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The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as the West Indies are sorted by size and location into the Bahamas (or Lucayan archipelago), the Lesser Antilles and the Greater Antilles. The Greater Antilles are Cuba, Jamaica, the island of Hispaniola (composed of Haiti on the west side and the Dominican Republic on the east side) and Puerto Rico. The Greater Antilles are made up of continental rock, distinct from the Lesser Antilles, which are mostly young volcanic or coral islands. By language, affinity and tradition, the Greater Antilles are considered part of Latin America. The Greater Antilles had clear strategic importance as a gateway to the Americas and during the years when sea power defined a country's might, they were the battlegrounds for several imperial powers, mainly Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. First exploited for their own resources, they were later utilized as the principal landing points for ships traveling between Europe and the New World. With the advent of commercial airlines, their importance for strategical reasons has diminished with time. They can be contrasted with the Lesser Antilles.
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