The region 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 central coast of South America. Lots of countries in the area 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 self-reliance of these nations range from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest nations 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 governments. The majority of the former British nests 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 area'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 local economic integration. Some critics argue that it has been sluggish to promote combination, compared to other regional economic groupings, however development has actually been made in approaching a single economic market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations also share a typical currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with financial policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic advancement and local integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular 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 anticipated to hold elections in 2005, but considerable problems and political instability resulted in those elections being held off a number of times, till they were ultimately held on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections ultimately were held on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had expected. 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 numerous Caribbean countries have actually kept long democratic customs, they are not immune from terrorist and other threats to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent protests after contested elections; order was brought back with the support of security forces from neighboring states.
Previously in the 1980s, the government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal 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 innovative government. After the violent overthrow and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States stepped in to restore order and end the Cuban presence on the island. Many Caribbean countries experienced a financial depression in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourist and farming sectors, although many Caribbean economies have rebounded given that 2003.
financial recession and slow 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 deal with unsure futures due to the European Union's strategy to phase out favored market gain access to from former Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decrease start in 2001, with political instability exacerbating currently difficult financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest performing economies recently have been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the clothing sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with considerable energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the region's greatest economic performers averaging 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 since of ravaging typhoons and hurricanes included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decline in gross domestic item (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's growth was 1. 8%. In Guyana, economic growth has been stagnant or very little over the past several years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% because of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year seriously affected agriculture and mining activities.
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However, some observers have actually also been concerned about the region's high level of public financial obligation, with numerous Caribbean countries having debt levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean are diverse, and include financial, political, and security issues. During the Cold War, security issues 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 conflict in the Caribbean that focused on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban danger. U.S. policy top priorities moved from one emphasizing security concerns to a new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and financial investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "third border," with occasions in the region having a direct impact 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 More help 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 characterized by substantial financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a considerable U.S. foreign support program supporting a range of projects to reinforce democracy, promote financial development and development, relieve poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists make sure that high-risk containers are determined and examined at foreign ports before they are put on vessels for delivery to the United States. In September 2006, 3 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 effort required additional foreign help in order to enhance foreign port security worldwide, however no final 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 determine foreign help programs that might facilitate application of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries. The act likewise would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an assessment of the effectiveness of the measures used to improved security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program modifications needed 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, Expense), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Go to this website 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 recognize foreign support programs that might help with execution of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such assistance in assessment with the Organization of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be required to submit a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin how much does wesley financial charge nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Improvement Act of 2005, consists of an arrangement (Area 504) that would develop 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. Increasing crime is a significant security obstacle throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 individuals eliminated 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 shocked over the brutal killings of six relative, including 4 young kids in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent crime, consisting of murder and kidnaping, also have afflicted Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, along with his two brother or sisters and a guard, were shot and killed in an evident robbery. Gangs included in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are responsible for much of the criminal activity. Some observers think that crooks deported from the United States have contributed to the area's surge in violent criminal offense recently, although some maintain that there is no established link. Jamaica has actually promoted the advancement of a worldwide protocol concerning the deportation of lawbreakers. A significant issue for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the rising price of oil and the potential result of such rising rates on financial growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas producer, representing 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the area. The country is also 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, however still imports a majority of its intake needs. Barbados likewise produces a small quantity of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil usage needs. Venezuela is now providing oil to Caribbean nations on preferential terms in a new program referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
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Because 1980, Caribbean countries have taken advantage of preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and considering that 2001, Venezuela has offered additional 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 transportation and storage network, and establishing an advancement fund for those countries participating in the program. What was the reconstruction finance corporation. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would provide 190,000 barrels per day 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 countries are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which already gets affordable petroleum rates from Trinidad, has decreased to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has actually decreased to sign. (For extra details, 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 among the greatest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has actually currently begun to have negative repercussions for financial and social development in the area. In 2005, an approximated 300,000 grownups and children 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 amongst adults aged 15-44 years.