Antillean life swings with the rhythms of yesterday, habits are deeply
rooted and continentals must be prepared to observe local customs, which is
just as natural as it should be when in another place. Guadeloupe is like
Social Security: if anybody attempts to clean things up and start
controlling or improving the service, he will automatically find himself in
the greatest confrontation with the island’s identity. Traditional ways are
not to be altered, whether they are good or bad, and those who undertake
such ideals soon find[...]
Despite its obvious ties with
the French West Indies, Saint Martin’s socio-cultural characteristics are
quite unlike those of Martinique or Guadeloupe. The economic phase following
the Second World War oriented the island towards a wholly different horizon
than the rest of the Antillean region, and its multi-ethnic population and
partitioned political status all contributed to the fact that Saint Martin
is really one of a kind, comparable maybe only to itself. “Aboriginal” Saint
Martiners account for not more than 20% of the total[...]
Antillean life swings with the rhythms of yesterday, habits are deeply rooted and continentals must be prepared to observe local customs, which is just as natural as it should be when in another place. If anybody here attempts to clean things up and start controlling or improving the service, he will automatically find himself in the greatest confrontation with the island’s identity. Traditional ways are not to be altered, whether they are good or bad, and those who undertake such ideals soon find themselves in the state of utmost[...]
“What you have only dreamt of, Saint Barth has actually done”, could be an adequate motto for this tiny strip of land nested in the heart of the Caribbean. On arrival to its airport, you will quickly realize that you have left civilisation and become a part of the dream itself. Calm, luxury, serenity, and as many positive characteristics as you can think of describe Saint Barth, where even the most acute critic would probably not find a bad word to say…. Here all is perfect, or at least as can be. Saint Barth is a must for the more well-off,[...]
The population's origins stem from two ethnic groups: The first to have colonised the island were the Arawaks who were then exterminated by the Caribbean Indians. They went down along the coast of Venezuela, to Hispaniola and so they are the last descendents of the great pre-Columbian people! Dominica is the only place in the world that has a population of 3000 Caribbean Indians. They have survived thanks to the very nature of the island, which protected them from enemy aggression. Today, they live on a territory[...]
Culture and Lifestyle When you have inherited African, French and English cultures, it goes without saying that you cannot show the features of one single traditional society, especially if these cultures are still omnipresent. Intermixing of races and their influence are unquestionably two sources of daily enrichment and it's quite easy to feel this at all levels, ranging from the physiognomy of its inhabitants to the traditions which live on and continue to spread. Creole is spoken, everybody speaks English, and the French have left a lot of traces. And furthermore,[...]
