(click on the image to play a study game)
(Click on the image to play a game)
The Caribbean Islands are also called the West Indies because Christopher Columbus, when he first arrived there, thought he had reach the Indies in Asia. That's why he called the people of the islands Indians.
The first people to live in these islands, long before Columbus arrived, were a Native American group called the Ciboney. The Ciboney lived in the region for thousands of years. They were joined by other indigenous groups, the Arawaks and the Caribs coming from South America.
The Caribs gave the region its name, almost all of the Caribs, Arawaks and other indigenous people died either overwork or diseases the Spanish brought them.
Other Europeans followed the Spanish in search of money in the 1600s, Dutch, French, and English Colonies started claiming terretory. They built large sugar plantations and brought many African slaves to work on them.
Most of the Caribbean people are descended from these Africans.
People in the caribbean today
Because so many people as colonists, slaves, or immigrants, the area has a rich ethnic variety. An ethnic group is a group of people that share the same ancestry, language, religion or cultural traditions.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR REFERENCE
Life in the caribbean islands
Depending on their island's history, the people of the caribbean island may speak one or several languages their language may also be a mixture European and African languages.
For example:
Two countries and two cultures exist on the island of Hispaniola. On the eastern half is one country, the Dominican Republic. Its population is Spanish-speaking and mostly mestizo. West of the Dominican Republic is the country of Haiti. Nearly all of Haiti's people are descended from Africans. They speak French and Haitian Creole, a French-based language with some African and Spanish words.
Life on the islands
Most of the Caribbean islands have fertile soil, and many people in the region make their living farming. They plant yams and other vegetables and fruits. They also plant cacao beans.
The rich culture of the Caribbean
The Caribbean has a variety of sources, they enjoy many kinds of music and dance, celebrations, and food. They also play a variety of sports. Baseball, soccer, and track and field are also popular.In some islands, people also play cricket.
Carnival
Many people in the Caribben observe Roman Catholic tradition of Lent which is a period of 40 days before easter Sunday. Because Lent is a very solemn time, this people have a lively public festival called Carnival just before Lent.
