September 13, 2017

Last week, on September 6, the massive storm known as Hurricane Irma began ravaging the Leeward Islands of the eastern Caribbean Sea. The storm then roared over Puerto Rico and Cuba before reaching southern Florida on September 10. The storm has since weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated over land, but it continues to bring torrential rains as it passes up the southeastern coast of the United States. Irma’s week of havoc has killed 70 people, leaving a shattered landscape and record flooding in its wake.

The eye of Hurricane Irma centers on the island of Anguilla on Sept. 6, 2017. Emergency precautions on Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic (at left) prepared residents for the approaching storm. Credit: CIRA/NOAA

Hurricanes are measured using the Saffir-Simpson scale of intensity. The scale is based on wind speed and the height of the resulting storm surge—that is, how much the sea level rises above normal high tide. The scale ranges from Category 1 (weak) to Category 5 (devastating). Irma formed as a low pressure and thunderstorm system over the Atlantic Ocean before consolidating into a massive storm in the eastern Caribbean Sea. As a Category 5 hurricane, Irma devastated parts of Antigua and Barbuda, the islands of Anguilla, St.-Barthélemy, and St.-Martin, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Irma’s strength fluctuated as it roared over Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Turcs and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas, alternating between categories 3 and 4 before reaching the Florida Keys. The storm weakened to a tropical storm over Florida, but still caused massive wind and water damage. Among the Caribbean Islands, Irma killed 43 people. Twenty-seven more people have died in the southeastern U.S. states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Those numbers will very likely rise.

On Sept. 11, 2017, the flattened devastation of Jost Van Dyke island in the British Virgin Islands reveals the destructive force of Hurricane Irma. Credit: UK Department for International Development (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

In the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, hundreds of roads are still blocked by high water, and many airports, schools, and office buildings remain closed. Millions of people have been displaced, and many areas are without electric power or drinking water. Humanitarian and military aid is arriving in the areas hit by Irma, providing shelter, medicine, and food and water, and helping with the beginning of a colossal cleanup. Damage from Irma is expected to top $200 billion, and repairs and reconstruction after the storm could take years. Irma is the strongest storm to hit the region since Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

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Hurricane Irma roared from east to west through the Caribbean Islands. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Irma followed closely on the heels of Hurricane Harvey, which flooded the Texas coast, and preceded the formation of Hurricane Katia, which hit southern Mexico last weekend. An astounding fourth hurricane, Jose, chased Irma into the Caribbean before spinning off into the western Atlantic Ocean. Water temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea are well above average, and massive storms feed off those warm waters. The expansion of high pressure areas—as well as a superabundance of moisture in the air—are ripe conditions for hurricane creation. They are also consistent with the effects of anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change.

June 7, 2017

June is the sixth month of the year, a month that welcomes summer, weddings, and LGBT Pride. June is known for barbecues, baseball, and blossoming flowers. The month includes Independence Day in the Philippines, Father’s Day, Juneteenth, and Midsummer’s Day. In the United States, June is also National Caribbean American Heritage Month. The month recognizes the contributions of Caribbean Americans and celebrates their diverse heritage, languages, and cultures.

National Caribbean American Heritage Month. Credit: The Caribbean American Heritage Foundation of Texas

In 2004, California Congresswoman Barbara Lee sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. The resolution passed the House in 2005 and the Senate in 2006. In June 2006, President George W. Bush issued the first proclamation of National Caribbean American Heritage Month.

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People of the Caribbean Islands have made significant contributions to the history and culture of the United States. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

The Caribbean Islands are an island chain that divides the Caribbean Sea from the rest of the Atlantic Ocean. The islands stretch about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from near southern Florida to Venezuela’s northern coast. Historically, the name West Indies has been used to describe all of the islands in the Caribbean Sea. Today, however, many people use the name to describe only the English-speaking parts of the Caribbean region, including Guyana on the mainland of South America. The warm and sunny climate, beautiful beaches, and tropical scenery of the Caribbean Islands attract many tourists.

A majority of the people of the Caribbean are descendants of black Africans who were brought to the islands as enslaved laborers to work on sugar cane or coffee plantations. Most of the rest are of mixed black and European ancestry, or have British, Dutch, French, Portuguese, or Spanish ancestry. This rich diversity is evident in the Caribbean Islands’ many different languages and vibrant cultures.

The Caribbean Islands’ proximity to the United States has ensured a long, constant, and involved interaction. People of Caribbean descent have lived in the United States since the country’s inception—some of their own volition, but unfortunately many others (prior to the American Civil War) because of slavery. Some of the more prominent Americans of Caribbean descent include founding father Alexander Hamilton, early Chicago settler Jean Baptiste du Sable, abolitionist John Brown Russwurm, writer Claude McKay, Harlem’s Dr. Muriel Petioni, civil rights activist Malcolm X, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, actor Sidney Poitier, Secretary of State Colin Powell, New York Governor David Patterson, and actresses Cicely Tyson and Kerry Washington.

November 30, 2016

Fifty years ago today, on Nov. 30, 1966, Barbados—an island country at the far eastern end of the Caribbean Sea—gained independence from the United Kingdom. Renowned for its beauty, Barbados is a successful independent nation with a strong economy and vibrant culture. Events celebrating the nation’s independence have taken place throughout 2016, culminating with the unveiling of a 50th anniversary monument today, along with a dazzling parade and a “Golden Anniversary Spectacular Mega Concert.”

The beaches of Barbados, as seen here, have helped make the lovely island a desirable tourist destination. The Caribbean nation celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence on Nov. 30, 2016. Credit: © Filip Fuxa, Shutterstock

Located about 250 miles (400 kilometers) northeast of Venezuela, Barbados is a small, pork chop-shaped island covering just 166 square miles (430 square kilometers). But, with nearly 300,000 people on the island, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. In many ways, life in Barbados resembles life in the United Kingdom. Traffic moves on the left, cricket is the most popular sport, and the harbor police in Bridgetown, the capital, wear colonial-style uniforms that date from the late 1700′s. The people of Barbados speak English. About 90 percent of the country’s people are descendants of enslaved West Africans brought to Barbados between 1636 and 1833.

The flag of Barbados has three wide, vertical stripes. The two outer stripes are blue (for the sea and sky) and the center stripe is orange (for the sand of the beaches). A black trident head with a broken shaft is in the center. It stands for Neptune, the sea god, and for the change from dependence to independence. Credit: © Dream Maker Software

Arawak and Carib Indians lived on Barbados before Europeans first arrived and mapped the island in the early 1500’s. The English reached Barbados in 1625 and soon established a prosperous colony. Many English families settled there in the 1700′s and 1800′s. In the 1900’s, many Caribbean Islands became independent or gained more control over their own affairs, including Barbados. In the early 1960’s, Barbados and several other Caribbean Islands tried to form a federation, but they could not agree on a constitution. Barbados then decided to go it alone, gaining independence from the United Kingdom on Nov. 30, 1966.

Since then, Barbados has joined the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, the United Nations, and the Caribbean Free Trade Association (now called the Caribbean Community). Barbados’s pleasant climate and sandy beaches have made it a popular vacation resort, and tourism is a major industry.

Barbados gets its name from either the Portuguese or Spanish word barbados, meaning bearded ones. It is unclear whether this refers to the hanging roots of the bearded fig tree native to the island, or to the island’s supposedly bearded Carib inhabitants. Famous Barbadians of today include pop singer Rihanna, hip-hop star Grandmaster Flash, writer Kamau Brathwaite, and the legendary cricketer and “national hero” Garry Sobers.