More than 30 million people live in the West Indies, also known as the Caribbean, an archipelago of islands and territories that spreads across 2000 square miles and separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea.

The region consists of 30 countries ( 17 independent), some countries like Cuba and Jamaica have their own pages on our magazine. Others, however, are so small, like Anguilla, the entire island is viewed as a destination and explored as such. These we list under the heading of West Indies. Countries located in the northern tip of the archipelago fall under the Commonwealth of Bahamas umbrella.

Most of the islands are plateaus and eruptions of underlying mountain systems. Terrain is limestone or, as in St. Pierre, Martinique, vividly volcanic. The beaches are usually crushed coral and white or pink sand and the water that rings the shore is a brilliant blue. The rainy season between June and October created pockets of dense tropical jungles where some of the world's most brilliantly colored birds nest.