List of Caribbean Cities and Towns by population
Encyclopedia
This is a list of metropolitan areas of the West Indies. As described by Encyclopædia Britannica Online, the West Indies are a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) long separating the Gulf of Mexico
and the Caribbean, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north. From the peninsula of Florida
on the mainland of the United States, the islands stretch 1,200 miles (1,900 km) southeastward, then 500 miles (800 km) south, then west along the north coast of Venezuela
on the South American mainland. Any city, town, or any other form of settlement that lies within this area can be considered a West Indiean city. Despite this, some countries such as Guyana
, Suriname
, and Belize
which lie in South America and Central America respectively, are not geographically a part of the West Indies, but because of their historical, cultural, and political standpoint they have always been included as one.
The following is a list of the first forty-three West Indian metropolitan areas by their total population. The list makes a distinction between cities that lie within the Caribbean Community
or CARICOM and those that do not.
A clickable map of some major cities in the Caribbean
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
and the Caribbean, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north. From the peninsula of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
on the mainland of the United States, the islands stretch 1,200 miles (1,900 km) southeastward, then 500 miles (800 km) south, then west along the north coast of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
on the South American mainland. Any city, town, or any other form of settlement that lies within this area can be considered a West Indiean city. Despite this, some countries such as Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, and Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
which lie in South America and Central America respectively, are not geographically a part of the West Indies, but because of their historical, cultural, and political standpoint they have always been included as one.
The following is a list of the first forty-three West Indian metropolitan areas by their total population. The list makes a distinction between cities that lie within the Caribbean Community
Caribbean Community
The Caribbean Community is an organisation of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy...
or CARICOM and those that do not.
| # | Metropolitan area name | Country | Population | Metro area | Density (/km2) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greater Santo Domingo | 3,813,214 | 1,400.79 km2 | 2,722.2/km2 | The oldest permanent city established by Europeans in the Americas, largest city in the Caribbean and capital of the Dominican Republic. | |
| 2 | Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009.... |
3,000,000 | 735.78 km2 | 3,817.89/km2 | Capital of Haiti and second largest Caribbean city. | |
| 3 | Havana Havana Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous... |
2,141,993 | 721.1 km2 | 2,970.5/km2 | Capital of Cuba and third largest Caribbean city. | |
| 4 | Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley... |
1,329,091 | 75 km2 | 17,721.2/km2 | ||
| 5 | Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island... |
651,880 | 480 km2 | 1,358.1/km2 | Capital of Jamaica and most populous English-speaking Caribbean city. | |
| 6 | East-West Corridor East-West Corridor The East-West Corridor is the built-up area of north Trinidad stretching from the capital, Port of Spain, 15 miles east to Arima. The term was coined by economist and political philosopher Lloyd Best, after gleaning the works of a technocrat named Lynette Attwell. The Corridor includes such towns... |
548,000 | 899 km2 | 609.6/km2 | ||
| 7 | Carrefour Carrefour, Haiti Carrefour is a largely residential and a commune in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. The commune had a population of 373,916 at the 2003 Census, and was officially estimated to have grown to 465,019 inhabitants in 2009. It is mostly a bedroom community for those who work in central... |
439,581 | 164.9 km2 | 2,665.7/km2 | ||
| 8 | San Juan San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of... |
434,374 | 199.2 km2 | 2,180.6/km2 | The capital and largest city of Puerto Rico . | |
| 9 | Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana.... |
423,392 | 1,023.8 km2 | 413.5/km2 | ||
| 10 | Delmas Delmas, Ouest Delmas is a commune in Port-au-Prince Arrondissement, Ouest Department of Haiti. Delmas itself is an urban continuation of the capital city. Delmas is also the location of much of the area's commercial and industrial enterprise.... |
377,187 | 80.2 km2 | 4,703.1/km2 | ||
| 11 | Greater Georgetown Georgetown, Guyana Georgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves... |
354,964 | 147.6 km2 | 2,404.9/km2 | The capital and largest city of Guyana as well as the largest West Indian city located below sea level Sea level Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation... . . |
|
| 12 | Camagüey Camagüey Camagüey is a city and municipality in central Cuba and is the nation's third largest city. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province.After almost continuous attacks from pirates the original city was moved inland in 1528.The new city was built with a confusing lay-out of winding alleys that made... |
301,574 | 1,106 km2 | 272.6/km2 | ||
| 13 | Puerto Plata | 277,981 | 459.71 km2 | 604.7/km2 | ||
| 14 | Holguín Holguín Holguín is a municipality and city, the capital of the Cuban Province of Holguín. It also includes a tourist area, offering beach resorts in the outskirts of the region.-History:... |
269,618 | 666 km2 | 404.8/km2 | ||
| 15 | Nassau Nassau, Bahamas Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas... |
248,948 | 207 km2 | 1,206.6/km2 | Capital and largest city in the Bahamas. | |
| 16 | Paramaribo Paramaribo Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population... |
242,946 | 183 km2 | 1,327.6/km2 | Largest city and capital of Suriname. . | |
A clickable map of some major cities in the Caribbean
See also
- List of Caribbean island countries by population
- List of Caribbean First-level Subdivisions