Portal:Caribbean

The CARIBBEAN PORTAL Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Main   Indices   Projects Done The Caribbean (Dutch: Caraïben; French: Caraïbes; Spanish: Caribe; Portuguese: Caribe or Caraíbas) is a region of the Americas consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north and west of South America. Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the area comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cayes. The West Indies consist of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), and the Bahamas. Bermuda lies much further to the north in the Atlantic Ocean and is in the West Indies. Geopolitically, the West Indies are usually reckoned as a subregion of North America and are organised into 28 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies. At one time, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of ten English-speaking Caribbean territories. edit   Featured article Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Spanish Caribbean genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad. Salsa incorporates multiple styles and variations; the term can be used to describe most any form of popular Cuban-derived genre, such as chachachá and mambo. Most specifically, however, salsa refers to a particular style developed in the 1960s and '70s by Cuban immigrants and Puerto Rican migrants to the New York City area, and stylistic descendants like 1980s salsa romántica. The style is now practiced throughout Latin America and abroad; in some countries it may be referred to as música tropical. Salsa is essentially Cuban in stylistic origin, though it is also a hybrid of Puerto Rican and other Latin styles mixed with pop, jazz, rock, and R&B. Salsa is the primary music played at Latin dance clubs and is the "essential pulse of Latin music", according to author Ed Morales, while music author Peter Manuel called it the "most popular dance (music) among Puerto Rican and Cuban communities, (and in) Central and South America", and "one of the most dynamic and significant pan-American musical phenomena of the 1970s and 1980s". Modern salsa remains a dance-oriented genre and is closely associated with a style of salsa dancing. edit   Did you know? ...that Fort San Felipe del Morro in Puerto Rico (pictured) was used to stand in for an African slave fortress in the 1996 motion picture "Amistad" by Steven Spielberg? ...that Sociolismo is an informal term used in Cuba to describe the reciprocal exchange of favors by individuals? ...that Joel Garner, a leading West Indian cricket player in the 1970s and 80s, was nicknamed Big Bird because he stood at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)? ...that Alison Hinds, sometimes dubbed the "Queen of Soca", was born in England before moving to her mother's homeland of Barbados? ...that Chaguaramas in the North West Peninsula of Trinidad was leased to the United States between 1940 and 1963 for the construction of a naval base under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement? edit   Selected music File:Congas player.jpg The music of Barbados includes distinctive national styles of folk and popular music, as well as elements of Western classical and religious music. The culture of Barbados is a syncretic mix of African and British elements, and the island's music reflects this mix through song types and styles, instrumentation, dances and aesthetic principles. edit   Selected cuisine Caribbean Chinese cuisine is a popular style of food resulting from a fusion of Chinese and West Indian cuisines. The Chinese influence is predominantly Cantonese, the main source of Chinese immigrants to the West Indies. West Indian food is itself a mixture of African, British, Spanish, French, Indian and Indigenous cooking styles. edit   Selected picture Junkanoo celebration in Nassau, Bahamas. edit   Caribbean News October 10 The Netherlands Antilles were dissolved. Sint Maarten & Curaçao became countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Bonaire, Saba & Sint Eustatius became special municipalities within the Netherlands. September 22: Cuban leader Fidel Castro made his first TV appearance in three months, saying "Well, I'm still here," in an interview taped this week. (BBC NEWS) August 2: The talks between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Haitian President René Préval in Port-au-Prince appear to have been dominated by discussion of the continued presence of the UN peace keeping force there.(BBC NEWS) March 18: Trinidad and Tobago has backed the move by the Venezuelan Government to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Jamaica by 2009.(JAMAICAN GLEANER) March 12 : The 2007 Cricket World Cup opens at the Greenfield Stadium in Jamaica with a ceremony showcasing West Indian musicians including Sly and Robbie, Sean Paul, Kevin Lyttle, Alison Hinds and Jimmy Cliff.(BBC NEWS) March 7: Edwin Carrington, secretary general of the 12-member Caricom announces that the Caribbean Community intends to negotiate a free trade agreement with Central America, perhaps within the next six months.(JAMAICAN OBSERVER) March 1: The West Indies cricket team make final preparations for the oncoming Cricket world cup, which begins on March 13 at the newly completed Sabina Park in Kingston. (CRICKET WORLD CUP NEWS) Feb 28: President of Cuba Fidel Castro makes a surprise phone call to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's radio talk show Aló Presidente, and the two leaders converse live on air for thirty minutes. During the conversation, Castro declares that he now has "more energy and strength".(PRAVDA) Feb 28: United Nations troops move into slum areas of Haiti, where almost a quarter of a million people live, as part of a new "get tough" policy against the armed gangs. (BBC NEWS) Feb 22: The United States applauds a unanimous decision by the U.N. Security Council to extend the world body’s stabilization mission in Haiti for another eight months, to October 15, with the intention to renew for further periods. (MEDIA NEWSWIRE) edit   Selected geography article St. Lucia is one of many small land masses composing the insular group known as the Windward Islands. Unlike large limestone areas such as Florida, Cuba, and the Yucatan Peninsula, or the Bahamas, which is a small island group composed of coral and sand, St. Lucia is a typical Windward Island formation of volcanic rock that came into existence long after much of the region had already been formed. St. Lucia's physical features are strikingly beautiful. Dominated by high peaks and rain forests in the interior, the 616- square-kilometer island is known for the twin peaks of Gros Piton and Petit Piton on the southwestern coast, its soft sandy beaches, and its magnificent natural harbors. Mount Gimie, the highest peak, is located in the central mountain range and rises to 958 meters above sea level, a contrast that is also evident in the abrupt climatic transition from coastal to inland areas. The steep terrain also accentuates the many rivers that flow from central St. Lucia to the Caribbean. Fertile land holdings, which support banana farming, are scattered throughout the island. edit   Related portals Caribbean Island Topics  Caribbean  Anguilla  Antigua and Barbuda  Aruba  Bahamas  Barbados  Belize  Bonaire  British Virgin Islands  Cayman Islands  Cuba  Curaçao  Dominica  Dominican Republic  Grenada  Guadeloupe  Haiti  Jamaica  Martinique  Montserrat  Puerto Rico  Saint Barthélemy  Saba  Saint Kitts and Nevis  Saint Lucia  Saint Martin  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  Sint Eustatius  Sint Maarten  Trinidad and Tobago  Turks and Caicos Islands  United States Virgin Islands Regions and Cities Caribbean Cities and Towns  West Indies Federation Greater Antilles Lesser Antilles Leeward Islands Windward Islands Windward Passage British West Indies Danish West Indies Dutch West Indies French West Indies Portuguese West Indies Spanish West Indies Swedish West Indies Courlander West Indies British Overseas Territory Kingdom of the Netherlands  Netherlands Antilles Overseas Departments of France Commonwealth (United States insular area) Territory of the United States Continental countries within the Caribbean Latin America  North America  Culture and Interests  West Indies Cricket Caribbean Sport Caribbean Books Caribbean Plants and Animals Caribbean Music Caribbean Food Caribbean's (People of note) Caribbean Art and Arts Caribbean Languages and Dialects Caribbean Carnival Caribbean Exports Caribbean Airlines WikiProject Caribbean Wikipedia's Portals All Portals Overview Glossaries Indices Lists Outlines Categories Reference Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Featured portals About portals Shortcuts to this page: Portal:West Indies • Portal:Barbados • P:CARIB