West Indian or Caribbean?

[Bahama Mama]

So whats the difference? I have read some heated debates on this subject in other forums. Aside from my own nationality, I use the term West Indian/Caribbean interchangeably in reference to my origins and ethnicity. Always felt the difference in the two terms was slight and not a matter to make a such a fuss. Other people have very different views.

[icuucme]

I heard once that only the English speaking countries in the Caribbean are the West Indian countrie. So all the countries are in the Caribbean but the English speaking ones are West Indian...donno if thas correct

[nuhsenutten]

ive heard the argument b4 too.....but as BM said its no big thing to fuss over

its one and the same.......caribbean ...west indies which ever u choose ...same place

[Bahama Mama]

I heard once that only the English speaking countries in the Caribbean are the West Indian countrie. So all the countries are in the Caribbean but the English speaking ones are West Indian...donno if thas correct


That very well may be the political and cultural term for it. The geographical term for the West Indies is an island chain extending south of the tip of Florida to the tip of South America, and inlcudes all these islands in this geographical area regardless of launguage and culture. Of course most people are more inclined towards the cultural definition.

As far as the term Caribbean, some see it more as a politcal and cultural definition, and would include all the CARICOM nations under that banner. Of course if you look at it from a geographical definition, it would only include those countries bordered by the Caribbean Sea which excludes my country (The Bahamas as well as Guyana) which is in the Atlantic Ocean and South America respectively). But once again people tend to utilize and suscribe to the cultural definitions and references.

But once again, I use the terms interchangeably. I am not very picky with such matters.

[Chicokid]

It is also interesting how they consider Guyana as part of the Caribbean. It's a south American country. I guess this is also due to the fact that Guyana is part of CARICOM.

[BlackCryptoKnight]

I use the terms interchangebly but I knew that there was a distinction. I was under the impression that any island in the Caribbean Sea is part of the Caribbean. Not so sure about the exact definition of the West Indies though.

[Manu]

Um....as far as I know....the Lesser Antilles....(um...that island chain with grenada...St. Kitts....etc) Encloses the Caribbean Sea and thus are in the Caibbean. The area enclosed is Called the West Indies...which goes all the way back to the Gulf of Mexico and the nothern most section would be Haiti and Cuba....so they are the same thing!!!! Guyana....however....I don't think are apart of the West Indies....but are in the Caribbean. I wonder if it has anything to do with the ethniticity of the indians found on the islands?

[Bahama Mama]

Um....as far as I know....the Lesser Antilles....(um...that island chain with grenada...St. Kitts....etc) Encloses the Caribbean Sea and thus are in the Caibbean. The area enclosed is Called the West Indies...which goes all the way back to the Gulf of Mexico and the nothern most section would be Haiti and Cuba....so they are the same thing!!!! Guyana....however....I don't think are apart of the West Indies....but are in the Caribbean. I wonder if it has anything to do with the ethniticity of the indians found on the islands?


Well if that were the case that would exclude The Caymans, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos, so that definition would not be accurate. When Columbus set foot in the Western World he landed first in the Bahamas and proclaimed it and all the susbsequent islands he visited as 'India of the West' aka The West Indies. So the West Indies would actually encompass all those islands stretching from the Bahamas which is the most northernly of the islands down to Aruba which is right off the coast of Venezuela. Guyana given its cultural demographics is rightly so apart of the West Indies, and its membership in Caricom.

The term West Indies came from the fact the Columbus thought he had discovered a new trade route to India, not because of the Indians that he met there.

[Manu]

Well if that were the case that would exclude The Caymans, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos, so that definition would not be accurate. When Columbus set foot in the Western World he landed first in the Bahamas and proclaimed it and all the susbsequent islands he visited as 'India of the West' aka The West Indies. So the West Indies would actually encompass all those islands stretching from the Bahamas which is the most northernly of the islands down to Aruba which is right off the coast of Venezuela. Guyana given its cultural demographics is rightly so apart of the West Indies, and its membership in Caricom.

The term West Indies came from the fact the Columbus thought he had discovered a new trade route to India, not because of the Indians that he met there.

Oh yea....my geography is bad....didn't remember that Bahamas was above Cuba.....sorry. Nor did I remember Cayman....my bad :icon_redf

[Bahama Mama]

Oh yea....my geography is bad....didn't remember that Bahamas was above Cuba.....sorry. Nor did I remember Cayman....my bad :icon_redf

:eusa_naug You should remember your Caribbean/Latin American geography. But no biggie, someone I spoke to once thought that the Bahamas was near South Africa, so your acing it in comparison. :)

[Manu]

:eusa_naug You should remember your Caribbean/Latin American geography. But no biggie, someone I spoke to once thought that the Bahamas was near South Africa, so your acing it in comparison. :)

LOL.....my word. Just a lapse in memory.....plus maps of the Caribbean I pay attention to (like weather) are maps of the central Caribbean.