The region includes 13 island nations, from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south; Belize, which is geographically located in Central America; and the two nations of Guyana and Suriname, situated on the north main coast of South America. Lots of nations in the area share a typical African ethnic and British colonial heritage, while Cuba and the Dominican Republic were Spanish nests, Haiti was French, and Suriname was Dutch. The dates of self-reliance of these nations vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest countries in terms of acreage are Guyana and Suriname, while those with the biggest populations are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Politically, all Caribbean countries, with the exception of communist Cuba, have chosen democratic governments. Many of the previous British colonies have parliamentary types of government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In terms of local integration, 14 of the area's independent countries come from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with the exception of the Dominican Republic (which has observer status) and Cuba. CARICOM was formed in 1973 to stimulate local economic integration. Some critics argue that it has been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other local financial groupings, however development has actually been made in approaching a single financial market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations also share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with financial policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial development and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have actually been the standard, and for the most part have been totally free and fair. In 2005, Dominica and Suriname held elections in May, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines held elections in December. Haiti was anticipated to hold elections in 2005, but significant issues and political instability led to those elections being delayed numerous times, till they were ultimately hung on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections eventually were held on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had anticipated. Looking ahead, parliamentary elections are due in St. Lucia by December 2006, while elections in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago are due in 2007. (See for a listing of leaders and elections for head of federal government.) Although numerous Caribbean nations have actually maintained long democratic customs, they are not immune from terrorist and other threats to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent demonstrations after disputed elections; order was restored with the assistance of security forces from surrounding states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot involving foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it presumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and set up an individuals's innovative government. After the violent topple and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States intervened to bring back order and end the Cuban existence on the island. Numerous Caribbean countries experienced an economic depression in 2001-2002 due to slumps in the tourism and farming sectors, although the majority of Caribbean economies have actually rebounded given wesley timeshare exit reviews that 2003.
economic recession and sluggish healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were harmed by a tropical storm in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors face unsure futures due to the European Union's strategy to phase out preferred market access from former Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline start in 2001, with political instability exacerbating currently hard economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The strongest performing economies in the last few years have been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the apparel sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with considerable energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the area's greatest economic entertainers balancing growth rates over 5% for those two years, were Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts, read more St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Those countries not prospering in 2004 because of ravaging hurricanes and hurricanes consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease of 3%. For 2005, nevertheless, Grenada's economy rebounded with growth over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, economic growth has been stagnant or very little over the past numerous years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% due to the fact that of high oil prices and floods, which early in the year severely impacted agriculture and mining activities.
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However, some observers have actually likewise been worried about the region's high level of public financial obligation, with several Caribbean countries having financial obligation levels that exceed 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and include economic, political, and security issues. During the Cold War, security concerns tended to eclipse other policy interests. In the consequences of the Cold War, other U.S. policy interests emerged from the shadow of the East-West dispute in the Caribbean that concentrated on issues about the Soviet and Cuban risk. U.S. policy priorities moved from one stressing security issues to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "third border," with occasions in the area having a direct impact on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean countries as "crucial partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric problems." The United States has close relations with a lot of Caribbean nations, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by comprehensive financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a large U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a range of projects to reinforce democracy, promote economic development and advancement, ease hardship, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the area. Customs and Border Defense of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are recognized and examined at foreign ports prior to they are positioned on vessels for shipment to the United States. In September 2006, 3 Caribbean ports ended up being operational CSI ports: Caucedo, Dominican Republic; Kingston, Jamaica; and Freeport, Bahamas. Other Latin American ports in the CSI program are the Main American port of Puerto Cortes, Honduras, and the South American ports of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Santos, Brazil. In the 108th Congress, a legal initiative required additional foreign help in order to enhance foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was finished before the end of the session.
2279 (Hollings), in September 2004, which would have offered the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to recognize foreign support programs that might assist in execution of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign countries. The act likewise would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an assessment of the efficiency of the procedures utilized to better security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program changes needed to maximize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two bills would offer for foreign support programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Expense), presented April 11, 2005, would develop a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legislative effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign assistance programs that might assist in application of port security antiterrorism steps at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such assistance in consultation with the Company of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be required to send a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin countries. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to assist in execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign nations, with particular emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this bill was introduced May 17, 2005, and reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), introduced May 11, 2006. Increasing criminal activity is a major security challenge throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to skyrocket, with 1,445 individuals eliminated in 2004 and more than 1,600 people in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 residents in 2005, Jamaica had the highest murder rate on the planet. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were stunned over the brutal killings of six family members, consisting of 4 young kids in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent criminal offense, consisting of murder and kidnaping, likewise have plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, together with his two siblings and a security personnel, were shot and killed in an apparent break-in. Gangs associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal offense. Some observers believe that lawbreakers deported from the United States have added to the region's rise in violent criminal activity recently, although some https://www.facebook.com/wesleyfinancialgroup keep that there is no established link. Jamaica has advocated the development of a worldwide protocol concerning the deportation of criminals. A significant issue for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the increasing rate of oil and the potential effect of such rising prices on financial development and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas producer, accounting for 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the area. The country is likewise the biggest supplier of liquified natural gas (LNG) to the United States, accounting for 75% of all U.S. LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba also produces oil, however still imports a bulk of its intake needs. Barbados likewise produces a percentage of oil, which is improved in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil intake needs. Venezuela is now providing oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a new program referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
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Given that 1980, Caribbean nations have actually taken advantage of preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and considering that 2001, Venezuela has supplied additional support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go even more with the objective of putting in location a regional supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and developing a development fund for those nations participating in the program. How to finance building a home. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would supply 190,000 barrels per day of oil to the region, with nations paying market costs for 50% of the oil within 90 days, and the balance paid over 25 years at an annual rate of 2%.
To date, 14 Caribbean nations are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which already gets reduced petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually declined to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has actually decreased to sign. (For additional details, see CRS Report RL33693, Latin America: Energy Supply, Political Advancements, and U.S. Policy Approaches, by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed]) The AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean, where infection rates are among the highest exterior of sub-Saharan Africa, has currently started to have unfavorable consequences for financial and social development in the region. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 grownups and kids in the Caribbean were reported to be coping with HIV, with the epidemic claiming 24,000 lives throughout the year, making it the leading cause of death amongst grownups aged 15-44 years.