There are 13 independent countries in the Caribbean, each with its own government and political system.
To count how many Countries are in the Caribbean, we first have to differentiate between a country and an island.
The Caribbean is made up of more than 7000 islands.
The Caribbean is a region consisting of more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays.
These islands are spread out over an area of 2.75 million square kilometers and are located in the Caribbean Sea.
They are bounded by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and South America to the south.
The largest and most populous countries are in the Caribbean are:
Other significant countries in the Caribbean include Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda.
The Bahamas is a Caribbean Island
Is The Bahamas considered the Caribbean?
Geographically, The Bahamas is part of the Lucyian Archepelogo, which is outside of the region.
Yet, The United Nations considers The Bahamas in the Caribbean because of its inclusion in UNESCO.
World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural sites considered to be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value.’
These islands/countries have been documented on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee.
The organization considers these places to have special importance for everyone.
They also keep track of how many Countries are in the Caribbean.
The Bahamas has been deemed a part of the West Indies despite its position on the map.
Search the UNESCO website for more information.
The difference between a Caribbean Island and Caribbean Country
The Caribbean is home to both islands and countries.
Caribbean Islands are land masses surrounded by water.
Caribbean Countries are man-made map lines that are created and owned by governments.
An island is a geographical feature, a country is a political entity that can be located on an island or on a larger landmass.
Most Caribbean economies (which finance these governments) are based largely on tourism, fishing, agriculture, and trade with larger countries.
Caribbean islands vary greatly in size and topography, ranging from small uninhabited cays to large mountainous islands.
The geography of the region has been shaped by a combination of volcanic activity, tectonic movement, and erosion.
Many of the islands in the Caribbean have a rich history that dates back long before The World’s Original Thugs invaded them.
As a result, the region has a diverse cultural heritage, with influences from Africa, Europe, and the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean.
I suggest you put every country on your bucket list and travel to them all.
What better way to see how many countries are in the Caribbean than visiting them all?
How many countries are in the Caribbean?
The 13 Independent countries in the Caribbean are:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Cuba
- Dominica
- The Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
There are also 17 Countries that are still forcefully occupied territories in the Caribbean.
The United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and the United States can’t seem to get enough of these Countries.
Don’t you think that since these Countries are in the Caribbean, in 2023, World powers would have left them alone?
The diversity of political structures in the Caribbean reflects the history of the region, which is a result of the brutality of colonialism, struggles of slavery, and fights for independence.
These countries experience some positives from the larger countries that still hold them captive, like trickled-down financing but I’m sure independence is their ultimate goal.
We’re rooting for you!
Book a trip to Jamaica to experience the Islands
How many Islands are there in the Caribbean?
The Caribbean is a region consisting of more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays.
Islands, islets, reefs, and cays are all terms used to describe different types of land masses that are found in bodies of water.
These four designations may look alike to the eye, there are several key differences between them:
Islands: Islands are large land masses that are surrounded by water.
They can vary in size from small ones like Easter Island to large ones like Australia.
Islands can be formed from a variety of geological processes, such as volcanic activity, tectonic movements, or erosion.
Many islands are home to unique ecosystems and can support human settlements and infrastructure.
Islets: Islets are small islands that are also surrounded by water.
They are often uninhabited and may only be a few meters or kilometers in size.
Islets can be formed from the same processes that create islands, but are typically smaller and less significant.
Reefs: Reefs are underwater structures made of coral or other organisms.
They can be found in shallow tropical waters and provide habitats for a wide range of marine life.
Reefs can be small and isolated or extend for hundreds of kilometers, such as the Great Barrier Reef.
Cays: Cays are small, low-elevation islands that are usually formed from sand or coral.
They are often found in tropical waters and are typically surrounded by coral reefs.
Cays are sometimes used for tourism or as sites for research stations.
Overall, islands, islets, reefs, and cays are all unique landforms with their own distinctive characteristics.
While some are large enough to support human settlements and industry, others are small and isolated, providing important habitats for marine life.
Which richest Countries are in the Caribbean?
The answer to this changes every day.
It can also be measured in many different ways.
I made an entire video a few years ago rating each country by the financial state they were in at the time.
I used the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) method
GDP Basically calculates the amount of money being made by a country to the number of people in that country.
If your goal is to know which Island has the richest individual people, the measurement would be unfair because many times, the richest are not citizens.
Additionally, just because an island has an affluent group does not take away from the fact that many other residents remain in a destitute state.
Even though some islands don’t have their own governments or currencies, they’re still legally considered part of other nations.
When you figure all of this into account, these 27 sovereign Countries are in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean is Beautiful when you find the right spots
Which Caribbean Countries are in the West Indies?
The West Indies is a region that lies between Central America and North America.
These countries are in the Caribbean and include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
It’s often been considered to include the islands of the Lesser Antilles as well as Bermuda.
It has a population of over thirty million people who speak around two hundred languages!
What’s the difference between the West Indies and the Caribbean
The West Indies is a term used to refer to all islands in the Caribbean region.
The West Indies also include islands that many people assume are part of other regions (such as Bermuda, Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos)
Most of these places consider themselves part of the wider Caribbean.
How can 1 Caribbean Country have 2 Caribbean Island names?
As discussed earlier in this article, Countries are named for places under the people’s political control.
In places like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it is made up of 2 separate islands/ landmasses but ruled by 1 government.
As you can now see, figuring out how many Islands or countries are in the Caribbean is easy as long as you have the rest of the information, like a King.
