Final answer:
The Caribbean is a region that includes many islands and is not part of a specific continent but is closely associated with North America, Central America, and South America.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Caribbean is a region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, 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), and the surrounding coasts. The Caribbean islands are generally not considered part of a continent but are often associated with North America, Central America, and South America due to geographical proximity and historical connections.
The Caribbean Basin is often divided into the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles includes larger islands such as Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (which comprises the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico. The Lesser Antilles are a group of smaller islands in the eastern and southern Caribbean. Additionally, the Bahamas are geographically located in the Atlantic Ocean but are culturally and historically linked with the Caribbean region.
While the Caribbean islands are not part of a continent, the area known as Central America, which extends from Mexico to Colombia, connects North America to South America and includes the countries that border the Caribbean Sea. The Isthmus of Panama serves as a land bridge between the two continents.