The area includes 13 island countries, 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, situated on the north central coast of South America. Lots of nations in the region share a typical 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 countries vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest countries in terms of land location 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 actually elected democratic federal governments. The majority of the previous British nests 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 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 spur local economic integration. Some critics argue that it has actually been slow to promote combination, compared to other regional financial groupings, however development has actually been made in moving toward a single economic market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations likewise share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with monetary policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic advancement and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have been the norm, and for the most 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 expected to hold elections in 2005, however 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 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 federal government.) Although lots of Caribbean nations have actually preserved 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 challenged elections; order was brought back with the help of security forces from surrounding states.
Previously in the 1980s, the 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 assumed power in an almost 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. Numerous Caribbean countries experienced an economic downturn in 2001-2002 due to recessions in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although many Caribbean economies have actually rebounded given that 2003.
economic recession and sluggish healing. 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 unsure futures because of the European Union's strategy to phase out favored market gain access to from previous Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline start in 2001, with political instability worsening already tough economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The strongest carrying out 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 strongest financial 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 due to the fact that of devastating typhoons and tropical storms consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with growth over 5%, while Haiti's growth was 1. 8%. In Guyana, economic development has website actually been stagnant or very little over the past numerous years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% since of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year significantly impacted farming and mining activities.
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However, some observers have actually also been concerned about the area's high level of public financial obligation, with a number of Caribbean nations having debt levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and consist of financial, political, and security concerns. Throughout the Cold War, security concerns tended to eclipse other policy interests. In the aftermath of the Cold War, other U.S. policy interests emerged from the shadow of the East-West dispute in the Caribbean that focused on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban risk. U.S. policy concerns moved from one highlighting security concerns 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 events in the region having a direct effect on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean countries as "vital partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric concerns." 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 sizeable U.S. foreign help program supporting a variety of tasks to enhance democracy, promote financial development and development, relieve poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Custom-mades and Border Defense of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists guarantee that high-risk containers are determined and examined at foreign ports before they are put on vessels for delivery 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 legislative effort called for additional foreign help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, however no last action was completed 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 recognize foreign assistance programs that could facilitate application of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations. The act likewise would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an assessment of the effectiveness of the measures employed to improved security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program modifications required to take full advantage of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two bills 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 legal effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would recognize foreign help programs that might facilitate application of port security antiterrorism measures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such support 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 countries. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Improvement Act of 2005, consists of an arrangement (Area 504) that would develop a program to help with execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign nations, with particular emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this costs was introduced May 17, 2005, and reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transport on February 27, 2006 Check out this site (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), introduced May 11, 2006. Increasing crime is a significant security obstacle throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 individuals killed in 2004 and more than 1,600 people in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005, Jamaica had the greatest murder rate on the planet. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the brutal killings of six relative, consisting of four children in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent crime, including murder and kidnaping, also have actually plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, in addition to his 2 brother or sisters and a guard, were shot and killed in an obvious break-in. Gangs included in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are responsible for much of the criminal activity. Some observers believe that wrongdoers deported from the United States have actually contributed to the region's rise in violent criminal activity in recent years, although some keep that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has advocated the development of a global procedure concerning the deportation of wrongdoers. A significant issue for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the rising price of oil and the possible impact of such increasing rates on economic development and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas producer, representing 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the region. The country is also the biggest supplier of liquified natural gas (LNG) to the United States, representing 75% of all U.S. LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba also produces oil, but still imports a majority of its usage needs. Barbados also produces a little quantity of oil, which is refined in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil intake requirements. Venezuela is now offering oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a brand-new program called Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Considering that 1980, Caribbean countries have actually taken advantage of preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and given that 2001, Venezuela has actually provided extra support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go even more with the goal of putting in location a local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing a development fund for those nations participating in the program. How to find the finance charge. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would supply 190,000 barrels per day of oil to the region, with countries paying market costs 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 currently receives discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has decreased to sign the agreement, and Trinidad, which has its own considerable energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For extra details, 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 https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/category/news/record-numbers-of-consumers-continue-to-ask-wesley-financial-group-to-assist-in-timeshare-debt-relief/ greatest exterior of sub-Saharan Africa, has actually already started to have negative repercussions for financial and social advancement in the region. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 grownups and kids in the Caribbean were reported to be dealing 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.