3. The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic
Ocean located in the tropics of the Western
hemisphere. It is bounded
by Mexico and Central America to the west
and southwest, to the north by the Greater
Antilles, to the east by the Lesser Antilles,
and to the south by South America.
The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the
numerous islands of the West Indies, and
adjacent coasts, are collectively known as
the Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea is one
of the largest seas and has an area of
about 2,754,000 km² (1,063,000 sq. mi.).

4. The sea's deepest point is the Cayman
Trough, between the Cayman Islands
and Jamaica, at 7,686 m (25,220 ft)
below sea level. The Caribbean
coastline has many gulfs and bays:
the Gulf of Gonâve, Gulf of
Venezuela, Gulf of Darién, Golfo de los
Mosquitos, Gulf of Paria and Gulf of
Honduras

5. The sea's deepest point is the Cayman Trough,
between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at
7,686 m (25,220 ft) below sea level. The
Caribbean coastline has many gulfs and bays:
the Gulf of Gonâve, Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of
Darién, Golfo de los Mosquitos, Gulf of
Paria and Gulf of Honduras.
The name "Caribbean" is derived from
the Caribs, one of the dominant American
Indiangroups in the region at the time
of European contact during the late 15th
century. After the discovery of the West
Indies by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the
Spanish term Antillaswas assigned to the lands;
stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" is a
common alternative name for the Caribbean
Sea in various European languages. During the
first century of development, the Spanish
dominance was undisputed.

6. The word "Caribbean" has multiple uses.
Its principal ones are geographical and political. The
Caribbean can also be expanded to include territories with
strong cultural and historical connections
to slavery, European colonization, and the plantation system.
The United Nations geoscheme for the Americas accords the
Caribbean as a distinct region within The Americas.
Physiographic ally, the Caribbean region is mainly a chain of
islands surrounding the Caribbean Sea. To the north, the
region is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida,
and the Northern Atlantic Ocean, which lies to the east and
northeast. To the south, lies the coastline of the continent
of South America

7. Politically, the "Caribbean" may be centered
on socio-economic groupings found in the
region. For example, the block known as
the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) contains
the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the
Republic of Suriname in South America,
and Belize in Central America as full
members. Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos
Islands, which are in the Atlantic Ocean are
associate members of the Caribbean
Community—as is the Commonwealth of the
Bahamas, which is a full member of the
Caribbean Community.
Alternatively, the organisation called
the Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
consists of almost every nation in the
surrounding regions that lie on the Caribbean,
plus El Salvador, which lies solely on the Pacific
Ocean. According to the ACS, the total
population of its member states is 227 million
people.[15]
Politically, the "Caribbean" may be centered on socio-
economic groupings found in the region. For example, the
block known as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
contains the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the Republic
of Suriname in South America, and Belize in Central America
as full members. Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands,
which are in the Atlantic Ocean are associate members of the
Caribbean Community—as is the Commonwealth of the
Bahamas, which is a full member of the Caribbean
Community.
Alternatively, the organization called the Association of
Caribbean States (ACS) consists of almost every nation in the
surrounding regions that lie on the Caribbean, plus El
Salvador, which lies solely on the Pacific Ocean. According to
the ACS, the total population of its member states is 227
million people.

12. Plants and animals of the Caribbean
Epiphytes (bromeliads, climbing
palms) in the
rainforest of Dominica

13. A Green and Black Poison
frog, Dendrobates auratus

14. The Martinique Amazon, Amazon
martinicana , was a species of parrot in
the Psittacidae family. It is now extinct.