Caribbean region-building initiatives are still debated by scholars, yet regionalism remains prevalent throughout the Caribbean. The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez launched an economic group called the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA), which several eastern Caribbean islands joined. In 2012, the nation of Haiti, with 9 million people, became the largest CARICOM nation that sought to join the union. Here are some of the bodies that several islands share in collaboration: Geography: Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) is a region of North America that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering
2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics in front of the Central American Torch. The event was attended by Lamine Diack, the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). There were 449 athletes from 35 countries (33 member federations of the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation (CACAC) and 2 of the 4 observer nations – Curaçao and Martinique) competing in total. There were no athletes from Anguilla, French Guyana and Guadeloupe. Athletes from Curaçao made their first appearance at the competition under their island's flag, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles the previous year. 2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics The