definition of the caribbean essay.docx

They say “blood is thicker than water.” But why is that so. There is another quote that says “blood makes you related but loyalty makes you family”. What is the real meaning behind these quotes? They are speaking to a bond that transcends any other; it has no boundary. t transcends the physicality of the world and takes on a deeper personal meaning! and that"s what history does as well. #istory can be seen as the $tie that binds". When two or more persons share history there is nothing that can disconnect%separate those indi&iduals on a personal le&el. #ence the reason history is one of the main ingredients that link the territories and people of the 'aribbean. There ha&e been four definitions that ha&e been coined to define the 'aribbean; these are based on geography! geology! history and politics. (eography and geology can be used to separate a  people but they can"t differentiate%separate history! history! and politics is also a part of or as a result of one"s history. history. Therefore! the statement that says “the ideal way to describe the 'aribbean is by using political and historical definitions!” is certainly apt. This is so because it co&ers all the territories with )ust cause and it cannot be changed by any natural or man*made e&ent. The definition of the 'aribbean based on history states that it is the area that saw the impact of +uropean coloni,ation! sla&ery! indentureship and the plantation system. The 'aribbean is &ery di&erse in culture and includes different languages such as +nglish! -rench and panish. This is  because all these groups came to the 'aribbean from +urope during the time of sla&ery and imposed their way of life and also took part in acts of reproduction with the nati&es resulting in racial hybridi,ation. The geographical definition states that it is the land area which has its coastline washed by the 'aribbean ea and is often described as the 'aribbean Basin. By this definition Turks and 'aicos slands and the Bahamas would howe&er be e/cluded from the 'aribbean. 0lso! countries which are not normally considered as 'aribbean ha&e coastlines on the 'aribbean ea; these include mainland territories such as 1anama! 'olombia 2ene,uela and other countries of 'entral 0merica. 3ore complications arise due to the fact that Barbados and Bahamas are located in the 0tlantic 4cean while (uyana"s (u yana"s coast borders the 0tlantic 0tlantic 4cean but bu t yet these countries are considered to be a part of the 'aribbean. #ence the geographical definition of the 'aribbean is not the most suitable. (eologically the 'aribbean is seen as that area of the region defined by the 'aribbean 1late and which therefore e/periences the same tectonic! seismic and &olcanic features and processes. The 'aribbean 1late does not include Beli,e! (uyana! and Bahamas! and )ust touches the southern edge of 'uba. Thus! like the geographical definition! the geological definition is also lacking a nd therefore not the most suitable. The only thing that can link the all the territories in the region together is history. t is a history of colonialism! plantation system! indentureship! genocide and independ ence. Thus the historical definition of the 'aribbean is one of the most ideal definitions. Through independence! the different territories in the region took on different types of go&ernmental systems which as a result ha&e also bee n used to define the 'aribbean. The 'aribbean is defined politically based on three types of go&ernmental systems that e/ist in it; they are the ndependent tates! 0ssociated 0ssociated tates and 'olonial 5ependencies. But the politics  practiced in the 'aribbean is not indigenous to it; it has practiced the colonial powers type of  politics. 0s 0s a result these go&ernmental systems allows for for close relations with the prior colonial  powers and in some instances full control of some of the territories. territories. -or e/ample 0nguilla! British 2irgin 2irgin slands! 'ayman slands! 3ontserrat and Turks and 'aicos are still British crown colonies!

(uadeloupe! 3artinique and -rench (uyana are so called 6departementes d'outre-mer ” and thus are part of -rance7s so&ereign territory and part of the +.8. 'uba is a communist country; Trinidad and Tobago! (uyana and the commonwealth of 5ominica are republics. #owe&er! 3ost of the British W.. still holds to the British traditional form of go&ernment! based on the Westminster*Whitehall model. But the point to note here is that the politics practiced in the 'aribbean is a better way to define the 'aribbean than geography or geology. This is because e&en after 9:: years or more in which &arious natural disasters and seismic e&ents occur and can change the geology and geography of the landscape! the political ideologies will remain the same and will always be there to identify the 'aribbean. Thus! another ideal way to define the 'aribbean is in terms of politics. 5efining a region such as the 'aribbean should not be sub)ected to landmarks or boundaries! or the type of acti&ity that takes place below the earth crust. t should be adequate and can account for all territories or states in that region and e/clude infringing ones. 0s such the ideal way to describe the 'aribbean is by using political and historical definitions.