The second-largest barrier reef
- The Caribbean Sea has the second largest barrier reef in the world. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is 1,000 km (620 mi) long, running along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Origin of the word “Caribbean”
- The Caribs were first called Caribbeans. The origins of the name derive from the Native American Caribs, who were the dominant Natives in the Caribbean.
22 Island territories
- The Caribbean is home to 22 island territories and borders 12 continental countries
Famous Pirates
- Famous Pirates controlled and terrorized the Caribbean such as; Samuel Bellamy, Blackbeard….
Barbados is not in the Caribbean Sea
- Barbados is not in the Caribbean sea but considered to be apart of the Atlantic Ocean.
Volcanoes
- There are many ACTIVE and Inactive volcanoes beneath and on the sea. These volcanoes include; Mount Pelee, the Quill, and Morne Trois Pitons on Dominica.
Largest Islands
- The largest islands in the Caribbean sea are; Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Earthquake
- Underwater earthquakes are one of the biggest threats to the Caribbean. Underwater earthquakes can cause massive tsunamis, one recent example is the 7.1 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010.
Coral Reefs
- The Caribbean is home to approximately 9% of the world’s coral reefs covering about 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi).
List of Island countries in the Caribbean Sea
- There are 17 Islands in the Caribbean Sea:
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles)
- Cuba
- Isla de la Juventud
- Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)
- Dominica
- Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre (Guadeloupe, France)
- Hispaniola
- Jamaica
- Martinique (France)
- Puerto Rico
- Vieques
- Saint Barthelemy (Guadeloupe, France)
- Saint Martin (Guadeloupe, France, and Netherlands Antilles)
- Saint Lucia
- Tobago (smaller island of Trinidad and Tobago)
- Trinidad (larger island of Trinidad and Tobago)
