Where Is the Caribbean? Location, Map & Island Nations

The Caribbean is a region of tropical islands and seas located between North and South America, centered at roughly 15°N latitude and 73°W longitude. The Caribbean Sea is bounded by Central America and Mexico to the west, the northern coast of South America to the south, and the curving chains of the Greater and Lesser Antilles to the north and east. To find it on a map, locate Florida and look south and southeast: the arc of more than 700 islands and the enclosed sea spanning about 2,754,000 square kilometers is the Caribbean.

Finding the Caribbean on a Map

The Caribbean occupies the western Atlantic basin between the southern tip of the United States and the northern shores of South America. The simplest way to orient yourself is to start at Florida. Directly to the northwest lies the Gulf of Mexico; to the northeast stretches the open Atlantic; and to the south sits the South American mainland of Venezuela and Colombia. The Caribbean Sea fills the center of this triangle, ringed by a great curve of islands.

That island arc begins with Cuba, just south of Florida, and sweeps southeastward through Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the long string of the Lesser Antilles, ending near Trinidad off the Venezuelan coast. From the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south, the region spans roughly 3,200 kilometers. Because the islands form such a recognizable arc, the Caribbean is one of the easiest regions in the world to pick out on a globe.

Exact Location and Coordinates

• Center coordinates: approximately 15°N, 73°W
• Region: between North and South America, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico
• Caribbean Sea area: ~2,754,000 km²
• Number of islands: 700+
• North-south extent: ~3,200 km, Bahamas to Trinidad

The Caribbean is not a single country or even a single continent — it is a region defined by a shared sea and a connected chain of islands. Politically, it contains 13 independent island nations along with numerous overseas territories of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands. This patchwork of sovereignty is a direct legacy of European colonization that began after Columbus's 1492 voyage.

The Islands: Greater and Lesser Antilles

Geographers divide the Caribbean islands into three broad groups. The Greater Antilles are the four largest islands and hold most of the region's population. The Lesser Antilles form a long, mostly volcanic arc of smaller islands. The Lucayan Archipelago — the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos — sits in the Atlantic just north of the Caribbean Sea but is culturally part of the region.

• Cuba: the largest island at 109,884 km², home to over 11 million people
• Hispaniola: shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic
• Jamaica: the third-largest island
• Puerto Rico: a United States territory
• Lesser Antilles: a chain running from the Virgin Islands south through Grenada to Trinidad

The Lesser Antilles are themselves split into the Leeward Islands in the north and the Windward Islands in the south, a naming convention inherited from the age of sail and the prevailing trade winds. Many of these smaller islands are the visible peaks of underwater volcanoes.

Surrounding Countries and Borders

While the open ocean borders the Caribbean to the north and east, the sea is hemmed in by mainland countries on its other sides. To the west lies the Central American coast, including Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. To the south, Colombia and Venezuela mark the South American edge of the sea. To the northwest, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico narrows the gap between the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

The Caribbean connects to neighboring waters through several key passages. The Yucatan Channel, between Mexico and Cuba, links it to the Gulf of Mexico. The Windward Passage separates Cuba from Hispaniola, and the Mona Passage divides Hispaniola from Puerto Rico — both important shipping lanes into the Atlantic. At the sea's southwestern corner, the Panama Canal cuts through to the Pacific, making the Caribbean one of the busiest crossroads in global trade.

Geology and the Caribbean Plate

The Caribbean Sea sits atop its own tectonic plate, which grinds against the North American, South American, and Cocos plates. This restless setting shapes much of the region's geography. Along the eastern edge, the Atlantic seafloor subducts beneath the Caribbean Plate, building the volcanic arc of the Lesser Antilles. Active volcanoes such as Soufrière Hills on Montserrat and La Soufrière on St. Vincent are products of this collision.

The sea is far from uniformly deep. Its maximum depth of about 7,686 meters lies in the Cayman Trough, an active submarine spreading center that ranks among the deepest features in the entire Atlantic basin. Elsewhere, broad continental shelves and shallow banks support some of the most extensive coral reef systems in the hemisphere.

Climate, Hurricanes, and Why the Caribbean Matters

The Caribbean enjoys a tropical climate, with sea-surface temperatures holding steady between roughly 24°C and 29°C year-round. Those warm waters are a defining feature — and a hazard. From June through November, the region sits squarely within the Atlantic hurricane belt, and its heat acts as fuel for tropical cyclones that can intensify rapidly. Scientists link warming oceans to an increase in the most intense storms striking the islands.

Beyond its geography, the Caribbean carries enormous economic and cultural weight. It is one of the world's premier tourist regions, drawing tens of millions of visitors each year to its beaches and reefs, and tourism dominates many island economies. Culturally, the Caribbean has had an outsized global influence: reggae, calypso, salsa, and dancehall; cricket; carnival; and a cuisine that blends African, European, indigenous, and Asian traditions all trace back to this relatively small but vibrant region.

Key Facts

• Location: between North and South America, centered near 15°N, 73°W
• Sea area: ~2,754,000 km² with more than 700 islands
• Largest island: Cuba, at 109,884 km²
• Political makeup: 13 independent nations plus numerous territories
• Deepest point: the Cayman Trough, about 7,686 m
• Climate: tropical, 24–29°C, with a June–November hurricane season

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Caribbean a country or a continent?

Neither. The Caribbean is a region — a group of islands and the sea that surrounds them — located between the continents of North and South America. It contains 13 independent countries plus many territories belonging to nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands.

What is the largest island in the Caribbean?

Cuba is by far the largest Caribbean island, covering 109,884 square kilometers and home to more than 11 million people. It lies just south of Florida and anchors the western end of the Greater Antilles.

Are the Bahamas in the Caribbean?

Geographically, the Bahamas sit in the Atlantic Ocean just north of the Caribbean Sea rather than within it. Culturally, historically, and politically, however, they are considered part of the wider Caribbean region.

Why does the Caribbean get so many hurricanes?

The Caribbean's consistently warm sea-surface temperatures of 26–29°C provide the heat and moisture that power tropical storms. During the June-to-November season, storms forming over the open Atlantic often track through the islands and can strengthen quickly over these warm waters.