The West Indies, presently known as the Caribbean, is a collection of countries and territories that encompasses the string of islands and the marine (Caribbean Sea) surrounding it. The island chain is surrounded by North, Central, andSouth America. Christopher Columbus incorrectly believed in the first part of 1490s that he had arrived in the “Indies” section of Asia, hence the nameWest Indies. Today, the Caribbean is one of the most famous cruise and vacation spots in the world.
History
The West Indian history started long before the European colonizers came to the archipelago. Three native groups namely the Arawaks, the Ciboney, and the Caribs inhabited majority of the islands as early as 1500BC. With the appearance of the first European in the person of Christopher Columbus in 1492 along with the creation of the first Spaniard settlement in 1496, the indigenous people were slowly pushed to scatter away from their very own land.
By 1600s, other European nations have pretty much battled and claimed islands in the location. The West Indies was divided by territories under Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the British Empire. Many places prospered into trading spots and others, into sugarcane farms cultivated by slaves from Africa. The European superpowers continued to be strongholds until the early part of the 20th century. The US made its appearance in the West Indian history in the 19th century, as it influenced and dominated the Caribbeaneconomy.Though the majority of the islands have attained independence, some even now continues to be colonies of European nations until today.
People, Traditions, and Lifestyle
The West Indian ancestry is a blend of the natives and the citizens from the foreign countries which colonized them. Dominant races include Africans, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and some Indian and Chinese. The 27 nations and territories have an estimated population of 37.5 million in 2000.
The Caribbean is diverse in customs and traditions as affected by the European occupation before in addition to the influential nearby nations in North andSouth America. Nevertheless the citizens are also able to maintain the ways and emblems original in the region. Today, both evolved and authentic cultures made the West Indian ancestry unique and alluringly wonderful to the rest of the world.