system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does it seem like all Caribbean islands (Jamaica, Bahamas, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, etc.) seem to be third world countries, with terrible economies and infrastructure?

This is not meant to offend anyone from these countries, its just the impression I get being American. 

Someone I know just got back from a service trip to Jamaica to teach first aid and CPR to villagers and describes a place where everyone is poor, and there are no jobs and no place to go.

Are there any particular reasons, historical or otherwise, for this trend? I have been to Bermuda and the Bahamas and even in the high traffic tourism areas you can tell how poor the people are and how sadly hopeless their situations seem.
gpt
Historical and geographical reasons.

Most of those islands were colonized by Spain in the 16th and 17th century and used to produce sugar and tropical fruit crops.  The colonial government had little interest in improving infrastructure, education, or standard of living and many of the residents were slaves.

When the Spanish empire started to unravel those islands found themselves suddenly self-governing with little experience or resources.

Since then they've struggled with corrupt governments, meddling from cold war superpowers, and the simple lack of resources on an island.