The Caribbean can be described geographically as lands washed by the Caribbean Sea or by using

coordinates such as lines of latitude and longitude to define the region i.e. 60 degrees W to 85
degrees W and 5 degrees N to 23 degrees N. The definition of the Caribbean as lands washed by
the Caribbean Sea may be debatable as many lands that are Caribbean are not washed by the
Caribbean Sea but by the Atlantic Ocean such as Guyana, Suriname, Barbados, The Bahamas. Hence,
by using this definition many of the Caribbean lands are excluded. Bermuda, a Caribbean island, is
excluded by both definitions as it lies within the Atlantic Ocean and is not within the limits of the
coordinates which is located 30 degrees N. Additionally, many lands washed by Caribbean Sea are
not seen as Caribbean by locals. This includes Latin American countries such as Panama, Costa Rica,
Nicaragua and Mexico, as their historical legacies are different. The geographical definition cannot
completely define the Caribbean and other definitions take precedence.