For most Americans the Caribbean evokes an image of sunny, fine sand beaches lapped by crystalline waters. For many, it is a synonym for tropical music and fun, rest and relaxation, vacations and tourism. This stereotype, however, is a commercially motivated image that distorts the rich diversity of Caribbean cultures. The region encompasses a wealth of cultures that have evolved over centuries of complex, turbulent, and profound interactions—within a limited geographical area—among the indigenous peoples of the area, Europeans from several countries, peoples from West Africa, and in some cases, indentured servants from India and East Asia.