Aiming to provide an accessible introduction to Central America and the Caribbean, this thematic and comparative text analyzes the origins and nature of the developmental and political crises of these regions and the reasons for their intensification. It covers all the Central American states and the largest Caribbean island territories - Jamaica, Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico - as well as Panama and Grenada, assessing their common experiences as small economies living in the shadow of the United States but also highlighting key differences.