The area 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 countries of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north central coast of South America. Numerous countries in the region share a common African ethnic and British colonial heritage, while Cuba and the Dominican Republic were Spanish colonies, Haiti was French, and Suriname was Dutch. The dates of independence of these nations range from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The biggest nations in terms of acreage are Guyana and Suriname, while those with the largest populations are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Politically, all Caribbean countries, with the exception of communist Cuba, have chosen democratic federal governments. Many of the former 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 terms of regional integration, 14 of the region's independent nations come from the Caribbean Neighborhood (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 regional financial groupings, however progress has actually been made in moving towards a single economic market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS countries likewise share a typical currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with monetary policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic development and local integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have been the standard, and for the a lot of part have been totally free and reasonable. 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, but substantial issues and political instability resulted in those elections being delayed several times, until they were eventually held on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections ultimately were hung on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had expected. 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 countries have actually preserved long democratic traditions, 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 challenged elections; order was brought back with the help of security forces from neighboring states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot involving foreign mercenaries. And of course, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it presumed power in a nearly bloodless coup in 1979 and installed a people's revolutionary federal government. After the violent topple and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States stepped in to restore order and end the Cuban existence on the island. Lots of Caribbean countries experienced an economic depression in 2001-2002 due to slumps in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have actually rebounded since 2003.
economic recession and sluggish recovery. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a hurricane in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors face unpredictable futures due to the European Union's plan to phase out preferred market access from former Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline beginning in 2001, with political instability intensifying already challenging economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest carrying out economies over the last few years have been those of the Dominican Republic, fueled by the clothing sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with significant energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the area's strongest financial performers averaging growth rates over 5% for those two 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 ravaging typhoons and tropical storms consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decline in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decline of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's growth was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has been stagnant or very little over the previous numerous years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% because of high oil prices and floods, which early in the year significantly affected farming and mining activities.
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However, some observers have likewise been worried about the region's high level of public debt, with several Caribbean nations having financial obligation levels that go beyond 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean are varied, and consist of economic, political, and security issues. Throughout the Cold War, security issues tended to eclipse other policy interests. In the consequences of the Cold War, other U.S. policy interests emerged from the shadow of the https://apnews.com/Globe%20Newswire/36db734f7e481156db907555647cfd24 East-West dispute in the Caribbean that focused on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban risk. U.S. policy concerns shifted from one stressing security issues to a new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and financial investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration explains the Caribbean as America's "3rd border," with occasions in the region having a direct effect 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 issues." The United States has close relations with the majority of Caribbean nations, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is defined by substantial financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts wesley financial group las vegas and security, and a sizeable U.S. foreign support program supporting a range of jobs to reinforce democracy, promote economic growth and development, alleviate poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customs and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are identified and inspected at foreign ports before they are put on vessels for shipment to the United States. In September 2006, three Caribbean ports ended up being functional 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 called for extra foreign assistance in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, however no final action was finished prior to the end of the session.
2279 (Hollings), in September 2004, which would have attended to the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to identify foreign help programs that might assist in implementation of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries. The act also would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an evaluation of the efficiency of the measures employed to improved security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program changes needed to maximize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 costs would offer foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Expense), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Help Program. Under the legislative effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign support programs that could assist in execution of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such assistance in assessment with the Company of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be needed to send a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Enhancement Act of 2005, includes an arrangement (Section 504) that would develop a program to help with execution of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations, with particular focus on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this bill was presented 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. Rising crime is a major security challenge throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to skyrocket, with 1,445 people killed in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005, Jamaica had the highest murder rate in the world. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the brutal killings of six family members, consisting of four kids in the western part of the country. High levels of violent criminal offense, including murder and kidnaping, also have pestered Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, in addition to his 2 siblings and a security personnel, were shot and eliminated in an obvious burglary. Gangs involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal activity. Some observers believe that lawbreakers deported from the United States have contributed to the region's rise in violent criminal activity over the last few years, although some maintain that there is no established link. Jamaica has promoted the advancement of a global procedure relating to the deportation of wrongdoers. A significant concern for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the increasing price of oil and the prospective effect of such increasing prices on financial development and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas producer, accounting for 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the area. The country is likewise the largest 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 requires. Barbados also produces a little amount of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil intake requirements. Venezuela is now providing oil to Caribbean nations on preferential terms in a new program referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been Learn more some U.S.
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Considering that 1980, Caribbean nations have actually benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and considering that 2001, Venezuela has supplied extra support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go even more with the goal of putting in place a regional supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and developing an advancement fund for those nations getting involved in the program. What does finance a car mean. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would provide 190,000 barrels each day 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 a yearly rate of 2%.
To date, 14 Caribbean nations are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which already receives reduced petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually decreased to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has actually decreased to sign. (For additional information, see CRS Report RL33693, Latin America: Energy Supply, Political Developments, 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 begun to have negative effects for economic and social advancement in the area. In 2005, an approximated 300,000 adults and kids in the Caribbean were reported to be living with HIV, with the epidemic claiming 24,000 lives during the year, making it the leading cause of death among grownups aged 15-44 years.