The region includes 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, located on the north main coast of South America. Lots of 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 range from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The biggest nations in terms of acreage 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. The majority of the former British nests have parliamentary types of federal 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 area's independent nations come from 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 financial integration. Some critics argue that it has been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other local financial groupings, however development has actually been made in moving toward wesley financial group jobs a single financial market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The six OECS nations likewise share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with monetary policy managed by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial advancement and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have actually been the standard, and for the most part have actually been complimentary and reasonable. 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 issues and political instability led to those elections being held off numerous times, until they were eventually held on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections eventually were held 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 federal government.) Although many Caribbean countries have 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 demonstrations 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 strange coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it assumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and set up a people's revolutionary 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. Numerous Caribbean countries experienced a financial slump in 2001-2002 due to declines in the tourist timeshare foreclosures and farming sectors, although the majority of Caribbean economies have rebounded since 2003.
financial recession and slow healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a hurricane in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors face uncertain futures in light of the European Union's plan 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 decrease beginning in 2001, with political instability exacerbating already challenging economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The greatest performing economies in the last few 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 area's greatest financial 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 ravaging hurricanes and tropical storms included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gross domestic product (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decline of 3%. For 2005, nevertheless, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has been stagnant or minimal over the previous a number of years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% since of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year badly affected agriculture and mining activities.
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Nevertheless, some observers have also been worried about the region's high level of public financial obligation, with several Caribbean nations having debt levels that exceed 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean are varied, 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 conflict in the Caribbean that focused on issues about the Soviet and Cuban hazard. U.S. policy top priorities moved from one highlighting security concerns to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened financial relations through trade and financial investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration explains the Caribbean as America's "3rd border," with events in the region having a direct impact on the homeland security of the United States. It explains 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 nations, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is identified by substantial economic linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a large U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a variety of jobs to reinforce democracy, promote financial growth and advancement, ease poverty, and fight the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customizeds and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists guarantee that high-risk containers are recognized and examined at foreign ports before they are put on vessels for delivery 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 Main 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 required additional foreign help in order to enhance foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was finished prior to the end of the session.
2279 (Hollings), in September 2004, which would have provided for the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to recognize foreign support programs that might assist in execution of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign nations. The act likewise would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an evaluation of the efficiency of the steps used to better security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program changes required to take full advantage of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 bills would offer for foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Expense), introduced April 11, 2005, would develop a Caribbean Basin Port Assistance Program. Under the legal effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign help programs that might facilitate application of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such support in consultation with the Organization 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 nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Section 504) that would establish a program to facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries, with specific 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 criminal activity 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 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 residents in 2005, Jamaica had the highest murder rate worldwide. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the ruthless killings of 6 household members, consisting of four young kids in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent criminal offense, consisting of murder and kidnaping, also have actually 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 brother or sisters and a security guard, were shot and eliminated in an apparent burglary. Gangs involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal activity. Some observers believe that wrongdoers deported from the United States have contributed to the region's surge in violent crime over the last few years, although some preserve that there is no established link. Jamaica has actually advocated the advancement of a worldwide protocol concerning the deportation of lawbreakers. A significant concern for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the rising cost 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 producer, accounting for 60% wesley financial services of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the area. The nation is also the biggest provider of liquified natural 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 consumption needs. Barbados likewise produces a small amount of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil consumption 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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Considering that 1980, Caribbean countries have actually benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and because 2001, Venezuela has actually offered additional support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go further with the goal of putting in place a local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing an advancement fund for those nations taking part in the program. How do you finance a car. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would provide 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the area, with nations paying market prices 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 currently gets affordable petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually decreased to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own considerable energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For additional information, 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 exterior of sub-Saharan Africa, has already started to have negative effects for economic and social development in the area. In 2005, an approximated 300,000 grownups 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.