French Caribbean

The term French Caribbean varies in meaning with its usage and frame of reference. This ambiguity makes it very different from the term French West Indies, which specifically refers to the islands that are French overseas departments - which means they have overall the same laws and regulations - but collectivities can be included too. In France French Caribean is lesser used, unless the speaker want to accentuate he's talking about all the French dependencies in this region.

In popular culture, the French Caribbean islands are usually considered to be those belonging to France: Guadeloupe (including surrounding islands: Les Saintes, Marie-Galante and La Désirade), Martinique, Saint Martin, and Saint-Barthélemy.

Nevertheless, all Caribbean regions that are predominantly French-speaking and/or French Creole-speaking are:

• Guadeloupe
• Martinique
• Saint Martin
• Saint-Barthélemy
• French Guiana
• Dominica
• Saint Lucia
• Haiti

The two official French overseas departments are Guadeloupe and Martinique. St Martin and St Barthélemy, formerly attached to the department of Guadeloupe, have held separate status as overseas collectivities since 2007. These Caribbean Départments et Collectivités d’Outre Mer are also known as the French West Indies. The term "French Caribbean" can also refer to any area that exhibits a combination of French and Caribbean cultural influences in cuisine, style, architecture, and so on. While Dominica and Saint Lucia are officially English-speaking only, French Creole languages are widely spoken by the islands' populations.

When used as an adjective, as in “French Caribbean islands” or "French Caribbean style," the term is also ambiguous and dependent upon the user's frame of reference and context.

See also

• Antillean Creole
• Anglophone Caribbean and Hispanophone Caribbean (for other parts of the Caribbean)