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well, I know people from many places mentioned by the OP, and many of them would consider themselves "Caribeño" just as much as anyone from the islands.
I've done a lot of traveling in the Caribbean and spent month's (about 24) in Venezuela on the Caribbean coast and that is definitely considered the Caribbean, even though it is the mainland. It wasn't what i'd call (far from it) a tropical paradise but many islands in the Caribbean aren't either, but they are all part of the Caribbean none the less. I consider Cartajena (sp?) Colombia part of the Caribbean as well and of course the Colombian Islands of San Andres and the other I forget the name. The San Blas islands of Panama is pure Caribbean, they are very similar to the lower Bahamas, which are not part of the Caribbean. Portobelo, Panama, Boca Del Toro, Panama - all part of the Caribbean.
The only place in the Caribbean that in my travels has not been called the Caribbean is when referring to the Panama Canal. The entrance in the Caribbean side at Colon is commonly called the Atlantic side of the canal. So the canal is commonly referred to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific or Vice Versa. I always felt that was strange but that seems to be the norm!
I have heard some mention S Fl and Bermuda but those places are not the Caribbean, not even close, Bermuda is off S. Carolina!
Why would you add the Guyanas? Those places are not islands and, to make matters worse, don't even have Caribbean shores.
Also, Puerto Rico is part of the US and its part of the Caribbean. Plus there are places in the Caribbean that don't feel like 'typical Caribbean' and yet they are part of the Caribbean.
Agree to disagree on South Florida. I don't consider it Caribbean although it is the most Caribbean place on the mainland. Never been to Cartagena but based off videos I have seen it is Caribbean in a way that Miami is not. PR and USVI are Caribbean territories of the US. I don't put them in the same boat as Miami. Never a good idea to compare islands to regions of much larger multicultural countries. Islands will always have a purer strain of the particular culture.
The Guyana's are culturally Caribbean. Guyana itself is a member of CARICOM. In my mind, they are Caribbean. While not technically islands, they very much could be with most of their population on the coast and the rest of their territory being massive rainforests.
The Guyana's are part of the West Indies, not the Caribbean.
Interesting...that's a first...West Indies is usually mentioned as a subset of Caribbean but this is the first I have seen the West Indies mentioned as existing outside of the Caribbean...please note that when I say Caribbean I am speaking culturally as well as geographically (which you seemed to be doing as well when you included Miami which is not in the Caribbean)
Exactly, the west Indies = Caribbean, they're not two separate things. Ask a Guyanese and they will tell you they're both South American and Caribbean. Their culture is completely integrated with the rest of the island nations.
And it has been called the East Indies ever since Columbus stumbled apon the Caribbean islands thinking he was in the Indies. Once that was cleared, the original Indies became the East Indies and the new Indies became the West Indies. It definitely has a geological definition for centuries.
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The Caribbean is a sea (a continental shelf) just like the Mediterranean. The whole business of "association" is irrelevant and just as I said a way of pigeon holing in order to make it easier for ignoramuses to understand.
The areas that border the Caribbean sea are obviously Caribbean.
The Caribbean are the islands in the Caribbean Sea. The whole 'continental shelf' is complete nonsense because that was never taken into account, and even if it was it would still leave out South America and would also throw Cuba out as well.
Really I thought India was the east indies. Turns out there's East Indies and then the Dutch East Indies.
Just as I thought, not comparable, there is no geological boundary, rather ambiguous grouping that traverses 2 oceans, 8 seas, 1 gulf and 1 bay.
India has never been a part of the East Indies.
The East Indies are the islands in Southeast Asia, which is why the Caribbean islands were named West Indies. The initial confusion of Columbus was due to stumbling upon a bunch of islands at the same lattitude where the Indies are, and that's why he referred to the natives as Indians. Once the mix up was cleared, the original Indies became East Indies and the new Indies became West Indies. Again, referring to two island chains. Later on the West Indies were also known simply as The Caribbean, again the islands. The continents was simply known as Tierra Firme (Mainland) for centuries after that to distinguish from the West Indies (the islands).
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