It's easy at first glance to envision the Caribbean islands as all being the same sunny, sandy vacation destinations, but they are different in as many ways as they are similar. Just as political and economic factors determine the personality of the islands, so do various landforms that may, or may not, be shared from island to island.
The islands of the Caribbean, like all other islands, have water that surrounds them on every side. Individual islands and groups of islands belong to various nations. Puerto Rico and the American Virgin Islands belong to the United States. Among the territories of Britain are Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands. The islands range widely in size, with Cuba being the largest, followed by Hispaniola and Jamaica. Many of the smaller islands are uninhabited. Some of the uninhabited islands, such as the Isla de Ratones just off the shore of Puerto Rico, are available for day trips and are reached by ferries, boats or kayaks.
The larger islands of the Caribbean have enough land space to support rivers. Hispaniola has four primary rivers: Yaque del Norte, Yuna River, Yaque del Sur and the Artibonite River. Cuba's important rivers are the Rio Cauto, which is the longest, Rio Almendares and Rio Yurimi. Smaller rivers contribute to these three main rivers. The Grande de Arecibo is Puerto Rico's longest river. This river, along with several others such as the Cibuco, Loiza and La Plata, run north. One river runs westward: the Grande de Añasco. The Bahamas have no rivers.
Many of the Caribbean islands have mountainous areas. Most of Puerto Rico's mountains are located on the island's interior. Jamaica has mountains that cover almost all of its surface. The Dry Harbour Mountains run east-west along the northern part of the island, with the Blue Mountains on the east. Cuba is not a very mountainous country, but it has a few mountain ranges. The Sierra Maestra in Cuba are on the easternmost diagonal coastline, and the Cordillera de Guaniguanico is on the west coast. The Grupo Guamuhaya are in the center and south-center of the island.
Because the Caribbean consists of islands, one of the prevalent landforms is the beach. Temperate weather and access to sand and surf have helped the Caribbean islands thrive as tourist destinations. The sand on the beaches of the Caribbean come in many different colors. Beaches in Bermuda and the Bahamas are known for their pink sands, formed by the shells of certain tiny sea creatures. Some Caribbean beaches are the result of volcanic matter breaking down. Black sand is not as smooth as typical white, tan or pink sand, and many black sand beaches are pebble beaches. These beaches are found on Montserrat, St. Kitts and Granada, among others.
Salt flats form when salt water evaporates, leaving the salt behind on large, flat areas of land. The salt flats of Puerto Rico, located in the Cabo Rojo region in the southwest part of the island, are protected as a part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge. Another place in the Caribbean that has salt flats is the small island of Bonaire. The salt is harvested from the flats that lie on the southern tip of the island, but a portion of the salt flats of Bonaire is set aside as a sanctuary for flamingos. The central coastline is the tourist area of Bonaire which is a frequent port of call for Caribbean cruise ships.
- World Atlas: Caribbean Landforms
- Cabo Rojo Puerto Rico: Isla de Ratones
- Hispaniola.com: Geography of the Dominican Republic
- Havana-Guide.com: Major Rivers in Cuba
- Welcome to Puerto Rico: Geography of Puerto Rico
- The Bahamas Guide: Bahamas Geography and Geology
- Sol Boricua: Geography of Puerto Rico
- Geography and History of Jamaica: Physical Features
- Hicuba.com: Geography of Cuba
- Caribbean Magazine: Types of Caribbean Beaches--White, Pink and Black
- DC Productions/Photodisc/Getty Images