Land

The Bahamas and most of Cuba consist of fairly flat limestone plains. Eastern Cuba and the other islands of the Greater Antilles have much more mountainous terrain. The highest point in the West Indies is Duarte Peak in the Dominican Republic, which is 10,417 feet (3,175 meters) tall. The Lesser Antilles consist of an inner arc of mountainous islands and an outer arc of low, flat islands.

The Antilles are prone to volcanic activity and earthquakes. An eruption of Mount Pelée in Martinique killed about 30,000 people in 1902. Devastating earthquakes struck Jamaica in 1652 and 1907. More recently, the first volcanic eruptions in Montserrat's history dramatically changed the landscape of that island. In the mid-1990s a series of eruptions led to the creation of new volcanic domes and flattened forests, farmland, and villages.

The islands of the West Indies are drained by short rivers. They flow swiftly down steep mountain courses but become sluggish on coastal plains. Some of the rivers do not flow during the dry season, especially in the south. Coral reefs fringe many of the Greater Antilles. There are also many low islands that rest on coral reef bases. They are called cays or keys.

Climate

Except for part of The Bahamas, the West Indies lies within the Earth's north tropical zone. However, sea breezes protect coastal areas from extreme heat. Temperatures on most islands do not get much higher than 90° F (32° C), even in the hottest months. Temperatures in the coldest months do not drop much below 55° F (13° C).

Seasons in the West Indies are marked by changes in rainfall rather than temperature. The northern islands have two rainy seasons and two dry seasons in the course of a year. Annual rainfall for many places on the Greater Antilles and Leeward Islands is ample—usually between 40 and 65 inches (100 to 165 centimeters). Mountain peaks can get 200 inches (500 centimeters) or more of rain each year. The southern islands tend to be drier. High humidity sometimes leads to severe tropical storms and hurricanes.

Plants and animals

The native lignum vitae and ceiba (cotton) trees of the West Indian lowlands have been mostly replaced by food trees planted by settlers. Some coastal areas support swamps and mangroves. Highland trees form a dense, junglelike canopy. Drier regions have thorn scrub, cactus, or sparse, low forest.

Much of the wildlife of the West Indies originated in South America. Trinidad, which is very close to South America, is the only island with a wide range of mammals—sloths, anteater, raccoons, howler monkeys, and bats. Reptiles are more widespread on the islands because of their ability to cross water. Many islands have great numbers of lizards, caimans, crocodiles, and snakes. Birds, however, are the animals for which the West Indies are best known. Various kinds of parrots, hummingbirds, doves, and other birds are found on the islands and nowhere else.

People and culture

Very few of the people who live in the West Indies today can be recognized as members of the Native American groups that greeted the first European explorers. Many islands are peopled mostly with the descendants of Africans who were brought over hundreds of years ago to work on sugar plantations. Haiti and Jamaica are the largest of the countries with mostly black populations. Large numbers of people whose ancestors came from Europe live on Cuba and Puerto Rico. In Trinidad and Tobago, East Indians make up a large part of the population. Throughout the region, intermarriage over the years has resulted in a population of mixed ancestry.

The languages spoken and the religions practiced in the West Indies are diverse. In addition to the languages of the countries that once ruled the islands—English, Spanish, and French—a variety of language mixtures called creole languages are common. The major religions of the West Indian people are Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, and Islam. Haitian voodoo combines elements of Christianity with African religions.

Economy

The economies of the West Indies have been heavily influenced by European colonial powers and by the United States. Over the years these countries gathered food supplies and mineral resources from the islands but did not develop much industry. In spite of having gained independence, many West Indian countries still require foreign assistance.

Dependence on one or a few products is the major economic problem on many West Indian islands. Sugarcane is still the most important crop on most of the islands. Most of the cane is made into refined sugar, but some becomes molasses or rum. Large quantities of bananas are grown on many islands as well. Much of the banana crop is exported to Europe. Citrus fruit, coconuts, mangos, and other tropical fruits and vegetables are also grown on large plantations. Large numbers of cattle are raised in Cuba. Smaller farms produce ginger, cocoa, coffee, arrowroot, and nutmeg for export. Sun, sand, and sea attract many visitors from the north, who make tourism an important part of most West Indian economies.

In 1973 many of the political units of the West Indies—dependent and independent alike—joined with Belize, Suriname, and Guyana to form the Caribbean Community and Common Market. This organization, called Caricom, promotes trade and economic development.

History

People have lived in the West Indies since perhaps 5000 BC. Experts have estimated that between 200,000 and several million Native Americans lived in the region before the arrival of Europeans. One group, the Ciboney, lived on parts of the Greater Antilles. At the time of the first European contact they already had been driven away from many of their traditional homes by the Taino. The Taino, or island Arawak, were skilled farmers who lived in villages of as many as 3,000 people. The Taino, in turn, had been driven away from the Lesser Antilles by the Island Carib. The warlike Carib were great navigators who traveled from island to island in large canoes. The Caribbean Sea was named after them.

An island in The Bahamas was the first part of the New World to be visited by Christopher Columbus in 1492. With his four voyages Columbus started a new era in which Europeans came to dominate the area. Columbus never ceased to believe that the long chain of islands that he “discovered” was part of eastern Asia. When his mistake was found out, Spain labeled this island arc as the West Indies to distinguish it from the East Indies in the Pacific Ocean. (See also Americas, discovery and colonization of.)

Spain was the first colonial power in the region. The Spanish first used the island of Hispaniola as a base for their explorations. In the 17th century England, France, and The Netherlands established colonies throughout the West Indies. The main activities in the region were fighting wars, pirating, and exploring.

The European powers found that sugar could be produced on the islands and sold for large profits. However, sugarcane plantations required many workers. Native Americans were not available in large numbers because wars, harsh treatment, and new diseases had nearly wiped them out. A new labor supply was found in Africa. Large numbers of Africans were brought to the West Indies as slaves. After slaves achieved freedom in the 19th century, new workers from India took their place in Trinidad and some other islands.

Between 1776 and 1826 all but a few of the countries of North America, Central America, and South America broke free from colonial rule. In the West Indies, however, only Haiti—in 1804—became independent during this period. Only the Dominican Republic and Cuba had followed by 1902, but most of the countries in the region achieved independence in the second half of the 20th century. Other islands remain territories of European countries and the United States.