West Indies

West Indies, chain of islands extending about 2,500 mi (4,020 km) from Florida to Venezuela, separating the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean. An alternative name (excluding the Bahamas) is the Antilles. The West Indies comprises 4 main groups: the Bahamas to the northeast of Cuba and Hispaniola; the Greater Antilles (Cuba, the largest island in the West Indies, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico); the Lesser Antilles (Leeward and Windward islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados); and the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) as well as other islands off the Venezuelan coast. Many of the islands are mountainous and volcanic with lagoons and mangrove swamps on their coastlines. The climate is warm, but there are frequent hurricanes. The principal crop is sugarcane and tourism is an important industry. After Columbus reached the West Indies (1492), they were settled by the Spanish, followed by the English, French, and Dutch, who exploited the spices and sugar, using African slaves. The political status of the islands varies widely.