] The Caribbean (Spanish: Caribe; French: Caraïbe; Dutch: Caraïben; Portuguese: Caribe or Caraíbas) is a region of the Americas consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. Located southeast of Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north and west of South America, the Caribbean is usually considered a subregion of North America.

Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the area comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cayes. The West Indies, in contrast to the East Indies in southeast Asia, consist of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the east, and the Bahamas which are northeast of the sea. Bermuda lies much further to the north in the Atlantic Ocean and is sometimes included in the West Indies. Geopolitically, the West Indies are organized into 28 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies. At one time, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of ten English-speaking Caribbean territories.

The name "Caribbean" is named after the Caribs, one of the dominant Amerindian groups in the region at the time of European contact during the late 15th century. The analogous "West Indies" originates from Christopher Columbus' idea that he had landed in the Indies (then meaning all of south and east Asia) when he had actually reached the Americas. The Spanish term Antillas was commonly assigned to the newly discovered lands; stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" is a common alternate name for the Caribbean Sea in various European languages.

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MLM_TraVerus (Arthur Williams) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:46:54 -0000
Caribbean: Global Voices Online � Caribbean: Farewell 2009 Caribbean bloggers bid 2009 farewell - BeachLime sa... http://bit.ly/6ezZ4l
Caribbean: Global Voices Online � Caribbean: Farewell 2009 Caribbean bloggers bid 2009 farewell - BeachLime sa... http://bit.ly/8sH3n9
MLM_TraVerus (Arthur Williams) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:46:52 -0000
Caribbean: Global Voices Online � Caribbean: Farewell 2009 Caribbean bloggers bid 2009 farewell - BeachLime sa... http://bit.ly/8sH3n9
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FriendsTravel (JESS Kalinowsky) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:44:57 -0000
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jonesconcierge (Miss Jones Business) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:42:48 -0000
indeed! RT @essence_photo Great on a frosty day. 360-degree pics of the Caribbean by my hubby! http://bit.ly/8BqbBs
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Travelwizette (TravelWizard.com) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:41:11 -0000
Westin St. John Resort 3 Nts $1284 http://caribbean-vacation-specials.blogspot.com/2010/01/westin-st-john-resort-villas-3-nights.html
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Cruzindude (Kenneth Ross) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:39:08 -0000
With the big chill across the country, why not head to the sunny warm Caribbean for a getaway? Click on... http://bit.ly/4TtPPW

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