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, Hispaniola (composed of Haiti on the west side and the Dominican Republic on the east side) and Puerto Rico. The smaller islands in the vicinity of these four major islands are sometimes also treated as part of the group. This includes the smaller islands that surround the main islands, but are still part of the main island country (eg. the Republic of Cuba consists of the island of Cuba and several smaller islands around it). The Cayman Islands are also often included in the Greater Antilles because of their geographical proximiy. The Greater Antilles are made up of continental rock, distinct from the Lesser Antilles, which are mostly young volcanic or coral islands.

The Greater Antilles had a 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 strategic importance has diminished with time.

They can be contrasted with the Lesser Antilles.