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While there are so many things that are unique to each territory, there are also many similarities which are distinctly Caribbean that allow us to feel a sense of unity and form our Caribbean identity.

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Barbados, which is sometimes referred to as “Little England” has retained enough of its British heritage to be considered as more of a “Western Culture”.  Aruba & the U.S. Virgin Islands, which were once Dutch colonies only retain slight Dutch influences which give the islands an “American feel”. However, other islands such as Jamaica which is a democratic state that is passionately self-sufficient, retain very little of their original colonial customs. These islands therefore rely heavy on their pre-colonial heritage and have distanced themselves from colonial influence.

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Each of the Caribbean territories has a unique identity that was influenced by indigenous Indian tribes, the early European colonialists as well as the African slave trade resulting in today’s cultures of the Caribbean being a mixture of influences by these major ethnic groups. The architecture, music, attitudes and local customs have also been influenced in many ways by the unique physical landscape and climate of the Caribbean.

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Cultural diversity is defined as the existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic groups within a society.

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One of the most common religions seen, which has spread vastly across the Caribbean is Rastafarianism. This religion originated in Jamaica between the 1920 and 30’s and is set firm on the beliefs that blacks are the chosen people and that Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia was the

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Religions in the Caribbean include various denominations of Christianity, as well as Hinduism, Islam, Rastafarianism, Obeah, Voodoo and Orisha, among others.

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Throughout the time of the slave trade, Africans were transported to the Caribbean, bringing along with them their religious tenets with them. Simultaneously, Spanish colonists and slave merchants carried Catholicism to the New World, where it became the dominant religion. The interaction between African religions and Christianity gave rise to at least two new religions: Vodou, which is dominant in Haiti, and Santería, which is widely practiced in Cuba.

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The Caribbean’s colonial history formed a setting wherein many religions, from indigenous to African-based to Christian, interacted with one another, creating a diversity of religious life. Though most Caribbean religions were influenced by the presence of Europeans, Africans and even somewhat Asians, Caribbean people managed to add various aspects to religion and made religions of their own. It is however easier to identify a Caribbean person by their religion.

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The term 'dialect' is defined as a form of a language that is spoken in a particular area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations. Each Caribbean territory has its own individual dialect as well as slang words which are unique to the people.

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According to the Oxford Living Dictionaries, creole is defined as a mother tongue formed from the contact of a European language with local languages (especially African languages spoken by slaves in the West Indies).

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While there are only six official languages, there are many more unofficial languages called creoles and dialects. In many cases, these languages are more widely spoken than the official languages.

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Caribbean language map

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The languages of the Caribbean reflect the region's diverse history and culture. There are six official languages spoken in the Caribbean. These are English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Haitian Creole and Papiamento.

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Caribbean festivals include Carnival in Trinidad, Crop Over in Barbados, Vincy Mass in St. Vincent and Junkanoo in The Bahamas, among others.

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Almost every island hosts an annual event celebrating its unique heritage with music, dance, food, sailing and elaborate costumes. Most islands in the Caribbean host at least one such festival event a year.

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Caribbean dance and music complement each other well. People living in the Caribbean participate in modern, classical, and traditional dancing. Popular dancing in the Caribbean includes ballet, ballroom, and street dancing. There are numerous forms of dancing throughout the region but ballet and folk dancing are the most popular forms. Swan Lake is a popular ballet, and Jamaican jonkonnu dancing is a popular form of folk dancing throughout the Caribbean.

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Popcaan is an internationally known Jamaican dancehall artiste whose music can be heard all over the world.

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Dinearo for Unruly Entertainment Video Directed By RD Studios

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New Single From Popcaan "Unruly Prayer" Burning Up the airwaves & the Streets Produced By Dinearo for Unruly Entertainment Video Directed By RD Studios with cameo from Grammy Award Winner Drake and the OVO Crew. @popcaanmusic @dinearo @rdstudios @jwonder21 http://www.vevo.com/watch/USQY51563745

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"One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain." - Bob Marley

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Bob Marley's reggae music has had a major impact on the whole world. He has inspired many and contributed greatly to the formation of Caribbean identity.

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The Caribbean is known to be a musical region. Often when persons think of the Caribbean, they first think of our beaches and then our music.

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Machel Montano is one of the top soca artistes in from Trinidad and he has delivered hit song like the one below called 'Like Ah Boss.'

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Like Ah Boss (Official Music Video) | Machel Montano | Soca 2015

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Music can be heard wherever people congregate in the Caribbean. Distinctive musical styles can be found on each island, but each musical style is designed for dancing. Music styles include soca, dancehall, reggae, calypso and spouge, among others.

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We are all in love with barbecue foods and you will be amazed to know that it all started in the Caribbean! The Arawaks used to cook meat on slow wood fire so that it can imbibe the smoky, murky essence of the wood,  a culinary process known as ‘barbacoa’ at that time which evolved as ‘barbeque’ in due course. The tribes also called the healthy ingredients as ‘soul foods’, since the flavour and aroma of every Caribbean dish cooked with soul foods elates your soul and offers you an ultimate gastronomic experience. Okra, plaintain, mangoes, sweet potato and yams are among the vast range of soul foods that rule Caribbean recipes.

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Caribbean food is derived from the diverse cultural influences that were bestowed on the Caribbean islands. Various people and cultures (Arawaks, Caribs, Dutch, Spanish, Scottish, British, African, Asians ) have added their own touch to Caribbean food, transforming it into the ultimate exotic indulgence.  Rice is a staple food throughout the Caribbean and each island has a unique rice dish with yellow and brown rice being served as a side on many dishes.

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The Caribbean's culture has historically been influenced by that of African, European, and Amerindian, and Asian traditions.Culture is specific to particular groups of people and its manifestation within various Caribbean societies constitutes the building blocks for the larger entity that we know as ‘Caribbean civilisation’. Not only is culture important in the static sense of forming the building blocks for Caribbean civilisation but, by its very nature, culture has a very active role as it provides the lenses through which various groups interact with and understand the world.

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Caribbean culture is a term that explains the artistic, musical, literary, culinary, political and social elements that are representative of the Caribbean people.

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The elements of Caribbean identity include culture, language, religion and diversity, among others.

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The Cambridge Dictionary defines identity as the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others. Caribbean identity, therefore, refers to the ideas, beliefs, values and norms that separate Caribbean people from all others.