what are the factor that influence the European to explore and settle in the Caribbean up to the 17 century?

Question

(writ in a esssay form)

Answer 1

See
http://www.polytechnic.org/faculty/gfeldmeth/colonizingchart.html
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Caribbean#The_colonial_era

Answer 2

Christopher Columbus was the first european explorer to travel to the Americas, but soon afterward both Portuguese and Spanish ships began claiming pieces of Central and South America. These colonies brought in gold, and other European powers, most specifically England, the Netherlands, and France, hoped to make gains in the region. This caused a number of wars throughout the region.

Answer 3

Initially they were trying to get to india and the east indies ("spice islands," now indonesia,) not realizing that you could not get there, by just going west, following the equator.

Later they were either trying to get silver from south america, or pirate the silver from ships carrying the metal back to europe.

Gradually platations were set up to cultivate tobacco, and other crops for sale to the ships, as well as for export to europe.

Eventually te area became a center of slave trade in the americas for supplying slaves to work on the plantations

Answer 4

sugar, slavery and silver.