Caribbean¶
- Coins
- 34
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Bahamas¶- Coins
- 8
The Bahamas is made up of thousands of islands and big rocks in the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus passed by in 1492, but Spain didn't seem to care. The British moved in during the 1620s, but after almost 100 years of bad internal management, the islands became a British Crown Colony. The Bahamians achieved self-government in 1964, started making their own coins two years later, and achieved full independance in 1973. The monarch of the United Kingdom is Head of State, and is represented in the Bahamas by a governer-general (just like Canada).
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Barbados¶- Coins
- 3
Barbados is a small (430 sq.km) coral island in the Caribbean that exports sugar and rum, and imports tourists. Although people are known to have lived there from 350 CE on, the island was uninhabited when British sailors landed in the 1620s. Settlers followed a few years later, and the island was under continuous British rule until it gained independence in 1966. Today, close to 90% of Barbadians are of African descent, mostly descended from slaves on sugar plantations. Barbados currently has one of the highest standards of living and literacy rates in the world.
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British Virgin Islands¶- Coins
- 6
Approximately 50 small islands make up the British Virgin Islands, with people living on about one-third of them. Christopher Columbus saw and named the islands in 1493, and some Dutch settlers took up residence in the middle of the 17th century. England took over in 1672. The islands were called the "Virgin Islands" until after World War II. That was when the U.S. made a real estate deal for the Danish West Indies, and renamed them the "U.S. Virgin Islands." I guess they wanted a piece of the action. Meanwhile, Britain was forced to change the name of their paradise slightly to avoid confusion. The government issued the first ever coinage in 1973, all with animals.
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Cayman Islands¶- Coins
- 5
The Cayman Islands are comprised of three islands -- Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac -- about 290 km north-west of Jamaica. The islands have been under British control since 1670, but achieved a form of self-government in 1972, when the islands first coinage was issued.
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Cuba¶- Coins
- 4
Cuba was ruled by Spain until 1898. Spain didn't seem to want to give it up, even though the Cubans fought them for a decade on the issue (1868-78). The fighting started again in 1895 but this time Cuba had the help of the United States, who must have been feeling for them. Independence was finally achieved in 1902. Batista siezed Cuba in 1952, with himself as dictator, of course. Other Cubans didn't like that, and Fidel Castro eventually stormed out of the jungle and took over in 1959. In 1962, Castro formalized a communist-type government. The United States got pretty upset over the whole thing, and proceeded to cause Cuba economic grief that they can't seem to give up on.
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Dominican Republic¶- Coins
- 1
The Dominican Republic takes up two-thirds of the island Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. (The western part of the island is occupied by Haiti.) The indigenous people who occupied the island were very friendly with the Europeans when Colombus arrived in 1492. However, the Europeans were ultimately unable to grasp that some people live differently, and the usual problems developed. The country has changed hands through its history: first a Spanish, then a French colony, later ruled by Haiti then Spain again, and twice ruled by the United States who repeatedly intervened in local affairs during the 20th century. Things have improved for the Dominican Republic since the U.S.-supported military dictator died in 1961. Today, tourism has become the main economic activity in this tropical paradise, and the country in known for its party lifestyle.
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Jamaica¶- Coins
- 2
Jamaica is the third-largest country in the Caribbean, situated about 150 km south of Cuba. The 11,000 sq.km. island is dominated by mountains on the interior, with most of the cities along a narrow coastal plain. Originally settled by the Arawak people between 1000 and 400 BCE, the island was claimed by Spain after Columbus landed there in 1494. Columbus must have really like the island, since he used it as his family's private estate. The British siezed the island in 1655 and over the next two centuries developed it into the world's largest sugar exporter. This was achieved through the use of massive amounts of slaves brought in from Africa. By the early 19th century, the slaves outnumbered their white "masters" by 20 to 1 which lead to the inevitable: abolition of slavery in 1834 and full emancipation four years later. It would take Jamaica until 1962 to gain full independance as a nation. Today, 90% of the population of Jamaica is of black descent and the main language is English. Despite being a small country, Jamaica is extremely rich in culture and known around most of the world. In particular, its musical culture is a major "export" and includes reggae, ska, mento, rocksteady, and dub, among other genres.
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Trinidad & Tobago¶- Coins
- 4
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an island nation in the southern Caribbean. Originally settled over 7,000 years ago, it was a Spanish colony from c. 1530, ceded to the British in 1802, and became independent in 1962.The birthplace of calypso and the steelpan, Trinidad and Tobago is well-known for its annual Carnival and celebrates many other festivals with its diverse culture. Education is free for all, including university level.
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Turks & Caicos Islands¶- Coins
- 1
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies. Geographically, they are part of the Bahamas Islands, but remain policitally separate. They are known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre. The islands are a favourite destination of many Canadians, and in 1917 Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden proposed annexing the islands. The issue has come up repeatedly through the years, with Turks & Caicos support for the idea of joining Canada as a new province reaching 90% in the 1990s (but dropping to 60% in 2003). In 2004, the province of Nova Scotia voted to invite the Turks & Caicos to join Canada as part of that province, to bypass the consitutional problems. As recently as 2009, the Canadian goverment is apparently still interested in exploring these possibilities.
