Covering the nearly 2,000-mile expanse of ocean from Cuba to South America, the Caribbean you're about to discover is an extremely popular tourist destination. The area is comprised of about thirty nations that occupy approximately 7,000 islands. While the population of the entire Caribbean region is about 38 million, many of the individual islands have relatively small populations. Tourism continues to be the biggest business in the region, with between 15 and 20 million visitors per year flocking to the Caribbean for a tropical getaway. Every island in the Caribbean has its own unique history, heritage, and culture. Influences from Africa, America, Spain, Britain, France, Holland, and India can all be found somewhere in the Caribbean. Your vacation experience will vary depending on where in the Caribbean you travel, how much exploration you do, and how long you stay.