Commonwealth Caribbean
Caribbean countries and territories in the Commonwealth
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Through Americas and Atlantic Ocean
Nomenclature
Before decolonisation, British Crown colonies in the West Indies were collectively known as the British West Indies. After gaining independence, these countries became known as the Commonwealth Caribbean. It is also occasionally referred to as the Caribbean Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Caribbean is also known as the English-speaking Caribbean, Anglophone Caribbean, Anglo-Caribbean, or English-speaking West Indies, although use of these terms may also be used in a manner that includes other English-speaking Caribbean countries that are not members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
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Countries and territories
The Commonwealth Caribbean encompasses sovereign states that are members of the Commonwealth. It includes islands in the Caribbean Sea and mainland regions of the Americas that border the Caribbean. British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean and North Atlantic Ocean are also sometimes grouped with the Commonwealth Caribbean.
The Bahamas is the largest English-speaking island country in the Caribbean by area, however, Jamaica is the largest island in the region. The largest in the region by area including countries with borders is Guyana.
Sovereign states
The Commonwealth Caribbean includes twelve sovereign states, made up of ten island nations in the Caribbean and two countries situated on the mainland of the Americas. These are:
British Overseas Territories
The term "Commonwealth Caribbean" may also apply to British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean, as they are English-speaking and the United Kingdom is a member of the Commonwealth. However, more specific terms, such as "British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean," "British Caribbean territories," and the older "British West Indies" are typically used to refer exclusively to these territories.
These five British Overseas Territories include:
The British territory of Bermuda is sometimes considered part of the Commonwealth Caribbean. However, Bermuda is neither geologically nor spatially associated with the Caribbean, which lies 1,300 square kilometres (500 mi2) to the south and southwest of Bermuda.
Intergovernmental organisations and unions
Since the mid-20th century, several political and economic unions were formed involving Commonwealth Caribbean states.
Besides economic and political unions, the national cricket associations of several Commonwealth Caribbean countries and British Overseas Territories are members of Cricket West Indies. While its membership primarily made up of associations from Commonwealth Caribbean, Cricket West Indies also includes representatives from two non-Commonwealth territories, Sint Maarten of the Dutch Caribbean and the United States Virgin Islands. The organisation fields a composite team, the West Indies cricket team, which competes in International Cricket Council-recognized tournaments.
West Indies Federation (1958–62)
Between 1958 and 1962, there was a short-lived federation between several English-speaking Caribbean countries, called the West Indies Federation. It included the Crown colonies that made up the British West Indies, including Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the British Leeward Islands and the British Windward Islands.
Caribbean Free Trade Association (1965–1973)
The Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) was established on 15 December 1965, with Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago as its founding members. The organisation aimed to integrate the economies of the newly formed sovereign states of the British West Indies by providing an agreement for free trade and encouraging "balanced development" in the region. Seven additional members were added to CARIFTA in 1968, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. In 1971, British Honduras joined the organisation. In 1973, CARIFTA was replaced by the Caribbean Community.
Caribbean Community (1973–present)
The English-speaking parts of the Caribbean established the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 1973, and it currently includes all the independent English-speaking island countries plus Belize, Guyana and Montserrat, as well as all other British Caribbean territories and Bermuda as associate members. English was its sole official language until 1995, following the addition of Dutch-speaking Suriname.
Wider Anglophone communities in the region
The term Commonwealth Caribbean does not encompass all of the English-speaking Caribbean, as there are Caribbean islands where English is a primary or secondary language that are not part of the Commonwealth of Nations, including islands that are or were once British colonies. Accordingly, broader terms such as Anglophone Caribbean, English-speaking Caribbean, Anglo-Caribbean, and English-speaking West Indies are also used to refer to the wider English-speaking Caribbean.