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Among the most distinctive maps of the seventeenth-century Caribbean is an unsigned 1670s manuscript map of English Montserrat. Unusual for its presentation of a series of seven perspectival views of the coastline, "Mountserrat Island 1673" captures a highly localized understanding of the island as a sequence of fragmented roadsteads with an unmapped and uncontrolled interior. Contrasting the Montserrat map with more conventional views of other British Caribbean islands reveals the divergent ways that colonists and metropolitan residents understood these colonies and the consequences for the construction of the British empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an overview of the scientific and popular opinions of tropical climate in the Caribbean region between 1750 to 1950, highlighting the way in which perception of its effects shifted from negative to positive. Issues addressed include the impact of the region's changing environmental conditions, the social relations and politics of tourism, and shifting trends in medical science over the centuries. Conceptual extensions are offered noting how the case showcases the cultural construction of climate.