The region consists of 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 countries of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north main coast of South America. Numerous countries in the area 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 independence of these countries range from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The biggest nations in regards to land area 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 actually elected democratic governments. Most of the previous British colonies have parliamentary forms of government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In terms of regional combination, 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 spur local economic combination. Some critics argue that it has been slow to promote combination, compared to other regional economic groupings, but progress has been made in moving toward a single economic market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations 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 local integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have been the norm, and for the a lot of 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 anticipated to hold elections in 2005, but substantial issues and political instability led to those elections being postponed several times, until 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 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 federal government.) Although lots of Caribbean nations have actually kept long democratic traditions, they are not immune from terrorist and other hazards to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent demonstrations after disputed elections; order was restored with the support 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 naturally, 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 installed an individuals's innovative federal government. After the violent topple and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States stepped in to bring back order and end the Cuban presence on the island. Lots of Caribbean countries experienced a financial slump in 2001-2002 due to declines in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have rebounded given 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 drought in 2003. Both sectors face uncertain futures in light of the European Union's strategy to phase out favored market access from previous Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decrease beginning in 2001, with political instability exacerbating currently difficult economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The greatest carrying out economies in recent years have been those of the Dominican Republic, fueled by the garments sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with significant energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the area's strongest financial performers balancing 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 since of devastating typhoons and tropical storms included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decline of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with growth over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial growth has actually been stagnant or minimal over the previous numerous years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil rates and floods, which early in the year badly 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 diverse, and consist of economic, political, and security issues. During 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 East-West dispute in the Caribbean that concentrated on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban risk. U.S. policy concerns shifted from one highlighting security concerns to a new focus on strengthened economic relations through trade and investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration explains the Caribbean as America's "3rd border," with occasions in the area having a direct effect on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean countries as "essential partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, local democracy, and other hemispheric issues." The United States has close relations with a lot of Caribbean countries, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is defined by substantial financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a considerable U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a range of tasks to reinforce democracy, promote economic growth and development, ease hardship, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customs and Border Defense of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists make sure that high-risk containers are determined and examined at foreign ports prior to they are put on vessels for delivery 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 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 extra foreign support in order to enhance foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was completed 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 could facilitate application of port security antiterrorism measures 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 enhanced security at such Visit this page ports and an evaluation of the resources and westlake timeshare program modifications needed to take full advantage of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 costs would attend to foreign support programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Assistance Program. Under the legislative initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would determine foreign assistance programs that could assist in execution of port security antiterrorism steps at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such support in consultation with the Organization 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 default on timeshare Enhancement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to assist in implementation of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign nations, with particular emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this expense was presented May 17, 2005, and reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transport on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), introduced May 11, 2006. Increasing criminal offense is a significant security difficulty throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to skyrocket, with 1,445 people eliminated 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 stunned over the ruthless killings of six member of the family, consisting of 4 kids in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent criminal offense, consisting of murder and kidnaping, also have actually pestered Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, in addition to his two brother or sisters and a security personnel, were shot and killed in an obvious break-in. Gangs involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal offense. Some observers think that criminals deported from the United States have actually contributed to the region's rise in violent criminal offense in the last few years, although some maintain that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has actually advocated the development of an international procedure concerning the deportation of wrongdoers. A significant concern for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the increasing price of oil and the possible result of such rising prices on financial development and social stability.
Of these, only Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas producer, accounting for 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the region. The nation 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 majority of its consumption needs. Barbados also produces a percentage of oil, which is refined 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 brand-new program understood as Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
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Considering that 1980, Caribbean nations have benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and since 2001, Venezuela has offered extra assistance for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go further with the goal of putting in place a local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and developing a development fund for those countries taking part in the program. What is a finance charge on a credit card. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would provide 190,000 barrels each day of oil to the region, with countries 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 countries are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which already receives affordable petroleum rates from Trinidad, has declined to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has actually decreased to sign. (For additional info, 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 outside of sub-Saharan Africa, has actually currently begun to have unfavorable consequences for economic 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 declaring 24,000 lives during the year, making it the leading cause of death amongst adults aged 15-44 years.