Abstract

The island states and European/US-controlled territories, situated within (or contiguous with) the Caribbean Sea and the mainland units usually classified with them: Belize, Guyana, Guyane, and Suriname, constitute this region. For its size, it has exhibited great diversity in geography and micro-climates, colonial and post-colonial history, constitutional arrangements, official and vernacular languages, economic prosperity, political stability, and social differentiation.