Caribbean

The geography and climate in the Caribbean region varies. Some islands in the region have relatively flat terrain of non-volcanic origin. These islands include Aruba (possessing only minor volcanic features), Barbados, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Saint Croix, or Antigua. Others possess rugged towering mountain-ranges like the islands of Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Saint Vincent, Guadeloupe, and Trinidad & Tobago. The climate of the region is tropical but rainfall varies with elevation, size and water currents (cool upwellings keep the ABC islands arid). Warm, moist tradewinds blow consistently from the east creating rainforest/semidesert divisions on mountainous islands. Occasional northwesterlies affect the northern islands in the winter. Winters are warm, but drier. The waters of the Caribbean Sea host large, migratory schools of fish, turtles, and coral reef formations. The Puerto Rico trench, located on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea just to the north of the island of Puerto Rico, is the deepest point in all of the Atlantic Ocean.[17]

Food

Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of African, Amerindian, British, Spanish, French, Dutch, Indian, and Chinese cuisine. These traditions were brought from the many homelands of this region's population. In addition, the population has created styles that are unique to the region. A typical dish and one increasingly common outside of the area is "jerk" seasoned meats, commonly chicken. It is a unique, spicy flavor, reminiscent of Louisiana Creole cuisine, but still quite distinct from it. Curry goat and chicken are eaten throughout the Anglophone Caribbean islands, penetrating much further into the Caribbean than have the Indians who introduced them to the region over 150 years ago, most notably in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Haitian, Guadeloupean and other French Caribbean cuisine, is very similar. Rice is a prime food eaten with various sauces and beans, which West Indians call peas. Meanwhile, the Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean tend to prefer more savory spices to these sharper flavors. Lime and garlic, for example, are more common on Puerto Rico and Cuba than pimento (or "allspice"). Other common flavors throughout the region include cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Seafood is one of the most common cuisine types in the islands, and often each island will have its own specialty. Some prepare lobster or conch, while others prefer certain types of fish or sharks. The island of Barbados is known for its "flying fish," while Trinidad and Tobago is known for its cascadura fish and crab, also fried shark served as a sandwich called "bake and shark". Another Caribbean mainstay is rice, in various forms on different islands. Some season their rice, or add peas and other touches such as coconut. Sometimes the rice is yellow, other times it may be more brown but overall it tends to just act as part of a dish.