The Caribbean Region

The Caribbean region is located to the southeast of the North American continent and the Gulf of Mexico. The entire region is made up of more than 7,000 islands, islets (very small rocky islands), coral reefs, and cays (small, sandy islands above coral reefs).

The region covers an area of 1,063,000 square miles (2,754,000 sq km) and has a population of nearly 38 million people (2017 estimate). It is most known for its warm, tropical climate, and natural beauty. The Caribbean is considered a biodiversity hotspot. These independent countries are part of the Caribbean region.

Importance of the Caribbean Sea

Source of food

Provides people of the region with both fish and shellfish. All Caribbean countries have fishing industries, but it is done on a small scale. The Caribbean region is home to a variety of marine life for example: _______________, _______________ and ______________

Recreation

The Caribbean Sea provides us with warm water and sandy beaches for recreation. List one beach that is used for recreation_________________________. List one activity you like to do at the beach___________________

Employment

The Caribbean sea provides employment for fishing and other industries such as _____________,__________,_____________,__________________,_________________

Transport and communication

The Caribbean Sea provides an easy way of transporting people and goods particularly large and heavy cargo for example: ___________, _______________from one country to another in the region. Due to advances in communication the use of the Caribbean Sea for transport have become less important.

Trade

Trade between Caribbean islands and other parts of the world with goods such as ____________, _____________ and _______________have been made easier because of the Caribbean Sea. Increase growth and expansion of intra region Caribbean trade is made possible by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Migration

In the past many Caribbean migrants went to USA and Europe. However, there has been a long history of movement or migration between Caribbean islands for example from smaller northern islands such as ____________ to Trinidad and Tobago

Tourism

Today the tourism industry is the most important industry for some Caribbean countries such as ______________. the Caribbean Sea and its attractions such as ____________________ are a major attraction for tourists. Cruise ships bring tourists here and enable them to visit several countries of the Caribbean in one visit.

Oil and natural gas

This resource found off the coast of ______________provides a major source of income for our country as it is extracted and exported across the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.