The Spanish West Indies or the Spanish Antilles (also known as “Las Antillas Occidentales” or simply “Las Antillas Españolas” in Spanish) were Spanish colonies in the Caribbean.
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What did the Caribbean used to be called?
The West Indies Federation was a short-lived federation that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. It consisted of several Caribbean colonies of the United Kingdom.
How did Spain treat the Caribbean?
This involved the enslavement of the region’s peoples, who were often taken from island to island to work in an arrangement called an encomienda, which incentivized their exploitation. Disease, conquest, and the often brutal practices of Spanish settlers decimated the native populations of the Caribbean islands.
Did Spain have Caribbean colonies?
Although Spain claimed the entire Caribbean, they settled only the larger islands of Hispaniola (1493), Puerto Rico (1508), Jamaica (1509), Cuba (1511), and Trinidad (1530) and the small ‘pearl islands’ of Cubagua and Margarita off the Venezuelan coast because of their valuable pearl beds, which were worked extensively
Why did Spain colonize the Caribbean?
The Europeans came to the Caribbean in search of wealth. The Spanish had originally looked for gold and silver, but there was little to be found. Instead, the Europeans tried growing different crops to be sold back home.This also made the Caribbean colonies valuable – and tempting targets for rival empires.
When did the Spaniards came to the Caribbean?
1492
The islands of the Caribbean were discovered by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, working for the then Spanish monarchy. In 1492 he made a first landing on Hispaniola and claimed it for the Spanish crown as he did on Cuba.
What are the 7 Caribbean islands?
The Caribbean Islands
- Greater Antilles. the most-visited region in the Caribbean.
- Haiti. Port-au-Prince, capital city of Haiti.
- Leeward Islands. the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain.
- Guadeloupe. Basse-Terre, capital city of Guadeloupe.
- Saint Barthélemy.
- Sint Eustatius.
- Windward Islands.
- Martinique.
What island was originally the Spanish hub in the Caribbean?
In 1496 its inhabitants moved to the south coast where they built the town of Santo Domingo. Hispaniola became the base from which therest of the Caribbean was to be explored and settled (Jamaica was settled in 1509, Cuba in 1511 and Puerto Rico in 1512). In 1519 Cortés departed from Cubato conquer Mexico.
What Caribbean Islands are Spanish?
In total, 11 different countries in the Caribbean speak Spanish as their official language. Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bocas del Toro, Bay Islands, Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, Cozumel, Mujeres, Nueva Esparta and San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina all speak Spanish as their official language.
How long did Spain rule the Caribbean?
The Spanish Caribbean: 1821-1898
But it still leaves Spain as the major colonial power in the West Indies. Of the five largest islands in the Caribbean, all of which were Spanish in the 16th century, Jamaica has been lost to Britain in 1655.
What is the first Spanish empire in Caribbean?
During the first decade of the century the only secure Spanish settlement in the new world is Santo Domingo, on the island of Hispaniola, established in 1496 by Diego Columbus, brother of the explorer.
Was Spain was successful in the Caribbean?
Spain’s American empire began and ended in the Caribbean, with the settlement of Española during the 1490s, and the final loss of Cuba and Puerto Rico, four centuries later, in 1898.
Who originally lived in the Caribbean?
The Taíno were an Arawak people who were the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Florida. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), and Puerto Rico.
Who owns Caribbean islands?
Countries and territories
| Country or territory | Sovereignty | Population (2018 est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | United States | 3,039,596 |
| United States Virgin Islands | United States | 104,680 |
| British Virgin Islands | United Kingdom | 29,802 |
| Anguilla | United Kingdom | 14,731 |
Is Jamaica a Spanish name?
meaning the “Land of Wood and Water” or the “Land of Springs”. Once a Spanish possession known as Santiago, in 1655 it came under the rule of England, and was called Jamaica.
Why is it called Caribbean?
The name “Caribbean” is derived from the Caribs, one of the dominant American Indian groups in the region at the time of European contact during the late 15th century.
Where did the Spaniards came to the Caribbean from?
First Contact. In October 1492, a group of Europeans, mostly originating in the southern part of the Spanish kingdom of Castile and led by an Italian, Christopher Columbus, arrived in the Caribbean.
What are the 13 different Caribbean islands?
The boundary nations of the Caribbean Sea are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, United States, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St.
What is the prettiest Caribbean island?
Caribbean: the most beautiful islands
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
- Trinidad and Tobago.
- St. Lucia.
- Grenada.
- Grand Cayman.
- Aruba.
- Anguilla.
- Cuba.
What is the friendliest Caribbean island?
Saba
Saba. Though it’s one of the lesser known islands, Saba is just as beautiful and welcoming as the other—and was voted the friendliest island in the Caribbean. “It’s a lovely, small island with an incredibly warm and friendly population,” one of our readers describes.
What was the original name of the Dominican Republic?
Santo Domingo
In 1844, Dominican independence was proclaimed and the republic, which was often known as Santo Domingo until the early 20th century, maintained its independence except for a short Spanish occupation from 1861 to 1865 and occupation by the United States from 1916 to 1924.
