Caribbean

Arm of the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by the West Indies to the north and east, South America to the south, and Central America to the west.

Note: Its clear blue waters make many of its islands popular vacation spots.

Note: Since announcing the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, the United States has considered the Caribbean within its “sphere of influence” — that is, a region where United States interests are directly affected. The policy has been to exclude foreign powers, though after 1959, Cuba came under strong influence of the Soviet Union.