9. Hispaniola
Population: 21,396,000
The second largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba, Hispaniola’s name comes from the Spanish word La Isla Espanola, which means “Spanish Island”, and was named by Christopher Columbus when he settled on the islands in 1492, making it the first European settlement in the Americas. Today, the island is divided between two nations: The Dominican Republic in the east and Haiti in the west.
