The area consists of 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, situated on the north central coast of South America. Many countries in the region share a typical 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 nations vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The biggest nations 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 elected democratic governments. Many of the previous British nests have parliamentary kinds of government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In terms of local integration, 14 of the region's independent countries belong to the Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM), with the exception of the Dominican Republic (which has observer status) and Cuba. CARICOM was formed in 1973 to spur regional economic integration. Some critics argue that it has actually been slow to promote combination, compared to other local financial groupings, but progress has been made in approaching 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 financial policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic development and local combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have actually been the norm, 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 substantial problems and political instability led to those elections being delayed several times, until they were eventually hung on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections ultimately were hung on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had actually 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 government.) Although lots of Caribbean nations have actually maintained long democratic traditions, they are not immune from terrorist and other risks to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent demonstrations after contested elections; order was restored with the assistance of security forces from surrounding states.
Previously in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by an unusual coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic norm after it presumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and set up a people's innovative 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 nations experienced a financial slump in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although the majority of Caribbean economies have rebounded given that 2003.
financial recession and sluggish recovery. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a hurricane in 2002 and a drought in 2003. Both sectors deal with uncertain futures in light 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 beginning in 2001, with political instability exacerbating currently tough financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The greatest carrying out economies in recent years have actually 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 economic 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 countries not faring well in 2004 because of devastating cyclones and hurricanes consisted of Haiti, with a https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRFGul7bP0n0fmyxWz0YMAA 3. 5%% decrease in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease of 3%. For 2005, nevertheless, Grenada's economy rebounded with growth over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, economic development has been stagnant or very little over the previous several years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% since 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 actually likewise been concerned about the region's high level of public debt, with a number of Caribbean nations having debt levels that exceed 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and consist of economic, political, and security concerns. Throughout the Cold War, security concerns 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 hazard. U.S. policy concerns shifted from one emphasizing security concerns to a new focus on strengthened economic relations through trade and investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "3rd border," with occasions in the area having a direct influence on the homeland security of the United States. It explains Caribbean countries as "vital partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, local democracy, and other hemispheric concerns." The United States has close relations with most Caribbean nations, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is defined by substantial financial linkages, maintenance fees for timeshares cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a significant U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a range of projects to strengthen democracy, promote financial growth and development, ease hardship, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Custom-mades and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are recognized and inspected at foreign ports before they are placed on vessels for delivery to the United States. In September 2006, three Caribbean ports ended up being operational CSI ports: Additional resources 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 help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, however no last 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 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, consisting of an assessment of the effectiveness of the procedures utilized to enhanced 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, 2 bills would offer foreign assistance programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Costs), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legislative effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would determine foreign help programs that could help with application of port security antiterrorism measures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such support in consultation with the Company of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be needed 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, consists of an arrangement (Section 504) that would establish a program to assist in execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries, with specific focus on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this expense was presented May 17, 2005, and reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), presented May 11, 2006. Increasing criminal activity is a significant security challenge throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 individuals killed in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 occupants in 2005, Jamaica had the highest murder rate on the planet. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the ruthless killings of six family members, consisting of four young kids in the western part of the country. High levels of violent criminal offense, including murder and kidnaping, also have actually afflicted 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 siblings and a security personnel, were shot and killed in an obvious break-in. Gangs associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal offense. Some observers believe that wrongdoers deported from the United States have added to the region's surge in violent criminal activity over the last few years, although some maintain that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has actually advocated the advancement of an international procedure relating to the deportation of bad guys. A significant concern for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the rising rate of oil and the potential impact of such increasing prices on financial growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas manufacturer, representing 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the region. The country is also the largest supplier of liquified gas (LNG) to the United States, accounting for 75% of all U.S. LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba likewise produces oil, however still imports a bulk of its consumption needs. Barbados likewise produces a small amount of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil usage requirements. Venezuela is now using oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a new program called Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Given that 1980, Caribbean countries have gained from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and because 2001, Venezuela has actually supplied extra support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go further with the goal of putting in location a regional supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing an advancement fund for those countries getting involved in the program. What does ach stand for in finance. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would provide 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the area, with countries paying market rates 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 gets reduced petroleum rates from Trinidad, has declined to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own considerable energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For extra 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 amongst the highest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has already started to have negative consequences for economic and social development 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.