeward Islands, West Indies. The department comprises the islands of Basse-Terre...

• Guayama town (1990 pop. 41,588), SE Puerto Rico, founded 1736. It is a growing processing and distribution center for a region producing sugarcane, tobacco, coffee, and livestock. Guayama has been noted...

• Haiti Fr. Haïti , officially Republic of Haiti, republic (2005 est. pop. 8,122,000), 10,700 sq mi (27,713 sq km), West Indies, on the western third of the island of Hispaniola. It is bounded on the north by the...

• Hamilton city (1990 est. pop. 3,100), capital of Bermuda , on Bermuda Island. It is a port at the head of Great Sound, a huge lagoon and deepwater harbor protected by coral reefs. The city is the focus of Bermuda's commercial and social life and is a...

• Inagua island group of the Bahamas. A virtually isolated cluster at the southern end of the archipelago, it includes Great Inagua, Little Inagua, and some islets. Matthew Town is the chief settlement of Inagua. Salt production is...

• Jacmel city (1989 est. pop. 217,000), S Haiti. About 25 mi (40 km) S of Port-au-Prince, Jacmel is an important port on the Caribbean Sea. The name is also spelled Jaquemel.

• Jamaica independent state within the Commonwealth (2005 est. pop. 2,732,000), 4,232 sq mi (10,962 sq km), coextensive with the island of Jamaica, West Indies, S of Cuba and W of Haiti. Jamaica is the...

• Kingston city (1991 pop. 97,424), capital and largest city of Jamaica, SE Jamaica. The country's chief port, it has one of the finest harbors in the West Indies and exports sugar, rum, molasses, and...

• Kingstown town (1989 est. pop. 19,300), capital of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies. The chief port of St. Vincent, Kingstown is an export center for the island's agricultural industry as well as...

• La Romana city (1993 pop. 132,834), SE Dominican Republic, on the Caribbean Sea. It is the capital and major port of La Romana province. The site of several resorts, the city has an international airport.

• La Vega city (1993 pop. 73,387), central Dominican Republic, on the Camú River. La Vega is the commercial and processing center of a rich agricultural region. A religious sanctuary erected on the site of...

• Le Cap see Cap-Haïtien , Haiti.

• Leeward Islands northern group of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, extending SE from Puerto Rico to the Windward Islands. The principal islands are the American Virgin Islands ; the French island and overseas dept. of Guadeloupe and its dependencies; the Dutch islands of St. Eustatius and Saba ; the Dutch and French St. Martin ; the islands of the independent states of St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda ; and the islands of the British dependent territories of Anguilla , Montserrat , and the British Virgin Islands. Largely volcanic in origin, the Leewards have lush, subtropical vegetation, rich soil, and abundant rainfall. The warm, delightful climate is tempered by the...

• Les Cayes Cayes, or Aux Cayes , town (1990 est. pop. 37,600), SW Haiti, on the Caribbean Sea. Haiti's chief southern port, it handles exports, mainly sugar and coffee.

• Lesser Antilles see West Indies.

• Long Island see Bahamas.

• Mandeville town (1991 pop. 39,945), C Jamaica, at an altitude of c.2,000 ft (610 m). Mandeville is an inland resort town known for its cool climate and quiet, English character.

• Marie-Galante see Guadeloupe.

• Martinique overseas department and administrative region of France (2005 est. pop. 433,000), 425 sq mi (1,101 sq km), in the Windward Islands, West Indies. Fort-de-France is the capital. The department and the...

• Mayagüez city (1990 pop. 100,371), W Puerto Rico, on Mona Passage. It is a port of entry as well as a shipping and manufacturing center in an area where sugarcane, coffee, tobacco, and livestock are...

• Mayaguana see Bahamas.

• Montego Bay city (1991 pop. 82,002), NW Jamaica. One of the most popular resorts in the Caribbean with highly developed tourism facilities, Montego Bay is also a port and commercial center. There is an active...

• Montserrat British dependency and island (2005 est. pop. 9,000), 38 sq mi (98 sq km), West Indies, one of the Leeward Islands. It is a rugged, scenic island of volcanic origin; Chance's Peak (3,000 ft/915 m)...

• Nassau city (1990 pop. 172,196), capital of the Bahamas. A port on New Providence island, it has a large and beautiful harbor and is the commercial and social center of the islands. Its warm, healthful climate and colorful atmosphere have made it a...

• Netherlands Antilles island group, an autonomous part of the Netherlands (2005 est. pop. 220,000), 371 sq mi (961 sq km), West Indies. Formerly known as the Dutch West Indies and Netherlands West Indies, they are...

• Netherlands West Indies see Netherlands Antilles.

• Nevis see Saint Kitts and Nevis.

• New Providence see Bahamas.

• Ocho Rios town, NE Jamaica, on the Caribbean Sea. It is a major tourist center, as well as a commercial port that exports mainly bauxite.

• Oranjestad town and port (1991 pop. 20,045), capital and administrative center of Aruba , in the Lesser Antilles. Oranjestad is a tourist destination with hotels and fine beaches; most of the island's population...

• Pointe-à-Pitre city (1999 pop. 20,948), Guadeloupe, West Indies. It is on Grande-Terre island at the southern entrance of the Rivière Salée, the narrow, shallow ocean channel that separates Basse-Terre island...

• Ponce city (1990 pop. 187,749), S Puerto Rico. One of Puerto Rico's largest cities, it is the island's chief Caribbean port. Ponce is also an agricultural trade and distribution center. Industries...

• Port of Spain city (1990 pop. 50,878), capital of Trinidad and Tobago, on the Gulf of Paria. It is the industrial and commercial center of the country. From 1958 to 1962, Port of Spain was the capital of the...

• Port-au-Prince city (1995 est. pop. 846,200), capital of Haiti, SW Haiti, on a bay at the end of the Gulf of Gonaïves. The country's chief seaport, it exports mainly coffee and sugar. The city has...

• Porto Rico see Puerto Rico.

• Puerto Plata city (1993 pop. 85,042), N Dominican Republic, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the major northern port of the country, serving Santiago de los Caballeros and other inland towns. Dairy and cacao...

• Puerto Rico island (2005 est. pop. 3,917,000), 3,508 sq mi (9,086 sq km), West Indies, c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) SE of Miami, Fla. Officially known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (a self-governing entity in...

• Río Piedras suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with which it was merged in 1951. It is an industrial and agricultural trading center. The main campus of the Univ. of Puerto Rico is there.

• Redonda see Antigua and Barbuda.

• Road Town capital and largest town (1991 pop. 3,983) in the British Virgin Islands , on Tortola.

• Roseau town (1991 pop. 15,853) capital and chief port of Dominica, in the Windward Islands in the West Indies. Located on the SW coast of the island. Roseau is on the small Roseau River, with some of the...

• Saba island (1990 est. pop. 1,100), 5 sq mi (13 sq km), Netherlands Antilles , one of the NW Leeward Islands. The rugged island is actually the cone of an extinct volcano rising to c.2,800 ft (850 m). Spiral roads winding up through steep cliffs and lush greenery make Saba a...

• Saint Christopher and Nevis see Saint Kitts and Nevis.

• Saint Croix island (2000 pop. 53,234), 80 sq mi (207 sq km), the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands , in the West Indies. Christiansted , on the northeast coast, is the island's leading town. Buck Island Reef...

• Saint Eustatius island (1989 pop. 1,861), 8 sq mi (20.7 sq km), Netherlands Antilles , one of the Leeward Islands. The mountainous island is not very prosperous, although there is a developing tourist industry; it also possesses facilities for petroleum transshipment. Oranjestad,...

• Saint George town (1991 pop. 1,648), on St. George's Island, Bermuda. It was the capital of Bermuda until 1815, when it was replaced by Hamilton. During the American Civil War it harbored Confederate blockade-runners....

• Saint George's or Saint George, town (1991 pop. 4,439), capital of Grenada , in the West Indies. A port town on a deep and beautiful harbor, it is the administrative headquarters of the country and a growing tourist center. Chief exports are cacao, nutmeg, and mace. St...

• Saint John Virgin Islands: see Virgin Islands of the United States.

• Saint John's city (1991 pop. 21,514), capital of Antigua and Barbuda , in the West Indies. St. John's, at the head of a harbor formed by an inlet, is the commercial center of the country. Tourism is important. The harbor has been dredged to accommodate deep-draft...

• Saint Kitts and Nevis or Saint Kitts-Nevis , officially Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, island nation (2005 est. pop. 39,000), 120 sq mi (311 sq km), West Indies, in the Leeward Islands. The nation consists of the islands of Saint Kitts, also called Saint Christopher (68 sq mi/176 sq km), Nevis (50 sq mi/130 sq km), and Sombrero (2 sq mi/5.2 sq km). The capital is Basseterre on Saint Kitts. The chief settlement on Nevis is Charlestown, the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. There has been strong sentiment on Nevis for independence from the larger, more populous Saint Kitts, and in a 1998 referendum more than 60% of Nevisian voters approved separation; a two-thirds...

• Saint Lucia island nation (2005 est. pop. 166,000), 238 sq mi (616 sq km), West Indies, one of the Windward Islands. The capital is Castries. Morne Gimie (3,145 ft/959 m high) and the twin pyramidal cones known as the Pitons are the most imposing landmarks. The country is often damaged by hurricanes. The population is largely of African...

• Saint Martin Du. Sint Maarten, island, 37 sq mi (96 sq km), West Indies, one of the Leeward Islands. Since its occupation in 1648 by the Dutch and the French, it has been divided; the northern part (1999 pop. 29,078; 20 sq mi/52...

• Saint Thomas island (2000 pop. 51,181), 32 sq mi (83 sq km), one of the U.S. Virgin Islands , West Indies. Charlotte Amalie , the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Univ. of the Virgin Islands are on Saint...

• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines island nation (2005 est. pop. 118,000), 150 sq mi (388 sq km), West Indies, in the Windward Islands. It comprises the island of Saint Vincent (140 sq mi/363 sq km) and about two thirds of the small...

• Saint-Barthélemy see Guadeloupe.

• Saintes, Les see Guadeloupe.

• Saint-Pierre town (1990 est. pop. 5,550), Martinique, West Indies. Founded by Esnambuc in 1635 and once the chief commercial city of the island, it was engulfed by a mass of flame, lava, and ash in the eruption...

• San Cristóbal city (1993 pop. 88,376), S Dominican Republic, on a Caribbean coastal plain. The city was founded in the late 16th cent. The first Dominican constitution was signed in San Cristóbal in 1844. The...

• San Fernando city (1990 pop. 30,092), Trinidad and Tobago, on the Gulf of Paria. It is the country's second largest city and a commercial center for S Trinidad.

• San Francisco de Macorís city (1993 pop. 96,503), N Dominican Republic. It is the commercial and processing center for an agricultural region. Its port is Sanchez.

• San Germán town (1990 pop. 34,962), SW Puerto Rico, in an agricultural area producing coffee, sugar, tobacco, and fruit. The original village was founded in 1511, but it was early raided by the French; the...

• San Pedro de Macorís city (1993 pop. 123,987), SE Dominican Republic, on the Caribbean Sea at the mouth of the Higuamo River. It is the nation's leading sugar port. Textiles and alcohol are produced there.

• San Salvador island of the Bahamas , West Indies. Many historians believe that it was the first land sighted by Columbus in the New World in 1492. The indigenous population called it Guanahani, and it has also been named Watling or...

• Santa Cruz de Barahona or Barahona bäräō´nä , city (1993 pop. 61,600), SW Dominican Republic, on Neiba Bay, an arm of the Caribbean Sea. Santa Cruz de Barahona is a provincial capital and a port. It has a sugar industry and is a commercial...

• Santiago de los Caballeros city (1993 pop. 364,859), N Dominican Republic, on the Yaque del Norte River. The second most important city in the country, it is a rail and road junction in the center of the fertile region...

• Santo Domingo former Spanish colony on the island of Hispaniola. The name has also been used for the Dominican Republic , and in early days it applied to Haiti. Columbus visited the island in 1492 and established a settlement on the northern coast, but when he returned in 1493, the settlers had vanished. He administered a new colony there until complaints...

• Santo Domingo sän´tō dōmēng´gō , city (1993 pop. 1,609,966), S Dominican Republic, on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River. It is the country's capital, largest city, leading port, and primary commercial center...

• Spanish Town city (1991 pop. 110,379), SE Jamaica, on the Cobre River. It is the commercial and processing center of a rich agricultural region, as well as the main rail and highway communications hub for...

• Tobago see Trinidad and Tobago.

• Tortola largest of the British Virgin Islands.

• Trinidad town (1983 est. pop. 43,500), Sancti Spíritus prov., central Cuba. Tobacco processing is the chief industry, although other agricultural processing has been developed. During the colonial period,...

• Trinidad and Tobago officially Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, republic (2005 est. pop. 1,088,000), 1,980 sq mi (5,129 sq km), West Indies. The capital is Port of Spain.

• Trujillo see Santo Domingo , city, Dominican Republic.

• Turks and Caicos Islands dependency of Great Britain (2005 est. pop. 20,600), 166 sq mi (430 sq km), West Indies. There are more than 30 cays and islands, of which only six are inhabited. The islands are geographically a...

• Virgin Gorda one of the British Virgin Islands.

• Virgin Islands group of about 100 small islands, West Indies, E of Puerto Rico. The islands are divided politically between the United States and Great Britain. Although constituting the westernmost part of the...

• Watling Island or Watlings Island: see San Salvador.

• West Indies archipelago, between North and South America, curving c.2,500 mi (4,020 km) from Florida to the coast of Venezuela and separating the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean...

• West Indies Federation former federation of 10 British West Indian territories formed in 1958. Trinidad and Tobago , Jamaica , and Barbados were the principal members, but the federation included most of the Leeward and Windward islands, then under British control. The seat of government was Port of Spain , Trinidad. Slated for independence in 1962, the federation did not survive its troubled infancy. Jamaica, the most populous and prosperous member, voted (1961) to leave the federation, fearing that...

• Willemstad city (1992 pop. 24,235), Curaçao , capital of the Netherlands Antilles. The city is the commercial and industrial center of the Netherlands Antilles as well as a free port and tourist center. It is important as a transshipment point and refining center for petroleum...

• Windward Islands southern group of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, curving generally southward for c.300 mi (480 km) from the Leeward Islands toward NE Venezuela. Excluding Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago...

• Yauco town (1990 pop. 42,058), SW Puerto Rico, on the Yauco River. It is a growing commercial, trade, and processing center of a sugar, coffee, tobacco, and cotton area. Yauco also produces textiles and...