The natural environmental diversity of the Caribbean

The natural environmental diversity of the Caribbean islands has led to recent growth in eco-tourism. This type of tourism is growing on islands lacking sandy beaches and dense human populations.  HP Probook 4515S Laptop Keyboard The population of the Caribbean is estimated to have been around 750,000 immediately before European contact, although lower and higher figures are given. After contact, social disruption and epidemic diseases such as smallpox and measles (to which they had no natural immunity)^[31] led to a decline in the Amerindian population.^[32] SONY VAIO VGN-AR630E Laptop Keyboard From 1500 to 1800 the population rose as slaves arrived from West Africa^[33] such as the Kongo, Igbo, Akan, Fon and Yoruba as well as military prisoners and captured slaves from Ireland, who were deported during the Cromwellian reign in England.^[34] Immigrants from Britain, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark also arrived, although the mortality rate was high for both groups.^[35] SONY VAIO PCG-FR315M Laptop Keyboard The population is estimated to have reached 2.2 million by 1800.^[36] Immigrants from India, China, and other countries arrived in the 19th century.^[37] After the ending of the Atlantic slave trade, the population increased naturally.^[38] The total regional population was estimated at 37.5 million by 2000. DELL Latitude D620 Laptop Keyboard The majority of the Caribbean has populations of mainly Africans in the French Caribbean, Anglophone Caribbean and Dutch Caribbean, there are minorities of mixed-race and European peoples of Dutch, English, French, Italian and Portuguese ancestry. Asians, especially those of Chinese and Indian descent, DELL Latitude D620 Laptop Keyboard form a significant minority in the region and also contribute to multiracial communities. All of their ancestors arrived in the 19th century as indentured laborers. The Spanish-speaking Caribbean have primarily mixed race, African, or European majorities. Puerto Rico has a European majority with a mixture of European-African (mulatto), and a large West African minority. SAMSUNG N150 Laptop Keyboard One third of Cuba's (largest Caribbean island) population is of African descent, with a sizable Mulatto (mixed African–European) population, and European majority. The Dominican Republic has mixed majority, primarily descended from West Africans, Spaniards, and Amerindians. HP Pavilion G6-1B59WM Laptop Keyboard Larger islands such as Jamaica, have a very large African majority, in addition to a significant mixed race, Chinese, Europeans, Indian, Lebanese, Latin American, and Syrian populations. This is a result of years of importation of slaves and indentured labourers, and migration. Most multi-racial Jamaicans refer to themselves as either mixed race or simply Black. HP G62-367DX Laptop Keyboard The situation is similar for the Caricom states of Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago has a multi-racial cosmopolitan society due to the arrival of the Africans, Indians, Chinese, Syrians, Lebanese, Native Amerindians and Europeans. This multi-racial mix has created sub-ethnicities that often straddle the boundaries of major ethnicities and include Chindian, Mulattos and Dougla. DELL V119525BS1 Laptop Keyboard Caribbean societies are very different from other Western societies in terms of size, culture, and degree of mobility of their citizens.^[40] The current economic and political problems the states face individually are common to all Caribbean states. Regional development has contributed to attempts to subdue current problems and avoid projected problems.  SONY Vaio PCG-K33 Laptop Keyboard From a political and economic perspective, regionalism serves to make Caribbean states active participants in current international affairs through collective coalitions. In 1973, the first political regionalism in the Caribbean Basin was created by advances of the English-speaking Caribbean nations through the institution known as the Caribbean Common Market and Community (CARICOM).^[41]  DELL INSPIRON 1464 Laptop Keyboard Certain scholars have argued both for and against generalizing the political structures of the Caribbean. On the one hand the Caribbean states are politically diverse, ranging from communist systems such as Cuba toward more capitalist Westminster-style parliamentary systems as in the Commonwealth Caribbean. DELL XPS 15 L502X Laptop Keyboard Other scholars argue that these differences are superficial, and that they tend to undermine commonalities in the various Caribbean states. Contemporary Caribbean systems seem to reflect a "blending of traditional and modern patterns, yielding hybrid systems that exhibit significant structural variations and divergent constitutional traditions yet ultimately appear to function in similar ways."^[42] DELL Vostro 1015 Laptop Keyboard The political systems of the Caribbean states share similar practices. The influence of regionalism in the Caribbean is often marginalized. Some scholars believe that regionalism cannot exist in the Caribbean because each small state is unique. On the other hand, scholars also suggest that there are commonalities amongst the Caribbean nations that suggest regionalism exists. HP 643263-001 Laptop Keyboard "Proximity as well as historical ties among the Caribbean nations has led to cooperation as well as a desire for collective action."^[43] These attempts at regionalization reflect the nations' desires to compete in the international economic system.^[43] Furthermore, a lack of interest from other major states promoted regionalism in the region. SAMSUNG N140 Laptop Keyboard In recent years the Caribbean has suffered from a lack of U.S. interest. "With the end of the Cold War, U.S. security and economic interests have been focused on other areas. As a result there has been a significant reduction in U.S. aid and investment to the Caribbean."^[44] The lack of international support for these small, relatively poor states, helped regionalism prosper. TOSHIBA Mini NB 505-SP0160 Laptop Keyboard Following the Cold War another issue of importance in the Caribbean has been the reduced economic growth of some Caribbean States due to the United States and European Union's allegations of special treatment toward the region by each other. The United States under President Bill Clinton launched a challenge in the SONY Vaio PCG-K315S laptop keyboard World Trade Organization against the EU over Europe's preferential program, known as the Lomé Convention, which allowed banana exports from the former colonies of the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP) to enter Europe cheaply.^[45] The World Trade Organization sided in the United States' favour and the beneficial elements of the convention to African, TOSHIBA Satellite L755-S5216 laptop keyboard Caribbean and Pacific states has been partially dismantled and replaced by the Cotonou Agreement.^[46] During the US/EU dispute, the United States imposed large tariffs on European Union goods (up to 100%) to pressure Europe to change the agreement with the Caribbean nations in favour of the Cotonou Agreement.^[47]  HP Pavilion DV6z artist edition 2 laptop keyboard Farmers in the Caribbean have complained of falling profits and rising costs as the Lomé Convention weakens. Some farmers have faced increased pressure to turn towards the cultivation of illegal drugs, which has a higher profit margin and fills the sizable demand for these illegal drugs in North America and Europe.  HP Pavilion dv6-3142se laptop keyboard The European Union has also taken issue with US based taxation extended to US companies via the Caribbean countries.^[when?] The United States has not been in favor of shutting off the practice yet, mainly due to the higher costs that would be passed on to US companies via taxation.^[ TOSHIBA Satellite P300-ST3712 laptop keyboard Caribbean countries have largely countered the allegations by the OECD by signing more bilateral information sharing deals with OECD members, thus reducing the dangerous aspects of secrecy, and they have strengthened their legislation against money laundering and on conditions under which companies can be based in their nations.^[ HP G42-265LA laptop keyboard ^] The Caribbean nations have also started to more closely cooperate in the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and other instruments to add oversight of the offshore industry. One of the most important associations that deal with regionalism amongst the nations of the Caribbean Basin has been the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). Proposed by CARICOM in 1992, the ACS soon won the support of the other countries of the region. SONY VAIO VGN-FS620 laptop keyboard It was founded in July 1994. The ACS maintains regionalism within the Caribbean on issues unique to the Caribbean Basin. Through coalition building, like the ACS and CARICOM, regionalism has become an undeniable part of the politics and economics of the Caribbean. The successes of region-building initiatives are still debated by scholars, yet regionalism remains prevalent throughout the Caribbean.HP Pavilion dv3-2155mx laptop keyboard The history of the Caribbean reveals the significant role the region played in the colonial struggles of theEuropean powers since the 15th century. In the 20th century the Caribbean was again important during World War II, in decolonization wave in the post-war period, and in the tension between Communist Cuba and the United States (US). TOSHIBA PK130BH2A00 laptop keyboard Genocide, slavery, immigration and rivalry between world powers have given Caribbean history an impact disproportionate to the size of this small region. The oldest evidence of humans in the Caribbean is the Casirimoid culture in Cuba and Hispaniola which dates back to 4500 BCE and is associated with edge grinders similar to those used in Archaic Age Central America. SONY VAIO VGN-CR123E laptop keyboard There is also another series of Archaic Age sites discovered by Christi Torres Trinidad at Banwari Trace where 4000-year-old remains have been found. These sites, which belong to the Archaic (pre-ceramic) age, have been termed Ortoiroid. The earliest evidence of humans in theLesser Antilles are from 2000 BCE in Antigua. Lenovo ThinkPad T510-4339 laptop keyboard A lack of pre-ceramic sites in the Windward Islands and differences in technology suggest that these Archaic settlers may have Central American origins. Whether an Ortoiroid colonisation of the islands took place is uncertain, but there is little evidence of one. Between 400 BCE and 200 BCE the first ceramic-using agriculturalists, the Saladoid culture, entered Trinidad from South America. HP Pavilion dv6-2130ca laptop keyboard They expanded down the Orinoco River to Trinidad, and then spread rapidly up the islands of the Caribbean. Some time after 250 CE another group, the Barrancoid entered Trinidad. The Barancoid society collapsed along the Orinoco around 650 and another group, the Arauquinoid, expanded into these areas and up the Caribbean chain. Packard Bell Easynote TK85 laptop keyboard Around 1300 a new group, the Mayoidentered Trinidad and remained the dominant culture until Spanish settlement. At the time of the European arrival, three major Amerindian indigenous peoples lived on the islands: the Taíno in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas and the Leeward Islands; the Island Caribs and Galibi in the Windward Islands; and the Ciboney in western Cuba. DELL Inspiron 1750 Laptop Keyboard