The Caribbean - Palms, Giant Owls and 7000 islands

1. The name 'Palm' [trees] comes from the Latin word Palma, originally "palm of the hand;" the tree so called from the shape of its leaves, like the fingers of a hand. There are about 2600 species of palm trees.

2. Carib (as in the Caribbean) originated from the name of the American Indian people who inhabited the Lesser Antilles and parts of the neighbouring South American coast at the time of the Spanish conquest. Their name was given to the Caribbean Sea. Today, the term Cariban is used to designate a linguistic group that includes the language of the Antillean Carib and many related Indian languages spoken in South America.

3. There are only two seasons in this tropical region: dry and rainy (or wet). The Caribbean dry season runs from mid-December through to mid-April, and the wet season from mid-April through to mid-December.

4. There are over 7000 islands in the Caribbean and 26 countries. Only 2% of the 7000 are inhabited.

5. Like the Dodo, the Caribbean has also had species go extinct due (potentially) to early humankind (but much earlier). These include the Giant Owl and Dwarf Ground Sloth.

6. At 18,000 years ago, the seawater level was 120m lower, and the Caribbean landmass was ten times larger!

M&J