The governments of the European colonisers invested heavily in economic development in the Caribbean. This included ports and infrastructure as well as military defences, typically forts and gun batteries. Most of this built heritage represents colonial power and domination and cannot be dismissed because it is still there.
At the same time immigrants from these countries also developed their own economic resources, mostly sugar plantations, which usually included their own means of power generation from windmills. The wealth generated by this industry certainly financed the construction of numerous English estates and has been said to be the underpinning of much of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Again, the historical connections cannot undone because the remnants of these can be seen throughout the Caribbean.
In addition, indigenous peoples, Arawak, Carib or Garifuna as well as many others left behind archaeological evidence. These cultural artifacts are visible in many places. Many of their descendants still practice their cultures to this day.
Archealogical research continues to uncover new information about these important places.
Most of these places can be visited by the public and many offer tours and educational resources.
Note: Links to this page are welcome but don't steal my content. The Internet Archive 'Wayback Machine' figures heavily in this compilation. They do great work, so please help them out with a donation.
Caribbean Heritage Network: Expanding the Socio-Economic Potential of Caribbean Cultural Heritage
The mission of the Caribbean Heritage Network (CHN) is to strengthen the capacity to protect and promote the cultural heritages of the nations and peoples of the Caribbean region. The University of the West Indies at Cave Hill Campus, c/o Dr. Tara Inniss, Department of History and Philosophy, Cave Hill, Barbados
Documenting the Natural and Cultural Landscape of the Latin America and Caribbean Region
Country by country resources
Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
(The) Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Dutch Caribbean:
French Caribbean:
Grenada
Haiti
Jamaica
Miscellaneous:
Montserrat
OECS: Tourism Product Catalogue: Forts and Mills | Memorial and Museums
Puerto Rico
Saint Eustatius
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Trinidad & Tobago
Turks and Caicos
United States Virgin Islands
More Caribbean museum information
Florida
U Florida: Florida Museum of Natural History
From archaeological pre-Hispanic sites, exceptionally well preserved historical centres, breath-taking natural sites with exquisite, biodiverse landscapes, the Region’s World Heritage serves as a basis for further strengthening sustainable development and the role of local communities which is vital for heritage protection and management.
A well protected World Heritage site contributes directly to environmental, social and economic development and helps better the life of the local community. This process constitutes a great challenge for the years to come, both for the State Parties to the Convention and for UNESCO.
Biosphere Reserves:
World Heritage Sites:
Tentative sites in Dominican Republic
"Statements of authenticity and/or integrity:
Historically the Caribbean has not been in the forefront of conservation issues, and this has resulted in the extinction of many species. The Caribbean was originally under 229,549 km2. of tropical rainforest, but this has dropped by 90% to 22,955km2. The website www.biodiversityhotspots.com says this about Caribbean biodiversity: "In general the Caribbean Islands emerge as top priority for the expansion of the global protected areas network." With global rainforest cover disappearing at the rate of 80,000 acres (32,300 ha) per day (according to rainforestsmongabay.com), it becomes more critical for these singular areas of biodiversity to be protected.
The Main Ridge is managed by the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, which falls under the Tobago House of Assembly. Qualified foresters are present to escort visitors to the interior of the Main Ridge. The area receives about 15,000 eco-tourists per annum.
What is MOWLAC?
The Memory of the World program is an international initiative promoted and coordinated by UNESCO since 1992, in order to ensure the preservation and access to the documentary and digital heritage of greatest relevance to the peoples of the world.
War and social unrest, lack of resources, looting, illegal trade and destruction, among others, cause documentary heritage to disappear forever. Fortunately, sometimes lost documentary heritage is rediscovered.
Please note: This is a sampling of a vast collection of UNESCO publications.
Links are provided for convenience. Not responsible for content of external links. This is not an exhaustive list.
