Guest Author - Lea Ann Fessenden-Joseph

Can you identify the major Caribbean Islands and name their capital cities? Not as easy as it sounds, even for a West Indian local like me.

Since it is September, children all over the world will traditionally start a new school year. One of the most important lessons is world geography and history. Our planet is growing smaller and smaller every day thanks in part, to the many important technical and communication advances. People from India and Africa are simply an email away from business and personal colleagues in the United States or Argentina. So to all the schoolchildren out there and to those of you who just need a little brushing up, here is a list of the major Caribbean islands and their capital cities.

Antigua and Barbuda – St John’s
Anguilla – The Valley
Aruba - Oranjestad
Barbados -Bridgetown
Bahamas – New Providence, Nassau
Cuba - Havanna
Curacao - Willemstad
Dominica - Roseau
Dominican Republic – Santo Domingo
Grenada – St George’s
Guadelupe – Basse Terre
Haiti – Port au Prince
Jamaica - Kingston
Martinique – Fort de France
Monserrat - Plymouth
Puerto Rico – San Juan
St Kitts and Nevis - Basseterre
St Lucia - Castries
Sint Maarten - Phillipsburg
US Virgin Islands: St Thomas, St Croix and St John– Charlotte Amalie
St Vincent and the Grenadines - Kingstown
Trinidad and Tobago – Port of Spain

OK, so you think you’ve got it? Test out your knowledge with this interactive Caribbean Island Capital Game. Not only do you need to know the capital city but the location of the island as well. It can be pretty challenging.

Now for the real test you can go to Sheppard Software and download a free blank Caribbean map to fill on your own. This wonderful learning site has so many learning quizzes, maps and teaching tools every teacher should have this website bookmarked as the free teaching aids are very well done. Some of the great games and quizzes are on subjects such as: math, history, geography, world, science, health and vocabulary as well as SAT and GRE crash courses. There are even illustrated pages on classifying mammals, reptiles, amphibians and other animals. This is a site where a child could safely get lost for hours learning! Personally, I can’t wait for my step daughter to visit so we can explore these wonderful learning tools together.

Use everyday as a learning opportunity for you and the children in your life. The world will all be better for it.


Helen Keller
The highest result of education is tolerance.
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Benjamin Disraeli
There is no education like adversity.