The region consists of 13 island nations, from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south; Belize, which is geographically situated in Central America; and the 2 countries of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north central coast of South America. Lots of countries in the region 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 independence of these countries vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest countries in regards to 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 federal governments. The majority of the previous British colonies have parliamentary forms of federal government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In regards to regional integration, 14 of the region's independent nations belong to the Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM), with the exception of the Dominican Republic (which has observer status) and Cuba. CARICOM was formed in 1973 to spur regional financial integration. Some critics argue that it has been slow to promote integration, compared to other regional economic groupings, but development has actually been made in moving towards a single economic market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The six OECS countries likewise share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with financial policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic development and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have actually been the norm, and for the many part have actually been complimentary and fair. In 2005, Dominica and Suriname held elections in Might, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines held elections in December. Haiti was anticipated to hold elections in 2005, however significant issues and political instability led to those elections being delayed numerous times, up until they were ultimately hung on February 7, 2006.
Effective elections eventually were hung on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had actually prepared for. 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 government.) Although numerous Caribbean nations have actually preserved long democratic traditions, they are not immune from terrorist and other risks 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.
Previously in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a bizarre coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic norm after it assumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and set up an individuals's innovative federal government. After the violent topple and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States intervened to restore order and end the Cuban existence on the island. Lots of Caribbean nations experienced an economic depression in 2001-2002 due to declines in the tourist and agriculture sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have rebounded given that 2003.
financial recession and slow healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were harmed by a hurricane in 2002 and a drought in 2003. Both sectors deal with uncertain futures because of the European Union's strategy to phase out favored market gain access to from former Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline beginning in 2001, with political instability intensifying currently tough economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest performing economies recently have actually been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the apparel sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with significant energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the region's strongest economic performers balancing development rates over 5% for those 2 years, were Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Those nations not prospering in 2004 because of devastating cyclones and hurricanes consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decline in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decline of 3%. For 2005, nevertheless, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, economic growth has been stagnant or very little over the past a number of years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% due to the fact that of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year badly affected farming and mining activities.
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Nonetheless, some observers have actually also been concerned about the area's high level of public debt, with a number of Caribbean countries having financial obligation levels that go beyond 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and include financial, 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 conflict in the Caribbean that concentrated on issues about the Soviet and Cuban hazard. U.S. policy top priorities shifted 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 events in the area having a direct effect on the homeland security of the United States. It explains Caribbean countries as "crucial partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric issues." The United States has close relations with the majority of Caribbean countries, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by substantial financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a large U.S. foreign help program supporting a variety of projects to strengthen democracy, promote financial growth and development, alleviate hardship, and fight 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 determined and examined at foreign ports before they are put on vessels for shipment to the United States. In September 2006, three Caribbean ports became operational CSI ports: Caucedo, Dominican Republic; Kingston, Jamaica; and Freeport, Bahamas. Other Latin American ports in the CSI program are the Central American port of Puerto Cortes, Honduras, and the South American ports of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Santos, Brazil. In the 108th Congress, a legal effort required extra foreign assistance in order to enhance foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was completed prior to completion of the session.
2279 (Hollings), https://www.dandb.com/businessdirectory/wesleyfinancialgroupllc-franklin-tn-88682275.html 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 help with implementation of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign nations. The act likewise would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an assessment of the effectiveness of the steps used to improved security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program changes required to maximize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 expenses would supply for foreign support programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Expense), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legislative effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would recognize foreign support programs that might help with implementation of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such assistance in consultation with the Organization of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be needed to submit a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin countries. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2005, consists of an arrangement (Section 504) that would develop a program to facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries, with specific emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this expense was introduced May 17, 2005, and reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), presented May 11, 2006. Rising criminal offense 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 shocked over the harsh killings of 6 relative, consisting of 4 children in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent criminal offense, including murder and kidnaping, likewise have actually pestered Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, along with his 2 siblings and a guard, were shot and killed in an apparent break-in. Gangs included in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the crime. Some observers believe that bad average timeshare maintenance fee guys deported from the United States have actually contributed to the area's surge in violent crime recently, although some preserve that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has promoted the advancement of a global protocol concerning the deportation of bad guys. A major issue for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the rising price of oil and the prospective effect of such rising costs on financial development and social stability.
Of these, only Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas producer, representing 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the region. The country is likewise the biggest provider of liquified gas (LNG) to the United States, accounting for 75% of all U.S. LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba likewise produces oil, but still imports a bulk of its usage needs. Barbados also produces a percentage of oil, which is improved in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil usage requirements. Venezuela is now offering oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a brand-new program called Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
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Since 1980, Caribbean nations have actually gained from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and considering that 2001, Venezuela has provided extra support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go further with the objective of putting in place a local supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and developing an advancement fund for those countries taking part in the program. What is a consumer finance account. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would supply 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the region, with nations paying market value 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 currently receives affordable petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually declined to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own significant energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For extra information, 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 amongst the greatest exterior of sub-Saharan Africa, has already started to have unfavorable repercussions for financial and social advancement in the area. In 2005, an approximated 300,000 adults and children in Discover more the Caribbean were reported to be dealing with HIV, with the epidemic claiming 24,000 lives throughout the year, making it the leading cause of death among adults aged 15-44 years.