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The West Indies

Caribbean
Antillas (orthographic projection).svg
Area 2,754,000 km2 (1,063,000 sq mi)
Land area 239,681 km2 (92,541 sq mi)
Population (2016) 43,489,000
Density 151.5/km2 (392/sq mi)
Ethnic groups Afro-Caribbean, European, Indo-Caribbean, Latino or Hispanic (Spanish and Portuguese), Chinese Caribbean, Jews, Arab, Indonesians (Javanese),Amerindian, Multiracial
Religions Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Rastafarianism, Amerindian Religion, Yoruba, Bahá'í, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Chinese folk religion (including Taoism and Confucianism), Kebatinan, Afro-American religion, Traditional African Religion
Demonym Caribbean, West Indian
Languages Spanish, English, French, Dutch, French Creole, English Creole, Caribbean Hindustani, among others
Government 13 sovereign states
17 dependent territories
Largest cities List of metropolitan areas in the West Indies
Santo Domingo
Havana
Port-au-Prince
San Juan
Kingston
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de los Caballeros
Camagüey
Cap-Haïtien
Spanish Town
Chaguanas
Georgetown
Paramaribo
Internet TLD Multiple
Calling code Multiple
Time zone UTC-5 to UTC-4

The Caribbean (/ˌkærˈbən/ or /kəˈrɪbiən/) is a region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean) and the surrounding coasts. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.

Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the region comprises more than 700 islands, islets, reefs and cays. (See the list.) These islands generally form island arcs that delineate the eastern and northern edges of the Caribbean Sea. The Caribbean islands, consisting of the Greater Antilles on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), are part of the somewhat larger West Indies grouping, which also includes the Lucayan Archipelago (comprising the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands) north of the Greater Antilles and Caribbean Sea. In a wider sense, the mainland countries of Belize, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are often included due to their political and cultural ties with the region.


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