Talk:Antilles

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This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, now in the public domain.

The reference to the origin of the name "Brazil" is superfluous. It is also wrong. The derivation of "Brazil" is well known. According to Microsoft Reference: [Old French bresil (Spanish brasil, Italian brasile), from Low Latin brasilium a red dyewood brought from the East. When a similar wood was discovered in S America the country became known as terra de brasil, land of red dyewood]

(c) Larousse plc. All rights reserved

please - someone tell the world how to pronounce the name of this place.

Some say AN-tilleez, some say an-TIL-eez. Guettarda 02:14, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I suspect both are acceptable. The spelling is the same as the Netherlands Antilles. CaribDigita 04:56, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Cayman Islands

Are the Cayman Islands really regarded as part of the Lesser Antilles ?

-- Beardo 23:42, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

No, I think they are in the Greater Antilles. //Big Adamsky 00:02, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

Yes (I think): inferring from the entry in the Encyclopædia Britannica, "Greater"/"Lesser" refer to island size, not necessarily position; the Cayman Islands (south of Cuba) are included in the latter. E Pluribus Anthony | talk | 14:33, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Actually, numerous other sources (e.g., USGS, et al.) seem to indicate that these appellations are based more on island position, not size. This is also complicated by the fact that the Caymans are not noted in the EB entey for the Lesser Antilles. Egad! Provisionally, I retract my prior assertion. Forgive me! :) E Pluribus Anthony | talk | 00:41, 6 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bahamas are considered part of the Antilles

Historically, the Bahamas are considered part of the Antilles. The article is a version from the Spanish Encarta. You will see, among other things, that the Bahamas was the first place in the Antilles that Christopher Colombus trod.

http://es.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761555176/Antillas.html

Encarta in Spanish is a minority in this case. Encarta in English, the 1911 and current Britannica, the Cumbre Encyclopedia, etc do not consider the Bahamas part of the Antilles. Joelito (talk) 14:01, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, though Encarta in Spanish is a "minority" in this case, this is another case recognized. It has to be mentioned in the article in agreement with the bylaws of Wikipedia.

Aidel.

It should be merely a footnote, not the definition used in the article. There is almost universal concensus that the Bahamas are not part of the Antilles. Because one encyclopedia, Encarta in Spanish, considers them part of the Antilles should not change our defintion. Joelito (talk) 16:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Caribbean vs. Antilles vs. West Indies

Among the most glaring errors in wikipedia is the continuing redirect from West Indies to Caribbean, which are as different as "squirrel" and "mammal". West Indies is the preferred term in English for the islands themselves; THAT should be the title of the main article on the subject, and it should be distinct from "Caribbean". At a minimum, "West Indies" might link to "Antilles". Someone more skilled at wiki-manoeuvers, please take up this task. Sfahey (talk) 20:28, 28 May 2008 (UTC)