Southern Caribbean - Physical Geography of The Region

Physical Geography of The Region

Geologically, the islands are referred to as being a sub-continent of North America, although most islands sit on the South American continental plate. All of the Southern Caribbean islands are small, and are either volcanic or made of limestone coral, as they form at the ridge of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates. Due to the close proximity of the equator, the Southern Caribbean has all year around tropical weather. Islands such as Aruba and Barbados occasionally suffer droughts, while Grenada receives a great deal of rainfall. Dry seasons on Aruba and Barbados may occur even while Grenada is receiving rain.

The Southern Caribbean has the Caribbean to the north and west, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and the Gulf of Paria to the south. Most of the islands are in the windward islands chain and the (former) Netherlands Antilles. The majority of the islands are covered in tropical rainforests and swamps; the densest of these are in Grenada, St Lucia, and Tobago. Various other islands' rainforests have decreased in size over the last century due to deforestation.