] 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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@MelissaRTaylor I love all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies!
aprilferry (April Ferry) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:02:42 -0000
@MelissaRTaylor I love all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies!
DisneyD23: Mark your calendars: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" will be released 5/20/11! Who's bringing the popcorn?
JerseyChef815 (Erica Siclari) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:02:04 -0000
DisneyD23: Mark your calendars: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" will be released 5/20/11! Who's bringing the popcorn?
Presidente Di “Florida Caribbean Cruise Association” Ta Biniendo Aruba Na Februari Proximo http://dlvr.it/JtS - diario.aw
arubanews (Aruba News Tweets) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:02:03 -0000
Presidente Di “Florida Caribbean Cruise Association” Ta Biniendo Aruba Na Februari Proximo http://dlvr.it/JtS - diario.aw
@leeslifex1 looking at booking a holiday to Egypt in August. We usually go to Caribbean, but fancy a change!
Staci666 (Stacey Godfrey) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:58:33 -0000
@leeslifex1 looking at booking a holiday to Egypt in August. We usually go to Caribbean, but fancy a change!
Bargain deals expected to lure tourists in 2010 - Caribbean cruises, Las Vegas, China, Latin America and South Afri... http://ow.ly/16hXtk
CastelloSales (Castello Sales Team) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:57:32 -0000
Bargain deals expected to lure tourists in 2010 - Caribbean cruises, Las Vegas, China, Latin America and South Afri... http://ow.ly/16hXtk
RT @DisneyD23: Mark your calendars: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" will be released 5/20/11! Who's bringing the popcorn?
ErinTtweeting (Erin Tierney) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:56:50 -0000
RT @DisneyD23: Mark your calendars: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" will be released 5/20/11! Who's bringing the popcorn?

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