West Indies: Quick Facts

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Regional map of the West Indies showing the islands of the Greater and Lesser Antilles, including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and numerous smaller islands. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation, with higher elevations in orange and yellow, and labels major cities and territories, including those administered by the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and the United States. Surrounding bodies of water such as the Caribbean Sea, Gulf o

Pointe des Châteaux in Guadeloupe

Lush green mountains surround the Valley of Desolation in Dominica, with white steam rising from active fumaroles in the rocky valley floor.

Lush tropical forest with red and green foliage in the foreground, a winding road, and the two Piton Mountains rising in the background on Saint Lucia.

View of San Juan, Puerto Rico, showing colorful buildings, a domed white structure, and a historic cannon in the foreground overlooking the city and bay.

Colorful buildings with red, green, and blue roofs line the waterfront of Roseau, Dominica, with parked vehicles and a cruise ship visible near the harbor, mountains in the background.

Carnival parade

Map showing the distribution of indigenous peoples and cultures in Central America, the Caribbean, and the northern Andean region around 1492. The map labels various groups across present-day countries, including the Antillean Arawak (Taino), Ciboney, Antillean Carib, Lenca, Mosquito, Chibcha, Muisca, and others, with boundaries and coastlines marked along the Caribbean Sea and northern South America.

Map showing the distribution of indigenous peoples in Central America and the northern Andean region around 1982. The map labels various indigenous groups, such as the Mosquito, Sumo, Lenca, Kuna, Bribri, Boruca, Choco, Paez, Tairona, Arhuaco, Goajiro, Caquetio, and Jirajara, along the coasts and inland areas from Nicaragua and Panama to northern Colombia and Venezuela. Major bodies of water, including the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, are also indicated.

Explore the West Indies' varying landscapes and wildlife, from dolphins to red-footed boobies

Follow West Indies labourers, from banana and pineapple harvesters to woodworkers and fishermen

Learn how Christopher Columbus's colonization of the West Indies forever affected the region's culture

Discover the poverty and uncertain future of the modern Caribbean, griped by American culture and corporations

Examine how tourism contributes to the economies of various Caribbean islands

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Madeira Islands Channel Islands Isles of Scilly Aleutian Islands Virgin Islands Florida Keys Lesser Antilles Hebrides Bimini Islands Leeward Islands

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