The area 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 nations of Guyana and Suriname, situated on the north main coast of South America. Numerous countries in the region share a typical 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 countries range from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest nations in regards to land location are Guyana and Suriname, while those with the biggest populations are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Politically, all Caribbean countries, with the exception of communist Cuba, have actually chosen democratic governments. Most of the former British colonies 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 area'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 stimulate regional financial integration. Some critics argue that it has actually been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other local financial groupings, but progress has actually been made in moving towards a single financial market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS countries likewise share a typical currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with financial policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Advancement Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic advancement and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have actually been the standard, and for the most part have been complimentary and reasonable. 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 issues and political instability resulted in those elections being delayed a number of times, until they were eventually hung on February 7, 2006.
Effective elections eventually 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 risks to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent protests after challenged elections; order was brought back with the support 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 involving foreign mercenaries. And naturally, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic norm after it presumed power in a nearly bloodless coup in 1979 and set up a people's advanced government. After the violent overthrow and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States intervened to bring back order and end the Cuban existence on the island. Many Caribbean countries experienced a financial downturn in 2001-2002 due to slumps in the tourist and farming sectors, although most Caribbean economies have actually 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 dry spell in 2003. Both sectors face unsure futures because of the European Union's strategy to phase out preferred market gain access to from former Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline start in 2001, with political instability worsening already challenging financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The strongest carrying out economies over the last few years have actually been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the clothing sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with considerable energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the area's strongest economic entertainers 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 faring well in 2004 due to the fact that of devastating cyclones and tropical storms consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gross domestic item (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with growth over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has actually been stagnant or minimal over the previous several years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil rates and floods, which early in the year seriously impacted farming and mining activities.
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Nevertheless, some observers have actually also been worried about the region's high level of public financial obligation, with several 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. Throughout the Cold War, security issues 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 dispute in the Caribbean that concentrated on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban risk. U.S. policy priorities moved from one stressing security concerns robin mcvey to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and financial investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration explains the Caribbean as America's "third border," with events in the area having a direct influence 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 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 identified by substantial financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a significant U.S. foreign help program supporting a range of jobs to strengthen democracy, promote financial growth and development, ease poverty, and fight the AIDS epidemic in the region. Custom-mades and Border Defense of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are determined and inspected at foreign ports prior to they are put on vessels for shipment to the United States. In September 2006, three Caribbean ports ended up being functional 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 extra foreign help 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 assistance programs that could facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations. The act also would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an evaluation of the efficiency of the measures employed to better security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program modifications required to optimize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 expenses would supply for foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legal effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would determine foreign assistance programs that could help with implementation of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such support 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 Transportation Security Enhancement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to help with implementation of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations, with particular emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this costs was introduced May 17, 2005, and reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transport on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), presented May 11, 2006. Increasing crime is a significant security difficulty throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to skyrocket, with 1,445 individuals eliminated in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 residents in 2005, Jamaica had the greatest murder rate in the world. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were surprised over the brutal killings of six relative, including 4 kids in the western part alternatives to timeshares of the nation. High levels of violent crime, consisting of how much does wesley financial cost murder and kidnaping, also have afflicted Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, together with his two brother or sisters and a guard, were shot and eliminated in an apparent break-in. Gangs involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal activity. Some observers think that crooks deported from the United States have added to the area's rise in violent crime recently, although some keep that there is no established link. Jamaica has actually advocated the advancement of a worldwide procedure concerning the deportation of criminals. A significant concern for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the rising price of oil and the prospective result of such rising costs on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, only Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas manufacturer, representing 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the area. The country 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 likewise produces oil, however still imports a bulk of its intake needs. Barbados likewise produces a percentage of oil, which is refined in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil usage needs. Venezuela is now offering oil to Caribbean nations on preferential terms in a new program understood as Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Given that 1980, Caribbean countries have actually benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and since 2001, Venezuela has actually provided additional assistance for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go further with the goal of putting in location a regional supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and establishing a development fund for those nations getting involved in the program. What happened to yahoo finance portfolios. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would supply 190,000 barrels each day of oil to the area, with nations 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 gets reduced petroleum rates from Trinidad, has decreased to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own significant energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For extra 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 amongst the highest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has already started to have negative consequences for economic and social development in the area. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 grownups and children in the Caribbean were reported to be coping with HIV, with the epidemic claiming 24,000 lives during the year, making it the leading cause of death among adults aged 15-44 years.