CU-AGAIN
Situated largely on the
Caribbean Plate, the area comprises more than 7,000
islands, islets, reefs, and cays. The West Indies
consist of the Antilles, divided into the larger
Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north
and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east
(including the Leeward Antilles), and the Bahamas.
Geopolitically, the West Indies are usually thought
of as a subregion of North America and are organised
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 Caribbean islands are an island chain 2,500 miles (4,020 km) long and no more than 160 miles (257 km) wide at any given point. They enclose the Caribbean Sea.In the English-speaking Caribbean, someone from the Caribbean is usually referred to as a "West Indian," although the rather cumbersome phrase "Caribbean person" is sometimes used.
