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Essay / The Caribbean - 1162
The Caribbean region stretches from Barbados in the east, Trinidad and Tobago in the south, to the Bahamas in the north and Cuba in the west (Edwards, 2013 , Unit 10). A rich cultural heritage is one of the most precious assets of the region, dear to the hearts of its inhabitants. Merriam-Webster (2013) defines culture as “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time.” Various cultural components of music, dance, arts, literature, languages and religious practices. exist. This diversity is a direct result of the impact of African culture, East Indian culture, and other immigrant groups of diverse origins. Immigrant groups changed various features of their culture and also created new forms of culture. This type of adaptation to local conditions is called creolization (Beckford, 2013, unit 10). Creole languages, notably Papiamento (a mixture of African, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch languages), Patois (a mixture of African and English languages) and Kweyol (a mixture of African and French) become predominant. However, each island is referred to as English, French, Spanish or Dutch (Beckford, 2013, Unit 10) and modifications of these languages are often used. Much progress has been made to preserve this rich cultural heritage. The Caribbean Community (Caricom) approved the Education for All Action Plan 2000-2015, the main objective of which is to support and preserve indigenous languages (Douglas, 2011). In Saint Lucia, the Prime Minister allowed the Governor General to read part of the annual Throne Speech in Creole (Douglas, 2011). In Saint Lucia, the government launched the Kwéyòl Multimedia Product Development Committee, whose main objective was to develop... ... middle of paper ...... that Caribbean cultural components such as language and music are preserved.Works CitedCulture (nd). In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. Accessed November 12, 2013 at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cultureRoyalties (nd). In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. Accessed November 12, 2013 at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/royaltiesPay Day for ECCO Members (2013). The Vincentian newspaper online. Retrieved November 11, 2013 from: http://thevincentian.com/pay-day-for-ecco-members-p3763-1.htm#sthash.iWCX761e.dpufThe Association of Caribbean Copyright Societies (ACCS) (2013). Accessed November 11, 2013 at: http://www.accscaribbean.com/content/association-caribbean-copyright-societies-accs Partners in Bible Translation (nd). Wycliffe Caribbean. Retrieved November 12, 2013 from: