The Caribbean (/ˌkærɪˈbiːən, kəˈrɪbiən/, locally /ˈkærɪbiːən/)[3] is a region of The

Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the
Caribbean Sea[4] and some bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean)[5] and the surrounding coasts. The region is southeast of the Gulf of
Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of
South America.

Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the region comprises more than 700
islands, islets, reefs and cays. (See the list of Caribbean islands.) These islands
generally form island arcs that delineate the eastern and northern edges of the
Caribbean Sea.[6] The Caribbean islands, consisting of the Greater Antilles on the
north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward
Antilles), are part of the somewhat larger West Indies grouping, which also includes
the Lucayan Archipelago (comprising the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands).
The Lucayans and, less commonly, Bermuda, are also sometimes considered
Caribbean despite the fact that none of these islands border the Caribbean Sea. In a
wider sense, the mainland countries, regions, and territories of Belize, the
Caribbean region of Colombia, Cozumel, the Yucatán Peninsula, Margarita Island,
the Guyanas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Guayana Region in Venezuela,
and Amapá in Brazil), are often included due to their political and cultural ties with
the region.[7]