Caribbean Overview⏹25 countries and dependent territories⏹Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, PuertoRico)⏹Large mountains (DR: 10,000‘; Jamaica Blue Mtns. 7000‘,Cuba 6000‘ (refuges for runaway slaves)⏹Fertile farmlands, but fragile⏹Lesser Antilles⏹Double arc⏹Netherlands Antilles (ABC islands)⏹Setting boundaries not easy:⏹Sometimes Belize/ Guyana's (Guyana, Suriname and FrenchGuiana)⏹Sometimes the ―rimlands‖ of Central American countriesBahamas included even though they are technically in the AtlanticGreater AntillesLesser AntillesLesser AntillesWhy a region?⏹Commonalities: Cultural and economic history different than Latin America⏹Diverse European influence⏹Strong African imprint and slavery⏹Virtually no indigenous legacy⏹Export plantation economy⏹Grossly uneven distribution of land and resources⏹Environmental impacts⏹Environmental/physical geographies⏹Names:⏹The Indies, the Spanish Main, Mar del Norte18th C: first use of the name CaribbeanCaribbean Diversity ⏹Territorial Size:⏹Cuba:: 101,000 Km. Sq.⏹Montserrat: 100 km. Sq.⏹Population⏹Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic): 16 million⏹Turks and Caicos: 12,000 pop⏹Cultural Heritage⏹Spanish: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic⏹French: Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin⏹Dutch: ABC, St. Maartin⏹English:⏹Patois: many islands⏹Economic and social indicatorsCaribbean Overview⏹Historically: ―proxy‖ battleground for European rivalries⏹Plantation economies⏹Sugar, sugar, sugar⏹Bananas, citrus, coffee, spices⏹By 1900‘s: US dominates the region politically and economically⏹Other and more recent economic development⏹timber⏹nickel and bauxite, gold⏹tourism⏹Non traditional exports⏹Off shore bankingCaribbean Overview⏹Contradictions:⏹―Island Paradise‖ v. impoverishment anddependency⏹―Isolated proximity‖⏹Fertility washed away⏹Cyclical migration: migrants returningEnvironmental Geographies⏹Geologies, climate and vegetation⏹Tectonic Plates⏹Tropical, wet climate that supports forests⏹Palm savannas—best soils⏹Mangrove swamps⏹Arid zones (rain shadows)⏹Hurricanes⏹Reworked landscapes⏹Environmental degradation⏹Deforestation⏹→Sugarcane fields⏹Jamaica and DR still have 30%⏹Cuba has 20% (charcoal production for energy needs)⏹Rimlands are much more intact⏹Belize and Guyana had successful environmental initiativesPlantation economies⏹Spanish discoveries⏹Jumping off point for exploration and ports for trading from Mexico,CA and SA⏹Colonists→demographic collapse of indigenous Arawaks and Caribs⏹Fragments survive only on the rimland⏹Competition from France, England, Holland; Pirates ⏹―Plantation America‖ from Brazil up through SE US.⏹Mono crop system: sugar⏹Insatiable demand for sugar and rum⏹Asian migrants→indentured labor⏹Suriname: 1/3 pop is of S. Asian descent, 16% Javanese⏹Guyana and Trinidad: India⏹English colonies: Chinese‗Plantation America‖Caribbean Cultures⏹Much diversity, but also many similarities which provide glue⏹European plantation economies→similarsocial structures (like CA)⏹African influence⏹Creolization⏹Culture, language, musicAfrican heritages⏹African diaspora⏹West Africa: Senegal to Angola⏹Est. 10 million crossed the Atlantic (2 million died onthe way) between 16th and 19th c.⏹Intentional mixing so no one source would dominate⏹→hybridity of cultures, religions, and languages⏹Maroon societies (palenques)⏹Maintenance of historical religions⏹Obi, Obeah⏹Bush Negroes⏹African religions⏹Voodoo, Santeria, Obeah⏹Extensive useAfrican heritage and hybridity⏹Creolization⏹Rich forms (VS Naipal, Bob Marley)⏹Garifuna or Black Carib⏹African/Carib on St. Vincent forcibly resettled by British to Bay Islands ofHonduras⏹Maintain Indian religion, eat manioc⏹Languages⏹Spanish: 24 million⏹French: 8 million⏹English: 6 million⏹Dutch: .5 million⏹Alternatives: papiamento, patois,⏹Music⏹Reggae, calypso, merengue, rumba, zouk, steel drums of Trinidad,etc.⏹Haitian ra-ra musicians have been exiled when too politicalPolitical Histories⏹Independence:⏹Haiti is the first in 1804 (v. US in 1776)⏹But it was seen as a threat by other islands andshunned by the mainland CA countries⏹Dominican Republic in 1844⏹Cuba and PR in 1898 from Spain→USinvolvement⏹British colonies: revolts starting in 1930‘s butindependence in 1960‘s, 70‘s and 80‘sCountry Independence Jamaica, Trinidad andTobago1962Barbados1966Bahamas1973Grenada 1974Dominica1978St. Vincent and theGrenadinesSt. Lucia1979Antigua and Barbuda Belize 1981Selected British colonies: dates of independencePresent day political status⏹British colonies:⏹Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, Montserrat—21,000pop.⏹High standard of living: offshore banking⏹French islands:⏹some remain connected to colonial rulers and use thisas an asset.⏹Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guyana are ―departments‖of France (900,000 pop)⏹Dutch former colonies⏹Curacao, Bonaire, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius⏹―Federation of the Netherlands Antilles‖⏹Autonomous, yet part of the Kingdom of theNetherlandsUS influence after 1898:⏹Monroe Doctrine No tolerance for European powers in the Western hemisphere⏹Spanish-American war 1898⏹―America‘s Backyard‖US asserts neocolonial control over persistent colonies of the English, French and Dutch⏹―Free it from European tyranny an foster democraticgovernance‖ BUT:⏹Roosevelt: Panama canal and open sea-lanes⏹Good Neighbor Policy (1930‘s)⏹Alliance for Progress (1960‘s)⏹Caribbean Basin Initiative (1980‘s)⏹FTAA possibilitiesEconomic Development⏹Decline of agriculture:⏹Turbulent and declining commodity prices⏹Decline in preferential trade agreements withformer colonial countries⏹Soils are overworked/No frontier⏹Mechanization of sugar→less labor needed⏹Examples:⏹Haiti⏹1955: 70% of foreign exchange through coffee⏹1990: 11%⏹DR:⏹1955: 60% of foreign exchange through sugar⏹1990: 20%Economic DevelopmentAgriculture today⏹Exception to complete decline: Cuba⏹sugar 80% of foreign exchange 1950‘s-1990‘s.⏹Diversification after 1989.⏹Now Cuba grows about 30% of the world‘s coffee ⏹Coffee is grown by small producers⏹Interspersed with subsistence crops⏹Bananas⏹NTEX cropsEconomic DevelopmentBananas and Banana wars⏹Banana production⏹Most in CA⏹Vulnerable to hurricanes,⏹Still, several states are dependent on bananas (Dominica, St.Vincent, St. Lucia)⏹Landowners are the laborers→2-4x income⏹1996: WTO case⏹US, Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and Honduras sue EUover preferential trade agreements with Caribbean countries⏹Exacerbated by consumer preferences⏹Result: Non traditional exports:⏹Okra, tomatoes, avocados, marijuanaEconomic DevelopmentExport Processing Production⏹1950‘s in Puerto Rico ―Operation Bootstrap‖⏹By 1970, 40% of GDP comes from manufacturing⏹Today, 50%, but competition from other islands andlocations is threatening PR‘s lead⏹Other EPZ‘s or Free Trade Zones⏹Jamaica—15% of GDP⏹DR: ―Hong Kong of the Caribbean‖⏹MapDR EPZ/ free trade zonesEconomic DevelopmentOffshore Banking⏹Specialized services that are confidential and tax-exempt⏹Localities make money through registration fees⏹Began in Bahamas in 1920s⏹Competition from other islands, Hong Kong and Singapore--Cayman Islands is current leader⏹50,000 registered companies⏹Est. Cayman banks $800 billion on deposit.⏹Highest per capita PPP in region⏹Concerns about corruption and money laundering of drug funds→reforms⏹But still, drug influences=drug consumption, corruptionand violenceOff shore bankingEconomic DevelopmentTourism⏹Began in 19th C.⏹1930‘s: Cuba is a leader⏹Bahamas distant second⏹5 leaders:⏹Puerto Rico:⏹after commonwealth status 1952⏹Largest home port for cruise lines⏹Bahamas:⏹30% of pop employed in tourism, mainly American⏹Dominican Republic:⏹many visitors are nationals who live overseas⏹$2.5 billion, leading foreign exchange earner⏹Jamaica⏹$1.2 billionEconomic DevelopmentRegional Initiatives⏹Caribbean Basin Initiative⏹CARICOM⏹1973⏹13 member states:⏹Former English colonies⏹Haiti⏹Other associate members⏹Caribbean Development Bank⏹University of the West Indies⏹Limited successModern Demographics ⏹Varied population densities⏹Demographic trends⏹Fertility decline⏹Rise of HIV/AIDS⏹Emigration ―Caribbean diaspora‖⏹Barbadians--England⏹Surinamese--Netherlands⏹PR—NY⏹Cubans—Miami⏹Intraregional migration⏹Haitians–DR⏹Circular migration⏹Chain migration⏹Rural-Urban migrationCaribbean cities⏹Initially, just administrative centers for business of the plantations⏹Most people lived in rural areas⏹Only Havana has extensive colonial architecture and urban design(the key colonial city in the region)⏹Paramailbo (Suriname) looks like a tiny Holland⏹Recent migrations caused by⏹Mechanization of agriculture⏹Offshore industrialization⏹Rapid population growth⏹Only 4 are >1 million (Santo Domingo 2.6 m; Havana 2.2 m; Port-au-Prince 1.5m; San Juan 1m)⏹Modern cities reflect historical rural social and economic patterns:。