Caribbean – Situation Analysis

The Caribbean is an archipelago about 2,500 miles long and approximately 160 miles wide. It encompasses the Caribbean Sea, a group of about 7,000 islands, islets, reefs and cays and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America. The islands are usually referred to as the ‘West Indies’. A history of conquest and colonization has left the region with four major languages (English, French, Dutch and Spanish); several dialects; and it own unique social and cultural characteristics and experiences.

Politically, “Caribbean” may be centered around socio-economic groupings found in the region. For example, the bloc known as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) contains both the Republic of Guyana and Republic of Suriname, found in South America; along with Belize in Central America, as full members. Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands, which are found in the Atlantic Ocean, are Associate Members of the Caribbean Community; and the same goes for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, which is a full member.
In the global political landscape, the Caribbean which consists of more than twenty-two (22) independent States, Overseas Departments and Territories, is regarded as a ‘sub-region’ of North America.

For the purpose of this Situation Analysis, however, the area of coverage is restricted to the Anglophone or English-speaking Caribbean.

1.1 Anglophone Caribbean – Political, Geographical and Economic Profile:
(See Table I – below):

2. Anglophone Caribbean: Demographic Profile:
[See Table II – below]

3. Blindness Worldwide: