What did the Indies refer to?
What did the Indies refer to?
The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and coastlands found in and around the Indian Ocean by Portuguese explorers after the Cape route was discovered.
Why are they called the Indies?
The West Indies are a chain of islands located in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. They were named the Indies by Christopher Columbus, the first European on record to reach the islands. He believed that he had reached India, and thus, called the newly-discovered islands the Indies.
Where are the indies?
The West Indies are a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Lucayan Archipelago.
What does West Indies refer to?
The West Indies refers to a collection of islands in the Caribbean. Beach-loving tourists love visiting the country of Jamaica and the territory of Puerto Rico, along with the Dominican Republic and Haiti, because these islands are famous for their beautiful beaches and blue waters.
Which countries are called East Indies?
The most restrictive and best-known use is as a synonym for the islands that now constitute the Republic of Indonesia (formerly known as the Netherlands Indies, or Dutch East Indies); these include the Greater Sunda Islands (Borneo, Celebes, Java, and Sumatra), the Lesser Sunda Islands (stretching eastward from Bali to …
Why do they call it West Indies?
The islands in the Caribbean are also sometimes referred to as the West Indies. Christopher Columbus thought he had reached the Indies (Asia) on his voyage to find another route there. Instead he had reached the Caribbean. The Caribbean was named the West Indies to account for Columbus’ mistake.
What is capital of West Indies?
West Indies Federation
| West Indian Federation | |
|---|---|
| Status | Federation of British Colonies |
| Capital | Chaguaramas (de jure) Port of Spain (de facto) |
| Common languages | English • Patois • English Creoles • Spanish • French • Hindustani • Chinese • Arabic • Antillean French Creole • Tamil • Portuguese |
| Demonym(s) | West Indian |
Who are called Indies?
plural noun. Also called the Indies . SE Asia, including East Timor, India, Indonesia, and the Malay Archipelago. the Malay Archipelago. Also called East India .
Is India part of East Indies?
In a second, larger sense, East Indies refers to the Malay Archipelago (including the Philippines), which now is more commonly called insular (or archipelagic) Southeast Asia. Finally, in its broadest context, the term East Indies encompasses the foregoing plus all of mainland Southeast Asia and India.
Which is the largest island in the West Indies?
What Are the Greater Antilles? In total, the Greater Antilles make up almost 90% of the land in the West Indies. Cuba is the largest single island in the Caribbean. During the colonial period, the island of Hispaniola was known as Santo Domingo, named for the capital city of what is now the Dominican Republic.
Why are the West Indies called the West Indies?
From Wikipedia: “These islands are called the West Indies because when Christopher Columbus landed here in 1492 he believed that he had reached the Indies (in Asia).”. Thus, the inhabitants became “West Indians”.
What is the largest country of the West Indies?
Jamaica, island country of the West Indies. It is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, after Cuba and Hispaniola. Jamaica is about 146 miles (235 km) long and varies from 22 to 51 miles (35 to 82 km) wide.
Who are the people of the West Indies?
West Indies or West India was the namesake of several companies of the 17th and 18th centuries, including the Danish West India Company, the Dutch West India Company, the French West India Company, and the Swedish West India Company. West Indian is the official term used by the U.S. government to refer to people of the West Indies.