The region consists of 13 island countries, from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad Visit this website 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. Lots of 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 independence of these nations range from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The biggest countries in regards to land location 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 federal governments. Many of the former British nests have parliamentary forms of government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In regards to local integration, 14 of the area'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 spur local financial integration. Some critics argue that it has actually been slow to promote integration, compared to other local economic groupings, however progress has been made in approaching a single economic market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS countries likewise share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with monetary policy managed by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic advancement and local integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have actually been the standard, and for the many part have been totally 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 considerable problems and political instability led to those elections being held off a number of times, up until they were eventually hung on February 7, 2006.
Effective 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 lots of Caribbean nations have actually maintained 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 disputed elections; order was brought back with the assistance of security forces from neighboring 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 installed a people's innovative 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. Many Caribbean nations experienced an economic depression in 2001-2002 due to slumps in the tourist and agriculture sectors, although most Caribbean economies have actually rebounded since 2003.
financial recession and sluggish recovery. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a hurricane in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors deal with unsure futures because 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 decline start in 2001, with political instability worsening currently tough financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The greatest carrying out 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 financial performers averaging growth rates over 5% for those 2 years, were Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, St. the wesley company Kitts, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Those countries not prospering in 2004 since of ravaging typhoons and hurricanes included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decline 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 growth was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has actually been stagnant or minimal over the past numerous years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% since of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year badly impacted farming and mining activities.
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Nonetheless, some observers have actually likewise been worried about the region's high level of public debt, with several Caribbean countries having financial obligation levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean are diverse, and include financial, political, and security issues. Throughout the Cold War, security concerns 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 conflict in the Caribbean that focused on issues about the Soviet and Cuban danger. U.S. policy concerns moved from one stressing security issues to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and financial investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "3rd border," with events in the region having a direct effect on the homeland security of the United States. It explains Caribbean countries as "important partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, local democracy, and other hemispheric issues." The United States has close relations with most Caribbean nations, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by extensive financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a significant U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a variety of tasks to reinforce democracy, promote economic growth and development, alleviate hardship, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the area. Custom-mades and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are determined and inspected at foreign ports before they are put on vessels for delivery to the United States. In September 2006, 3 Caribbean ports became 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 legislative initiative called for extra foreign assistance in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, however no last action was completed 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 identify foreign support programs that could facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign countries. The act likewise would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an evaluation of the efficiency of the measures employed to better security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program changes needed to take full advantage of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two costs would attend to foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), introduced April 11, 2005, would develop 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 identify foreign assistance programs that could assist in execution of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such assistance 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 Transport Security Improvement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would establish a program to facilitate application of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign nations, with specific emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this expense was introduced 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. Rising criminal activity is a significant security difficulty throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 people killed in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005, Jamaica had the greatest murder rate worldwide. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the brutal killings of six household members, consisting of four young children in the western part of the country. High levels of violent crime, including murder and kidnaping, likewise have plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, in addition to his two siblings and a security personnel, were shot and eliminated in an apparent break-in. Gangs associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are responsible for much of the criminal activity. Some observers think that bad guys deported from the United States have actually contributed to the region's surge in violent criminal offense over the last few years, although some preserve that there is no established link. Jamaica has promoted the development of an international protocol relating to the deportation of bad guys. A major issue for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the rising cost of oil and the prospective impact of such increasing costs on economic development and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas manufacturer, accounting for 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the region. The country is likewise the largest provider of liquified gas (LNG) to the United States, representing 75% of all U.S. LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba likewise produces oil, but still imports a majority of its usage requires. Barbados likewise produces a little quantity of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil usage requirements. Venezuela is now providing https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wesley-financial-group-sees-increase-150000858.html oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a new program referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
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Considering that 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 actually provided additional support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go even more with the goal of putting in location a regional supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing a development fund for those nations taking part in the program. What do you need to finance a car. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would provide 190,000 barrels per day of oil to the area, with countries paying market prices 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 countries are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently receives discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually decreased to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own significant energy resources, has actually decreased 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 among the highest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has actually currently begun to have unfavorable effects for financial and social development in the region. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 adults and kids in the Caribbean were reported to be coping with HIV, with the epidemic declaring 24,000 lives throughout the year, making it the leading cause of death among adults aged 15-44 years.