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They say blood is thicker than water. But why is that so.

There is another quote that says


blood makes you related but loyalty makes you family. What is the real meaning behind these
quotes? They are speaking to a bond that transcends any other; it has no boundary. It transcends
the physicality of the world and takes on a deeper personal meaning, and thats what history does
as well. History can be seen as the tie that binds. When two or more persons share history there
is nothing that can disconnect/separate those individuals on a personal level. Hence the reason
history is one of the main ingredients that link the territories and people of the Caribbean. There
have been four definitions that have been coined to define the Caribbean; these are based on
geography, geology, history and politics. Geography and geology can be used to separate a
people but they cant differentiate/separate history, and politics is also a part of or as a result of
ones history. Therefore, the statement that says the ideal way to describe the Caribbean is by
using political and historical definitions, is certainly apt. This is so because it covers all the
territories with just cause and it cannot be changed by any natural or man-made event.

The definition of the Caribbean based on history states that it is the area that saw the impact of
European colonization, slavery, indentureship and the plantation system. The Caribbean is very
diverse in culture and includes different languages such as English, French and Spanish. This is
because all these groups came to the Caribbean from Europe during the time of slavery and
imposed their way of life and also took part in acts of reproduction with the natives resulting in
racial hybridization. The geographical definition states that it is the land area which has its
coastline washed by the Caribbean Sea and is often described as the Caribbean Basin. By this
definition Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas would however be excluded from the
Caribbean. Also, countries which are not normally considered as Caribbean have coastlines on
the Caribbean Sea; these include mainland territories such as Panama, Colombia Venezuela and
other countries of Central America. More complications arise due to the fact that Barbados and
Bahamas are located in the Atlantic Ocean while Guyanas coast borders the Atlantic Ocean but
yet these countries are considered to be a part of the Caribbean. Hence the geographical
definition of the Caribbean is not the most suitable. Geologically the Caribbean is seen as that
area of the region defined by the Caribbean Plate and which therefore experiences the same
tectonic, seismic and volcanic features and processes. The Caribbean Plate does not include
Belize, Guyana, and Bahamas, and just touches the southern edge of Cuba. Thus, like the
geographical definition, the geological definition is also lacking and therefore not the most
suitable. The only thing that can link the all the territories in the region together is history. It is a
history of colonialism, plantation system, indentureship, genocide and independence. Thus the
historical definition of the Caribbean is one of the most ideal definitions.

Through independence, the different territories in the region took on different types of
governmental systems which as a result have also been used to define the Caribbean. The
Caribbean is defined politically based on three types of governmental systems that exist in it;
they are the Independent States, Associated States and Colonial Dependencies. But the politics
practiced in the Caribbean is not indigenous to it; it has practiced the colonial powers type of
politics. As a result these governmental systems allows for close relations with the prior colonial
powers and in some instances full control of some of the territories. For example Anguilla,
British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos are still British crown
colonies,
Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guyana are so called "departementes d'outre-mer and thus
are part of France's sovereign territory and part of the E.U. Cuba is a communist country;
Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and the commonwealth of Dominica are republics. However, Most
of the British W.I. still holds to the British traditional form of government, based on the
Westminster-Whitehall model. But the point to note here is that the politics practiced in the
Caribbean is a better way to define the Caribbean than geography or geology. This is because
even after 100 years or more in which various natural disasters and seismic events occur and can
change the geology and geography of the landscape, the political ideologies will remain the same
and will always be there to identify the Caribbean. Thus, another ideal way to define the
Caribbean is in terms of politics.

Defining a region such as the Caribbean should not be subjected to landmarks or boundaries, or
the type of activity that takes place below the earth crust. It should be adequate and can account
for all territories or states in that region and exclude infringing ones. As such the ideal way to
describe the Caribbean is by using political and historical definitions.

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