Greater Antilles: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Region of the Caribbean}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}} |
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{{Infobox settlement |
{{Infobox settlement |
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<!--See Template:Infobox Settlement for additional fields that may be available--> |
<!--See Template:Infobox Settlement for additional fields that may be available--> |
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<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields |
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields ------->| official_name = Greater Antilles <br/>{{Nobold|<small> {{native name|fr|Grandes Antilles}}</small>}} <br/>{{Nobold|<small>{{native name|es|Antillas Mayores}}</small>}} |
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<!-- |
| nickname = <!-- images and maps -----------> |
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| image_map = Map of the Caribbean-Greater Antilles.png |
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|official_name = Greater Antilles <br> {{lang|fr|''Grandes Antilles''}} <small>{{fr icon}}</small> <br> {{lang|sp|''Antillas Mayores''}} <small>{{sp icon}}</small> <br> |
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| mapsize = 250px |
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| map_caption = Location within the Caribbean |
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<!-- Location ------------------>| image_map1 = PAT - Greater Antilles.gif |
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| mapsize1 = 250 |
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|right |
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| map_caption1 = Map of the Greater Antilles |
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| coordinates = |
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|map_caption = Location within the Caribbean. |
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| subdivision_type = [[Region]] [[Caribbean]] |
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<!-- Location ------------------> |
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| subdivision_type1 = [[Island country|Island States]] |
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|coordinates_display = inline,title |
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| subdivision_name1 = {{Collapsible list |
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|coordinates_region = |
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| title = 7 |
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|subdivision_type = [[Region]] |
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|subdivision_name = [[File:Flag of CARICOM.svg|border|25px]] [[Caribbean]] |
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|subdivision_type1 = [[Island country|Island States]] |
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|subdivision_name1 = {{Collapsible list |
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| title = [[Language|6]] |
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| {{Flag|Cuba}} |
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| ''{{Flag|Cayman Islands}}'' |
| ''{{Flag|Cayman Islands}}'' |
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| {{Flag|Cuba}} |
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| {{Flag|Dominican Republic}} |
| {{Flag|Dominican Republic}} |
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| {{Flag|Haiti}} |
| {{Flag|Haiti}} |
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| {{Flag|Jamaica}} |
| {{Flag|Jamaica}} |
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| ''{{Flag|Puerto Rico}}'' |
| ''{{Flag|Puerto Rico}}'' |
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| ''{{Flag|Navassa Island}}'' |
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}} |
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| settlement_type = [[Subregion]] of the [[Caribbean]] |
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<!-- Area --------------------->| area_magnitude = |
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| unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired--> |
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| area_footnotes = |
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| area_total_km2 = 207,411 |
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| area_total_sq_mi = 80,081 |
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<!-- Population ----------------------->| population_as_of = 2014 |
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| population_footnotes = |
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| population_note = |
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| population_total = 38,400500 |
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| population_density_km2 = 171.45 |
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| population_demonym = Greater Antillean |
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<!-- General information --------------->| timezone = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]]: [[UTC-5]]/[[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]: [[UTC-4]] |
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| timezone2 = <!-- Area/postal codes & others --------> |
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| postal_code_type = |
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| postal_code = |
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| area_code = |
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| name = |
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| timezone1 = [[Eastern Standard Time|EST]]: [[UTC-5]]/[[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]: [[UTC-4]] [[Atlantic Standard Time Zone|AST]]: [[UTC-4]]/[[Atlantic Daylight Time|ADT]]: [[UTC-3]] |
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}} |
}} |
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| admin_center_type = |
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| settlement_type =[[Caribbean|Region of the Caribbean]] |
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<!-- Area ---------------------> |
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|area_magnitude = |
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|unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired--> |
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|area_footnotes = |
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|area_total_km2 = 207,435 |
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|area_total_sq_mi = 80,069 |
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<!-- Population -----------------------> |
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|population_as_of = [[2009]] |
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|population_footnotes = |
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|population_note = |
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|population_total = 35,066,790 |
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| population_density_km2 = 169.05 |
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| population_demonym = Greater Antillean |
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<!-- General information ---------------> |
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|timezone = [[Atlantic Standard Time Zone|AST]] |
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|utc_offset = −5 |
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|timezone_DST = ADT |
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|utc_offset_DST = −4 |
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}} |
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The '''Greater Antilles''' are one of the island groups in the [[Caribbean]]. Comprising the islands of [[Cuba]], [[Hispaniola]] (containing the nations of [[Haiti]] and [[the Dominican Republic]]), [[Puerto Rico]] and [[Jamaica]] the Greater Antilles constitute almost 90% of the land mass of the entire [[West Indies]]<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243947/Greater-Antilles Encyclopædia Britannica]</ref> The other island group is the [[Lesser Antilles]], as well as almost 90% of its population. |
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The '''Greater Antilles'''<ref>({{langx|es|Antillas Mayores}}; {{langx|fr|Grandes Antilles}}; {{langx|ht|Gwo Zantiy}}; {{langx|jam|Grieta hAntiliiz}})</ref> is a grouping of the larger islands in the [[Caribbean Sea]], including [[Cuba]], [[Hispaniola]], [[Puerto Rico]], and [[Jamaica]], together with [[Navassa Island]] and the [[Cayman Islands]]. Seven island states share the region of the Greater Antilles, with [[Haiti]] and the [[Dominican Republic]] sharing the island of Hispaniola. Together with the [[Lesser Antilles]], they make up the [[Antilles]], which along with the [[Lucayan Archipelago]], form the [[West Indies]] in the [[Caribbean]] region of the [[Americas]]. |
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== Countries == |
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[[File:Cathedral (3209489947).jpg|thumb|[[Havana Cathedral]], built by the Spanish in [[Cuba]] between 1748 and 1777]] |
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While most of the Greater Antilles consists of independent countries, Puerto Rico and Navassa Island are [[Territories of the United States|unincorporated territories]] of the [[United States]], while the Cayman Islands are a [[British Overseas Territories|British Overseas Territory]]. The largest island is Cuba, which extends to the western end of the island group. Puerto Rico lies on the eastern end, and the island of Hispaniola, the most populated island, is located in the middle. Jamaica lies to the south of Cuba, while the Cayman Islands are located to the west. The state of [[Florida]] is the closest point in the U.S. mainland to the Greater Antilles, while the [[Florida Keys]], though not part of the Greater Antilles, is an island group north of Cuba. |
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[[File:Puerta San Juan SJU 06 2019 8631.jpg|thumb|[[Puerto Rico]]’s historic district, [[Old San Juan]], contains [[16th century |16th-century]] architecture, including the [[Castillo San Felipe del Morro|Fort San Felipe del Morro]], the [[Castillo San Cristóbal (San Juan)|Fort San Cristóbal]], the [[City Wall of San Juan]], and [[La Fortaleza]].]] |
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== History == |
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The word ''Antilles'' originated in the period before the [[Europe]]an conquest of the [[New World]]. Europeans used the term ''[[Antillia]]'' as one of the mysterious lands featured on medieval charts, sometimes as an archipelago, sometimes as continuous land of greater or lesser extent, its location fluctuating mid-ocean between the Canary Islands and Eurasia. The first European contact with the Greater Antilles came from Christopher Columbus' [[Voyages of Christopher Columbus#First voyage|first voyage]] to the Americas, as he sailed south from the [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]], exploring the northeast coast of Cuba and northern coast of Hispaniola. The Spanish began to create permanent settlements on Cuba and Hispaniola. The [[Atlantic slave trade]] brought many Africans to the islands. France began to exert influence over Haiti from 1625, dividing Hispaniola into two halves. Neighbouring Jamaica was [[Invasion of Jamaica|invaded by the British]], defeating the Spanish colonists. |
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At the beginning of the 16th century, the Spanish began to colonize the island of Puerto Rico. Despite the [[Laws of Burgos]] of 1512 and other decrees protecting indigenous populations, some Taíno Indians were forced into an [[encomienda]] system of [[Slavery in the Spanish New World colonies|forced labor]] in the early years of colonization. |
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The [[Haitian Revolution]] was the first and only successful [[Abolitionism|anti-slavery]] and [[Colonialism#Colonialism and the history of thought|anti-colonial]] insurrection by [[Slave revolt|self-liberated slaves]]; it established the independent [[Nation state|nation]] of [[Haiti]], the first in the Greater Antilles, the [[Caribbean]], and [[Latin America]] as a whole.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Haiti|title=Haiti {{!}} History, Geography, & Culture|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-06-14|archive-date=13 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913014622/https://www.britannica.com/place/Haiti|url-status=live}}</ref> The next nation to achieve independence, the [[Dominican Republic]], was also on Hispaniola, declaring independence from Spain in 1821. It was quickly absorbed by Haiti under the [[Unification of Hispaniola]]. |
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[[File:Citadelle Laferrière Aerial View.jpg|thumb|[[Citadelle Laferrière]], 19th-century fortress in Haiti. It was built by freed slaves as a defence against [[France]]]] |
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The Dominican Republic regained independence in 1844 after the [[Dominican War of Independence]]. The rest of the Greater Antilles would remain under colonial rule for another hundred years. Along with [[Philippines|the Philippines]] in Asia, Spain transferred possession of Cuba and Puerto Rico to the United States as a result of its loss in the [[Spanish–American War|Spanish-American War]] in 1898, coinciding with the [[Cuban War of Independence]]. This was the final loss of Spain's territorial possessions in the Americas. [[United States Military Government in Cuba|U.S. military rule]] over the island lasted until 1902, when Cuba was granted formal independence. |
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In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Jones–Shafroth Act (popularly known as the Jones Act), granting U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans born on or after April 25, 1898. In 1947, the U.S. Congress passed the Elective Governor Act, signed by President Truman, allowing Puerto Ricans to vote for their own governor. The [[Cuban Revolution]] in 1959 established Cuba as the only [[communist state]] in the Greater Antilles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98937598|title=Cuba Marks 50 Years Since 'Triumphant Revolution'|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-06-14|archive-date=27 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527023421/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98937598|url-status=live}}</ref> Jamaica was granted independence from the U.K in August 1962 becoming the last currently independent state in the Greater Antilles to achieve independence. |
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== Geography == |
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[[File:Punta Cana.jpg|thumb|[[Punta Cana]], Dominican Republic]] |
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The Greater Antilles comprises four major islands and numerous smaller ones. The island of Cuba is the largest island in the Greater Antilles, in [[Latin America]], and in the Caribbean. It is followed by Hispaniola. Geologically, the [[Virgin Islands]] are also part of the Greater Antilles, though politically they are considered part of the [[Lesser Antilles]]. With an area of {{Convert|207411|km2||abbr=}}, not counting the Virgin Islands, the Greater Antilles constitute nearly 90% of the land mass of the entire [[West Indies]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Greater Antilles|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243947/Greater-Antilles|access-date=28 May 2015|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|archive-date=3 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503100235/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243947/Greater-Antilles|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as over 90% of its population. The remainder of the land belongs to the archipelago of the [[Lesser Antilles]], which is a chain of islands to the east, running north–south and encompassing the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea where it meets the [[Atlantic Ocean]], as well as to the south, running east–west off the northern coast of [[South America]]. |
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The [[Lucayan Archipelago]] is not considered part of the Antilles archipelagos but rather of the North Atlantic. |
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The islands exist because of the relative motion of the [[Caribbean Plate]] and surrounding plates. [[Obduction]] has scraped accumulated rock onto the North American plate, islands and intrusions have been formed by [[volcanism]], and the local crust has become deformed in other ways. |
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{{further|Geology of Cuba|Geology of Haiti|Geology of the Dominican Republic|Geology of Puerto Rico|Geology of the United States Virgin Islands|Geology of the British Virgin Islands}} |
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[[File:Town of Ocho Rios.JPG|thumb|[[Ocho Rios]], [[Jamaica]]]] |
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== Demographics == |
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[[File: San Juan from above.jpg |thumb| [[Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico |Santurce]], the most populated district, or [[Barrios of Puerto Rico |barrio]], in [[Puerto Rico]]’s capital, [[San Juan, Puerto Rico |San Juan]].]] |
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The Greater Antilles is considered part of Latin America. With a population of 38 million, it makes up 6% of Latin America's total population. The capital of the Dominican Republic, [[Santo Domingo]], with a population of over 2 million, is the largest city in the Greater Antilles. Other large cities include [[Havana]], [[Port-au-Prince]], [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]] and [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]]. The quality of life within the Greater Antilles is similar among Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, whose [[Human Development Index]] categorizes them as "high human development". Cuba, the independent nation with the highest HDI, nevertheless ranks below Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands, both of which are categorized as "very high". Haiti is an exception, having the lowest [[Human Development Index]] in the Greater Antilles and in all of the Americas at 0.498, which categorizes it as having "Low human development".<ref>"Human Development Report 2018 – "Human Development Indices and Indicators"" (PDF). [[Human Development Report|HDRO (Human Development Report Office)]] [[United Nations Development Programme]]. pp. 22–25. Retrieved 14 September 2018.</ref> |
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== Languages == |
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Languages spoken in the Greater Antilles are mostly colonial languages, along with some Creole influence. Spanish is the main language in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Haiti has a Creole language, [[Haitian Creole]], as one of its official languages, alongside French. English is the main language in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, though it is also an official language of Puerto Rico, where it is spoken as a second language. In Jamaica, a Creole language is spoken but carries no official recognition. |
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== List of countries and dependencies == |
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[[File:GreaterAntillesIslands.png|thumb|350px|Islands of the Greater Antilles]] |
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{|class="wikitable sortable |
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse" |
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|- bgcolor="#ECECEC" |
|- bgcolor="#ECECEC" |
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! Name |
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! [[Country]] with [[flag]] |
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! [[List of countries by area|Area]]<br />(km |
! [[List of countries and dependencies by area|Area]]<br />(km<sup>2</sup>) |
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! [[List of countries by population|Population]]<br />( |
! [[List of countries and dependencies by population|Population]]<br />(2017) |
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! [[List of countries by population density|Population density]]<br />(per km |
! [[List of countries and dependencies by population density|Population density]]<br />(per km<sup>2</sup>) |
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! class="unsortable"|[[Capital |
! class="unsortable"|[[Capital city|Capital]] |
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! [[Official language]] |
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|- |
|- |
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| [[Cayman Islands]] (UK) |
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| {{flagicon|Cuba}} [[Cuba]] |
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| align="right" | {{nts|264}} |
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| align="right" | {{nts|58441}} |
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| align="center" | 207.9 |
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| [[George Town, Cayman Islands|George Town]] |
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| [[English language|English]] |
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|- |
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| [[Cuba]] |
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| align="right" | {{nts|110860}} |
| align="right" | {{nts|110860}} |
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| align="right" | {{nts| |
| align="right" | {{nts|11147407}} |
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| align=" |
| align="center" | 102.4 |
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| [[Havana]] |
| [[Havana]] |
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| [[Spanish language|Spanish]] |
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|- |
|- |
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| |
| [[Dominican Republic]] |
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| align="right" | {{nts| |
| align="right" | {{nts|48442}} |
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| align="right" | {{nts| |
| align="right" | {{nts|10734247}} |
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| align=" |
| align="center" | 183.7 |
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| [[Santo Domingo]] |
| [[Santo Domingo]] |
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| Spanish |
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|- |
|- |
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| |
| [[Haiti]] |
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| align="right" | {{nts|27750}} |
| align="right" | {{nts|27750}} |
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| align="right" | {{nts| |
| align="right" | {{nts|10646714}} |
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| align=" |
| align="center" | 292.7 |
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| [[Port-au-Prince]] |
| [[Port-au-Prince]] |
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| [[Haitian Creole]], [[French language|French]] |
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|- |
|- |
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| |
| [[Jamaica]] |
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| align="right" | {{nts|10991}} |
| align="right" | {{nts|10991}} |
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| align="right" | {{nts| |
| align="right" | {{nts|2990561}} |
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| align=" |
| align="center" | 248.6 |
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| [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]] |
| [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]] |
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| English |
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|- |
|- |
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| [[Puerto Rico]] (US) |
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| {{flagicon|Cayman Islands}} [[Cayman Islands]] (UK) |
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| align="right" | {{nts|264}} |
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| align="right" | {{nts|60,456}} |
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| align="right" | 139.5 |
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| [[George Town, Cayman Islands|George Town]] |
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|- |
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| {{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} [[Puerto Rico]] (USA) |
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| align="right" | {{nts|9104}} |
| align="right" | {{nts|9104}} |
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| align="right" | {{nts| |
| align="right" | {{nts|3351827}} |
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| align=" |
| align="center" | 430.2 |
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| [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]] |
| [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]] |
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| Spanish, English |
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|- style=" font-weight:bold; " class="sortbottom" |
|- style=" font-weight:bold; " class="sortbottom" |
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! Total |
! Total |
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| align="right" | {{nts| |
| align="right" | {{nts|207411}} |
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| align="right" | {{nts| |
| align="right" | {{nts|38929197}} |
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| align=" |
| align="center" | 169.05 |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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|} |
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==See also== |
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* [[Lesser Antilles]] |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{ |
{{Reflist}} |
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Rogonzinski, Jan. ''A Brief History of the Caribbean.'' New York: Facts on File, 1992. |
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== Further reading == |
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* {{cite book | last=Cohen | first=S. | last2=Groene | first2=J. | last3=Werner | first3=L. | last4=Vladimir | first4=U. | last5=Williams | first5=D. | last6=Walter | first6=C. | last7=Hiller | first7=H.L. | title=Caribbean: The Greater Antilles, Bermuda, Bahamas | publisher=Nelles Verlag | series=Explore the world Nelles guide | year=1997 | isbn=978-3-88618-403-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9BNW8ykfX_EC}} 254 pages. |
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* {{cite book | last=University | first=J.R.P.B.S.S. | title=Anolis Lizards of the Caribbean : Ecology, Evolution, and Plate Tectonics: Ecology, Evolution, and Plate Tectonics | publisher=Oxford University Press, USA | series=Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution | year=1995 | isbn=978-0-19-536191-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ydCJC26WCNQC&pg=PA88 | page=88}} |
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* Rogozinski, Jan. ''A Brief History of the Caribbean.'' New York: Facts on File, 1992. |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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{{Commons category}} |
* {{Commons category-inline}} |
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{{Caribbean topic}} |
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{{coord|21|59|N|79|02|W|region:VC_type:isle_source:kolossus-dewiki|display=title}} |
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{{Caribbean topics}} |
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{{Pan-nationalist concepts}} |
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{{Portal bar|Geography|Caribbean|Cuba|Dominican Republic|Haiti|Jamaica|Puerto Rico|United Kingdom}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{Coord|21|59|N|79|02|W|region:VC_type:isle_source:kolossus-dewiki|display=title}} |
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[[Category:Greater Antilles| ]] |
[[Category:Greater Antilles| ]] |
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[[Category:Archipelagoes of the Caribbean Sea]] |
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[[ |
[[Category:West Indies]] |
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[[als:Große Antillen]] |
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[[ar:جزر الأنتيل الكبرى]] |
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[[be:Вялікія Антыльскія астравы]] |
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[[be-x-old:Вялікія Антыльскія астравы]] |
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[[bs:Veliki Antili]] |
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[[br:Antilhez Brasañ]] |
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[[bg:Големи Антили]] |
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[[cs:Velké Antily]] |
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[[cy:Antilles Mwyaf]] |
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[[da:Store Antiller]] |
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[[de:Große Antillen]] |
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[[et:Suured Antillid]] |
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[[el:Μεγάλες Αντίλλες]] |
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[[es:Antillas Mayores]] |
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[[eo:Grandaj Antiloj]] |
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[[fr:Grandes Antilles]] |
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[[fy:Grutte Antillen]] |
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[[gd:Greater Antilles]] |
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[[gl:Antillas Maiores]] |
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[[ko:대앤틸리스 제도]] |
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[[hr:Veliki Antili]] |
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[[id:Antillen Besar]] |
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[[is:Stóru-Antillaeyjar]] |
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[[it:Grandi Antille]] |
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[[he:האנטילים הגדולים]] |
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[[ka:დიდი ანტილის კუნძულები]] |
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[[sw:Antili Kubwa]] |
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[[ku:Antîlên Mezin]] |
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[[la:Antillae Maiores]] |
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[[lt:Didieji Antilai]] |
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[[lmo:Antil Grand]] |
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[[hu:Nagy-Antillák]] |
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[[mk:Големи Антили]] |
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[[mr:अँटिल्स#ग्रेटर अँटिल्स]] |
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[[nl:Grote Antillen]] |
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[[ja:大アンティル諸島]] |
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[[pl:Wielkie Antyle]] |
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[[pt:Grandes Antilhas]] |
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[[ro:Antilele Mari]] |
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[[ru:Большие Антильские острова]] |
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[[simple:Greater Antilles]] |
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[[sk:Veľké Antily]] |
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[[sr:Велики Антили]] |
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[[sh:Veliki Antili]] |
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[[fi:Isot Antillit]] |
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[[sv:Stora Antillerna]] |
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[[th:เกรตเตอร์แอนทิลลิส]] |
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[[tr:Büyük Antiller]] |
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[[uk:Великі Антильські острови]] |
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[[vi:Đại Antilles]] |
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[[war:Antillas Mayores]] |
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[[zh:大安的列斯群岛]] |
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Latest revision as of 21:51, 17 December 2024
 Location within the Caribbean | |
 Map of the Greater Antilles | |
| Island States | |
| Area | |
• Total | 207,411 km2 (80,081 sq mi) |
| Population (2014) | |
• Total | 38,400,500 |
| • Density | 171.45/km2 (444.1/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Greater Antillean |
| Time zone | EST: UTC-5/EDT: UTC-4 AST: UTC-4/ADT: UTC-3 |
The Greater Antilles[1] is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica, together with Navassa Island and the Cayman Islands. Seven island states share the region of the Greater Antilles, with Haiti and the Dominican Republic sharing the island of Hispaniola. Together with the Lesser Antilles, they make up the Antilles, which along with the Lucayan Archipelago, form the West Indies in the Caribbean region of the Americas.
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While most of the Greater Antilles consists of independent countries, Puerto Rico and Navassa Island are unincorporated territories of the United States, while the Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory. The largest island is Cuba, which extends to the western end of the island group. Puerto Rico lies on the eastern end, and the island of Hispaniola, the most populated island, is located in the middle. Jamaica lies to the south of Cuba, while the Cayman Islands are located to the west. The state of Florida is the closest point in the U.S. mainland to the Greater Antilles, while the Florida Keys, though not part of the Greater Antilles, is an island group north of Cuba.
History
[edit]The word Antilles originated in the period before the European conquest of the New World. Europeans used the term Antillia as one of the mysterious lands featured on medieval charts, sometimes as an archipelago, sometimes as continuous land of greater or lesser extent, its location fluctuating mid-ocean between the Canary Islands and Eurasia. The first European contact with the Greater Antilles came from Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the Americas, as he sailed south from the Bahamas, exploring the northeast coast of Cuba and northern coast of Hispaniola. The Spanish began to create permanent settlements on Cuba and Hispaniola. The Atlantic slave trade brought many Africans to the islands. France began to exert influence over Haiti from 1625, dividing Hispaniola into two halves. Neighbouring Jamaica was invaded by the British, defeating the Spanish colonists.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Spanish began to colonize the island of Puerto Rico. Despite the Laws of Burgos of 1512 and other decrees protecting indigenous populations, some Taíno Indians were forced into an encomienda system of forced labor in the early years of colonization.
The Haitian Revolution was the first and only successful anti-slavery and anti-colonial insurrection by self-liberated slaves; it established the independent nation of Haiti, the first in the Greater Antilles, the Caribbean, and Latin America as a whole.[2] The next nation to achieve independence, the Dominican Republic, was also on Hispaniola, declaring independence from Spain in 1821. It was quickly absorbed by Haiti under the Unification of Hispaniola.
The Dominican Republic regained independence in 1844 after the Dominican War of Independence. The rest of the Greater Antilles would remain under colonial rule for another hundred years. Along with the Philippines in Asia, Spain transferred possession of Cuba and Puerto Rico to the United States as a result of its loss in the Spanish-American War in 1898, coinciding with the Cuban War of Independence. This was the final loss of Spain's territorial possessions in the Americas. U.S. military rule over the island lasted until 1902, when Cuba was granted formal independence.
In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Jones–Shafroth Act (popularly known as the Jones Act), granting U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans born on or after April 25, 1898. In 1947, the U.S. Congress passed the Elective Governor Act, signed by President Truman, allowing Puerto Ricans to vote for their own governor. The Cuban Revolution in 1959 established Cuba as the only communist state in the Greater Antilles.[3] Jamaica was granted independence from the U.K in August 1962 becoming the last currently independent state in the Greater Antilles to achieve independence.
Geography
[edit]
The Greater Antilles comprises four major islands and numerous smaller ones. The island of Cuba is the largest island in the Greater Antilles, in Latin America, and in the Caribbean. It is followed by Hispaniola. Geologically, the Virgin Islands are also part of the Greater Antilles, though politically they are considered part of the Lesser Antilles. With an area of 207,411 square kilometres (80,082 sq mi), not counting the Virgin Islands, the Greater Antilles constitute nearly 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies,[4] as well as over 90% of its population. The remainder of the land belongs to the archipelago of the Lesser Antilles, which is a chain of islands to the east, running north–south and encompassing the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, as well as to the south, running east–west off the northern coast of South America.
The Lucayan Archipelago is not considered part of the Antilles archipelagos but rather of the North Atlantic.
The islands exist because of the relative motion of the Caribbean Plate and surrounding plates. Obduction has scraped accumulated rock onto the North American plate, islands and intrusions have been formed by volcanism, and the local crust has become deformed in other ways.
Demographics
[edit]
The Greater Antilles is considered part of Latin America. With a population of 38 million, it makes up 6% of Latin America's total population. The capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, with a population of over 2 million, is the largest city in the Greater Antilles. Other large cities include Havana, Port-au-Prince, Kingston and San Juan. The quality of life within the Greater Antilles is similar among Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, whose Human Development Index categorizes them as "high human development". Cuba, the independent nation with the highest HDI, nevertheless ranks below Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands, both of which are categorized as "very high". Haiti is an exception, having the lowest Human Development Index in the Greater Antilles and in all of the Americas at 0.498, which categorizes it as having "Low human development".[5]
Languages
[edit]Languages spoken in the Greater Antilles are mostly colonial languages, along with some Creole influence. Spanish is the main language in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Haiti has a Creole language, Haitian Creole, as one of its official languages, alongside French. English is the main language in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, though it is also an official language of Puerto Rico, where it is spoken as a second language. In Jamaica, a Creole language is spoken but carries no official recognition.
List of countries and dependencies
[edit]| Name | Area (km2) |
Population (2017) |
Population density (per km2) |
Capital | Official language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayman Islands (UK) | 264 | 58,441 | 207.9 | George Town | English |
| Cuba | 110,860 | 11,147,407 | 102.4 | Havana | Spanish |
| Dominican Republic | 48,442 | 10,734,247 | 183.7 | Santo Domingo | Spanish |
| Haiti | 27,750 | 10,646,714 | 292.7 | Port-au-Prince | Haitian Creole, French |
| Jamaica | 10,991 | 2,990,561 | 248.6 | Kingston | English |
| Puerto Rico (US) | 9,104 | 3,351,827 | 430.2 | San Juan | Spanish, English |
| Total | 207,411 | 38,929,197 | 169.05 |
References
[edit]- ^ (Spanish: Antillas Mayores; French: Grandes Antilles; Haitian Creole: Gwo Zantiy; Jamaican Patois: Grieta hAntiliiz)
- ^ "Haiti | History, Geography, & Culture". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ "Cuba Marks 50 Years Since 'Triumphant Revolution'". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ "Greater Antilles". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2018 – "Human Development Indices and Indicators"" (PDF). HDRO (Human Development Report Office) United Nations Development Programme. pp. 22–25. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
Further reading
[edit]- Cohen, S.; Groene, J.; Werner, L.; Vladimir, U.; Williams, D.; Walter, C.; Hiller, H.L. (1997). Caribbean: The Greater Antilles, Bermuda, Bahamas. Explore the world Nelles guide. Nelles Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88618-403-3. 254 pages.
- University, J.R.P.B.S.S. (1995). Anolis Lizards of the Caribbean : Ecology, Evolution, and Plate Tectonics: Ecology, Evolution, and Plate Tectonics. Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-19-536191-9.
- Rogozinski, Jan. A Brief History of the Caribbean. New York: Facts on File, 1992.
External links
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Media related to Greater Antilles at Wikimedia Commons
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