The West Indies generally refers to the islands that form the island arc of the Caribbean. It includes three main island groups: the Greater Antilles (including islands like Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico), the Lesser Antilles (including the Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, and others), and the Bahamas.
The term "Caribbean" is broader and more geographically focused. It refers to the Caribbean Sea and its islands, as well as the coasts that border this sea. This region includes the West Indies, but also encompasses the mainland countries and territories that border the Caribbean Sea, such as parts of Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Central American countries like Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Comparison chart
 | Caribbean | West Indies |
|---|---|---|
 | .svg) | |
| Introduction (from Wikipedia) | The Caribbean is a subregion of the Americas that includes the Caribbean Sea and its islands, some of which are surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some of which border both the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean; the nearby coastal areas on | The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island countries and 19 dependencies in three archipelagos: the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and t |
| Area | 239,681 km2 (92,541 sq mi) | 239,681 km2 (92,541 sq mi) |
| Population | 44,182,048 | 44,182,048 |
| Population density | 151.5/km2 (392/sq mi) | 151.5/km2 (392/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Afro-Caribbean, Latino or Hispanic, (Spanish, Portuguese, Criollo, Mestizo, Mulatto, Pardo, and Zambo ), Indian, European, Chinese, Jewish, Arab, Amerindian, Javanese, Hmong, Multiracial | Amerindian, Afro-Caribbean, White Caribbeans, Indo-Caribbean, Latino or Hispanic (Spanish, Portuguese, Mestizo, Mulatto, Pardo, and Zambo ), Chinese, Jewish, Arab, Javanese, Hmong, Multiracial |
| Religions | Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Afro-American religions, Traditional African religions, Rastafari, Native American religions, Judaism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religions (incl. Confucianism and Taoism ), Bahá'í, Kebatinan, Sikhism, Irreligion, others | 73.5% Christianity, 52.3% Catholicism ; 20.2% Protestantism ; 1.0% other Christian ; ; ; 20.6% no religion ; 2.5% folk religions ; 2.1% Hinduism ; 1.3% others |
| Demonym | Caribbean, West Indian | West Indian, Caribbean |
| Languages | English ; Spanish ; French ; Dutch ; French Creoles ; English Creoles ; Dutch Creoles ; Spanish Creoles ; Papiamento ; Caribbean Hindustani ; Chinese ; among others | English, French, Spanish, Dutch, French Creoles, English Creoles, Dutch Creoles, Papiamento, Caribbean Hindi, Chinese, Danish and others |
| Time zones | UTC−05:00 to UTC−04:00 | UTC−05:00 to UTC−04:00 |
| UN M49 code | 029 – Caribbean, 419 – Latin America and the Caribbean, 019 – Americas, 001 – World | 029 – Caribbean, 419 – Latin America, 019 – Americas, 001 – World |
Comments: Caribbean vs West Indies