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Chapter 5 |
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Many people in North America think mainly of tourism when they consider the Caribbean. Perhaps no other region that we will visit has been changed so dramatically by the human presence. Whether it is the complete altering of the population after European discovery, or the systematic extrication of natural resources that followed, there is little question that what was here as recently as 500 years ago is now a completely different environment because of human-induced change.
The Caribbean offers an intriguing mix of language, music, and customs contributed from far-reaching corners of our planet. Whether you examine the influence of South Asians in Trinidad and Guyana, or the tremendous contributions of West Africans in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and elsewhere, or the legacy of the Spaniards and French in Hispaniola, what you discover is a unique and quite complex social and ethnic portrait. Despite the tourism advertisements, the reality of everyday life in the islands is not as glamorous as one might think. Even some popular holiday resorts, which provide lush accommodations for their guests that far exceed those of the average island inhabitant, effectively conceal conditions beyond their properties. While tourism brings substantial money to the islands, relatively little works its way back into their economies, with much of the revenue returned to its foreign investors. It is ironic, then, that one of the most important resources the Caribbean has to offer, its climate and holiday appeal, is not, for the most part, generating a more evenly distributed wealth than it potentially could. Making tourism work more effectively for the economies of these island nations will be one of the challenges to be faced in the 21st century.
Caribbean Indians - A number of indigenous groups inhabited the Antilles before the arrival of Europeans, including the Arawaks, Caribs, and the Tainos (the latter thought to have been descended from the Arawak tribe). Beginning with the Columbus expedition of 1492, European presence has had a dramatic effect on the demographic character of the Caribbean. Spanish brutality, enslavement, warfare, and disease all contributed to the rapid decline of the indigenous Amerindian population. This left a critical labor shortage for the fledging sugarcane industry, thus prompting Europeans to actively seek and obtain slaves and indentured labor from Africa and Asia respectively. No less than five million Africans were brought to the Caribbean alone.
The African Slave Trade - African slaves primarily came from West Africa where they were forcibly removed from their native lands and taken to the Americas by European slave traders. Tribal groups were rarely, if ever, left intact upon reaching their new home. Instead they were intentionally mixed as to dilute ethnic identities. As a result, intact transfer of religion and languages into the Caribbean did not occur, which consequently provided conditions for new dialects and cultures to arise.
Often referred to as the West Indies, the Antilles are an archipelago situated between Venezuela and Florida. Four of these islands (Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba) are collectively known as the Greater Antilles and represent the largest islands in the region. It is important to note that mainland territories, Guyana, Surinam, and French Guiana in South America, and Belize in Central America, are also included in this chapter because of their strong cultural links to the Caribbean region.
The Undersea World - Some of the most interesting environments in the Caribbean are not apparent to a terrestrial explorer. The coral reefs and animal life of the islands are of great interest to recreational divers from all over the world. The importance of this natural resource to tourism is immeasurable.
Caribbean images - Whether it is the Dominican
Republic or Jamaica
or the U.S.
Virgin Islands, a trip to the beaches and ecosystems of the Caribbean
makes it clear why the Caribbean has become a popular vacation destination
for millions each year.
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Natural Disasters - The 2004 hurricane season was devastating for communities throughout the Caribbean, from flooding in Haiti to towns demolished in Grenada. Hurricanes represent one of the most important weather-related threats to the environment of this region. The islands of the Caribbean, with their low elevation, are particularly vulnerable to these impressive super-storms. The sheer power exerted in only a matter of hours by a hurricane can reshape the environment of an island for many years after the event. Strong winds, high volumes of precipitation, and tremendous coastal surges all contribute to the destructive power that these storms are known to produce.
Take a virtual field trip around the islands of the Caribbean, from Bermuda to Trinidad.
Visit Guyana and the only English-speaking country in South America. Despite its mainland location, Guyana has strong cultural ties to the Caribbean.
Take a trip to Antigua and Barbuda and experience more than just their spectacular beaches.
Journey to Belize and explore the national parks, Mayan ruins, and the six political districts of this English-speaking Central American country.
Travel to the Dominican Republic and learn more about sustainable eco-tourism in one of the two countries found on the isle of Hispaniola.
Come back to Jamaica and visit the largest English-speaking country in the Caribbean.
Take a unique trip to Trinidad and Tobago and witness life through the eyes of a native from the islands.
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