Archipelago: A group of islands. Often used theoretically or metaphorically to convey ideas of migration, diaspora, and cultural exchange; for Tamara Oyola-Santiago, the diversity of the Puerto Rican archipelago has been homogenized through US imperialism. Archipelagos often blur cultural and state boundaries; whereas islands are conceived as distinct and bordered entities like nations, archipelagos blend local, regional, and national contexts into new conceptions of culture and home (see also: Matria).