The region includes 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 two nations of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north central coast of South America. Numerous nations in the region share a common 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 countries range 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 largest populations are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Politically, all Caribbean nations, with the exception of communist Cuba, have elected democratic governments. Many of the former British nests have parliamentary kinds of federal government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In terms of local combination, 14 of the region's independent countries belong to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with the exception of the Dominican Republic (which has observer status) and Cuba. CARICOM was formed in 1973 to stimulate regional economic combination. Some critics argue that it has been slow to promote integration, compared to other local financial groupings, however progress has been made in approaching a single economic market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations also 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 financial development and regional integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have been the norm, and for the most part have been totally free and reasonable. In 2005, Dominica and Suriname held elections in May, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines held elections in December. Haiti was expected to hold elections in 2005, however substantial issues and political instability led to those elections being delayed numerous times, up until they were eventually hung on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections ultimately were held on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had actually 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 federal government.) Although lots of Caribbean countries have maintained long democratic customs, they are not immune from terrorist and other hazards to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent protests after disputed elections; order was brought back 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 of course, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic norm after it presumed power in a nearly bloodless coup in 1979 and set up a people's advanced 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. Many Caribbean countries experienced an economic depression in 2001-2002 due to recessions in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have rebounded considering that 2003.
economic recession and slow healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a tropical storm in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors deal with unpredictable futures due to the European Union's strategy to phase out favored market gain access to from former Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline beginning in 2001, with political instability exacerbating currently hard economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The strongest performing economies recently have actually been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the apparel sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with substantial energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the area's greatest economic entertainers averaging 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 faring well in 2004 due to the fact that of ravaging hurricanes and tropical storms included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gross domestic item (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease 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 actually been stagnant or minimal over the past several years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil prices and floods, which early in the year severely impacted agriculture and mining activities.
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Nevertheless, some observers have actually also been worried about the region's high level of public debt, with numerous Caribbean countries having financial obligation levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean are varied, and include financial, political, and security issues. During the Cold War, security issues tended to eclipse other policy interests. In the after-effects 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 threat. U.S. policy top priorities moved from one emphasizing security issues to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened financial relations through trade and financial investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "third border," with occasions in the area having a direct effect on the homeland security of the United States. It explains Caribbean nations as "vital partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric problems." 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 comprehensive economic linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a large U.S. foreign help program supporting a range of projects to strengthen democracy, promote financial development and advancement, ease hardship, and fight the AIDS epidemic in the region. Custom-mades and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists ensure that high-risk containers are recognized 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 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 called for extra foreign help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was finished prior to completion 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 determine foreign help programs that could assist in execution of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign countries. The act also would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an assessment of the effectiveness of the steps employed to improved security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program modifications required to maximize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two expenses would offer foreign support programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Costs), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Assistance Program. Under the legal effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign assistance programs that could assist in application of port security antiterrorism measures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such assistance in consultation with the Organization of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be required to submit a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transportation Security Enhancement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Section 504) that would establish a program to facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries, 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 Transport on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), presented May 11, 2006. Rising criminal offense is a significant security obstacle throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 individuals eliminated in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 residents in 2005, Jamaica had the greatest murder rate on the planet. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were surprised over the ruthless killings of 6 member of the family, including 4 young children in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent crime, consisting of murder and kidnaping, likewise have actually afflicted Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, along with his two brother or sisters and a security guard, were shot and eliminated in an evident robbery. Gangs included in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the crime. Some observers believe that lawbreakers deported from the United States have actually contributed to the region's surge in violent criminal activity in recent years, although some maintain that there is no established link. Jamaica has promoted the advancement of a worldwide protocol relating to the deportation of bad guys. A significant issue for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the increasing cost of oil and the potential result of such rising prices on economic 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% timeshare buyers remorse of natural gas reserves in the region. The country is also the largest supplier of liquified gas (LNG) to the United States, representing 75% of all U.S. LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba also produces oil, however still imports a majority of its consumption requires. Barbados likewise produces a percentage of oil, which is refined in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil intake needs. Venezuela is now using oil to Caribbean nations on preferential terms in a new program called Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Because 1980, Caribbean countries have actually gained from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and given that 2001, Venezuela has provided extra support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go further with the goal of putting in place a regional supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and establishing a development fund for those nations taking part in the program. What is a note in finance. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would supply 190,000 barrels per day of oil to the area, with countries 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. https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/c/meet-the-2020-best-places-to-work/12253/wesley-financial-group-llc.html Barbados, which currently receives discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has declined to sign the agreement, and Trinidad, which has its own considerable energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For additional info, 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 Additional hints greatest exterior of sub-Saharan Africa, has actually already started to have unfavorable 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 declaring 24,000 lives throughout the year, making it the leading cause of death amongst adults aged 15-44 years.