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 main coast of South America. Numerous nations in the area 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 self-reliance 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 nations, with the exception of communist Cuba, have elected democratic federal governments. Many of the former 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 regards to 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 stimulate local economic combination. Some critics argue that it has been slow to promote combination, compared to other local financial groupings, however development has actually been made in approaching a single economic market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The six OECS countries likewise share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with monetary policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Advancement Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial advancement and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have been the standard, and for the many part have been free and fair. 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 significant problems and political instability resulted in those elections being delayed several times, up until they were ultimately held on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections ultimately were hung on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had anticipated. 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 many Caribbean countries have actually preserved long democratic customs, they are not immune from terrorist and other risks to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent protests after contested elections; order was restored with the assistance of security forces from surrounding states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a bizarre coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And naturally, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it assumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and installed an individuals's advanced federal government. After the violent overthrow and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States intervened to restore order and end the Cuban presence on the island. Numerous Caribbean countries experienced an economic downturn in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although many Caribbean economies have rebounded given that 2003.
economic recession and sluggish recovery. 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 due to the European Union's plan to phase out preferred market access from previous Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline beginning in 2001, with political instability worsening currently tough financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The greatest performing economies in current years have 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 greatest 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 due to the fact that of ravaging hurricanes and tropical storms 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 growth over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has actually been stagnant or very little over the previous numerous years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year severely impacted farming and mining activities.
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However, some observers have also been concerned about the area's high level of public financial obligation, with several Caribbean nations having debt levels that exceed 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean are varied, and consist of financial, 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 focused on issues about the Soviet and Cuban hazard. U.S. policy priorities shifted from one highlighting security issues to a new focus on strengthened financial relations through trade and financial investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes 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 explains Caribbean countries as "essential partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric concerns." The United States has close relations with most 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 large U.S. foreign help program supporting a variety of jobs to strengthen democracy, promote financial growth and advancement, minimize hardship, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Custom-mades and Border Defense of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps ensure that high-risk containers are determined and inspected at foreign ports prior to they are put on vessels for delivery to the wesley financial group franklin tn United States. In September 2006, 3 Caribbean timeshare unit 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 initiative called for additional foreign help in order to enhance foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was completed prior to completion 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 determine foreign support programs that could help with execution of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign countries. The act likewise would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an evaluation of the efficiency of the procedures used to improved security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program modifications required to maximize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two costs would provide for foreign assistance programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), presented April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legal initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would determine foreign support programs that could facilitate implementation of port security antiterrorism steps at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such help 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 a provision (Area 504) that would establish a program to assist in execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign nations, with specific emphasis 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 significant security obstacle throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to skyrocket, with 1,445 people killed 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 surprised over the brutal killings of six relative, consisting of 4 children in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent crime, consisting of murder and kidnaping, also have plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, in addition to his 2 brother or sisters and a security personnel, were shot and eliminated in an evident burglary. Gangs associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal offense. Some observers think that crooks deported from the United States have actually added to the region's rise in violent criminal offense recently, although some preserve that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has promoted the development of an international procedure concerning the deportation of crooks. A significant concern for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the increasing rate of oil and the potential result of such increasing costs on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas manufacturer, representing 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the area. The nation is likewise the largest provider 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 amount of oil, which is refined in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil consumption needs. Venezuela is now offering oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a brand-new program referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has 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 since 2001, Venezuela has provided additional assistance for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go further with the objective of putting in location a local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and developing an advancement fund for those countries participating in the program. What is a note in finance. Under the program, Venezuela revealed 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 an annual rate of 2%.
To date, 14 Caribbean nations are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently gets reduced petroleum rates from Trinidad, has decreased to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has wesley finance actually declined to sign. (For extra 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 among the greatest outside of sub-Saharan Africa, has already begun to have unfavorable consequences for financial and social advancement in the region. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 adults and children in the Caribbean were reported to be living 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.