The area consists of 13 island countries, from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south; Belize, which is geographically located in Central America; and the two nations of Guyana and Suriname, situated 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 colonies, 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 largest countries in terms of land area 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 federal governments. Most of the previous British colonies have parliamentary kinds of federal government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In regards to local combination, 14 of the region's independent nations 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 local financial integration. Some critics argue that it has been slow to promote integration, compared to other local financial groupings, but progress has been made in moving towards a single financial market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations also share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with financial policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Advancement Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial development and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have been the norm, and for the a lot of part have been free 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 substantial problems and political instability led to those elections being held off numerous times, till they were eventually held on February 7, 2006.
Effective elections ultimately were held 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 federal government.) Although many Caribbean nations have actually maintained 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.
Earlier in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a bizarre coup plot involving foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic norm after it assumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and set up an individuals's revolutionary government. After the violent overthrow and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States stepped in to restore order and end the Cuban existence on the island. Numerous Caribbean nations experienced an economic depression in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourism and farming sectors, although the majority of Caribbean economies have rebounded given that 2003.
financial 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 deal with unpredictable futures due to the European Union's plan to phase out favored market access from former Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decrease start in 2001, with political instability intensifying already difficult financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest carrying out economies recently have actually been those of the Dominican Republic, fueled by the apparel sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with substantial energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the area's greatest economic performers averaging 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 ravaging typhoons and hurricanes included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gross domestic item (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decline of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, economic development has actually been stagnant or very Check out the post right here little 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 agriculture and mining activities.
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However, some observers have actually likewise been concerned about the area's high level of public debt, with a number of Caribbean nations having financial obligation levels that exceed 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean are varied, and include timeshare floating week explanation economic, 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 concentrated on issues about the Soviet and Cuban threat. U.S. policy top priorities shifted from one highlighting security concerns to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened financial relations through trade and investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration explains the Caribbean as America's "3rd border," with events in the area having a direct effect on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean nations as "vital partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, local democracy, and other hemispheric problems." 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 comprehensive financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a considerable U.S. foreign help program supporting a range of tasks to strengthen democracy, promote financial development and development, reduce 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 checked at foreign ports prior to they are put on vessels for shipment to the United States. In September 2006, 3 Caribbean 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 legislative effort required additional foreign assistance in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, but 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 recognize foreign assistance programs that could help with implementation of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations. 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 measures used to better security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program changes needed to make the most of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 costs would attend to foreign assistance programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), introduced April 11, 2005, would develop a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legal initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign help programs that might assist in execution of port security antiterrorism measures 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 required 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, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to facilitate application of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign nations, with particular emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this bill was introduced 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. Rising crime is a major 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 people 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 surprised over the brutal killings of six member of the family, consisting of 4 kids in the western part of the country. High levels of violent criminal offense, consisting of murder and kidnaping, also have pestered Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, together with his 2 brother or sisters and a guard, were shot and killed in an apparent burglary. Gangs included in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the crime. Some observers think that bad guys deported from the United States have actually added to the region's surge in violent criminal activity recently, although some preserve that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has promoted the advancement of a global protocol regarding the deportation of wrongdoers. A major concern for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the increasing rate of oil and the potential effect of such increasing rates on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, only Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas manufacturer, accounting for 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the region. The nation is also the biggest provider of liquified 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 bulk of its usage 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 brand-new program referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
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Because 1980, Caribbean nations have actually gained from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and since 2001, Venezuela has actually supplied extra support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go further with the objective of putting in place a local supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and establishing an advancement fund for those countries taking part in the program. What is a swap in finance. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would provide Helpful hints 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the area, 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 nations are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently receives discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually decreased to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has 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 amongst the greatest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has currently begun to have negative repercussions for financial and social advancement in the area. In 2005, an approximated 300,000 grownups and kids in the Caribbean were reported to be living with HIV, with the epidemic claiming 24,000 lives during the year, making it the leading cause of death among grownups aged 15-44 years.