Small but diverse, the islands of the Caribbean Sea are home to a mixture of native, European, African, and Asian cultures. Sugar plantations, brought to the region by the Portuguese in the 17th century, led to the rise of slavery. Even after slavery was abolished two centuries later, the structure of agriculture, which benefited a few at the expense of many, remained.
Today most nations are independent, and while agriculture still endures, tourism is the backbone of the economy.
