The region consists of 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 2 nations of Guyana and Suriname, situated on the north central coast of South America. Numerous countries in the region 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 countries vary 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 largest populations are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Politically, all Caribbean nations, with the exception of communist Cuba, have chosen democratic federal governments. Many of the previous British nests 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 local integration, 14 of the region'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 stimulate local economic integration. Some critics argue that it has actually been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other local economic groupings, however development has been made in moving toward a single economic market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS countries also share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with monetary policy managed by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Advancement Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial development and regional integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have actually been the standard, and for the most 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 expected to hold elections in 2005, but considerable problems and political instability resulted in those elections being held off numerous times, up until 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 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 nations have kept long democratic traditions, they are not immune from terrorist and other dangers to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent demonstrations after contested elections; order was restored with the assistance of security forces from surrounding states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot involving foreign mercenaries. And naturally, 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 installed an individuals's revolutionary government. After the violent overthrow and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States intervened to bring back order and end the Cuban presence on the island. Numerous Caribbean nations experienced an economic slump in 2001-2002 due to slumps in the tourism and farming sectors, although many Caribbean economies have rebounded because 2003.
economic recession and slow recovery. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were harmed by a hurricane in 2002 and a drought in 2003. Both sectors face unsure futures because of the European Union's plan to phase out preferred market gain access to from previous Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decrease start in 2001, with political instability exacerbating already hard economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest carrying out economies recently 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 greatest financial entertainers averaging development 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 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, economic growth has been stagnant or minimal over the previous a number of years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year severely affected agriculture and mining activities.
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Nevertheless, some observers have likewise been concerned about the region's high level of public debt, with numerous Caribbean nations having financial obligation levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and include financial, political, and security concerns. 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 dispute in the Caribbean that concentrated on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban hazard. U.S. policy top priorities shifted from one highlighting security issues to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration explains the Caribbean as America's "third border," with occasions in the area having a direct effect on the homeland security of the United States. It explains Caribbean countries as "vital partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric concerns." The United States has close relations with many 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 assistance program supporting a range of projects to reinforce democracy, promote economic development and development, ease poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the area. Customizeds and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists make sure that high-risk containers are identified and examined at foreign ports before they are positioned on vessels for delivery to the United States. In September 2006, three Caribbean ports ended up being 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 legal effort required extra foreign support in order to enhance 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 offered the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to determine foreign support programs that could facilitate implementation of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign countries. 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 modifications required to take full advantage of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 expenses would provide for foreign support programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Costs), presented April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Help Program. Under the legal initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign help programs that might help with application of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such assistance in assessment with the Company 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 nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Enhancement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to help with execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries, with specific emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this expense was presented May 17, 2005, and reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), introduced May 11, 2006. Increasing criminal offense 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 stunned over the harsh killings of six relative, consisting of four young kids in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent criminal offense, including murder and kidnaping, also have actually plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, along with his 2 brother or sisters and a security guard, were shot and eliminated in an evident burglary. Gangs included in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the crime. Some observers believe that wrongdoers deported from the United States have added to the area's surge in violent criminal offense in current years, although some preserve that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has advocated the advancement of a worldwide procedure regarding the deportation of bad guys. A significant concern for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the rising price of oil and the prospective result of such increasing rates on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas manufacturer, accounting for 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the area. The country is also the largest supplier 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 usage requires. Barbados also 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 offering oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a new program understood as Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Because 1980, Caribbean countries have actually Find more information gained from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and because 2001, Venezuela has provided additional support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go further with the objective of putting in location a local supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and establishing an advancement fund for those countries getting involved in the program. What are the two ways government can finance a budget deficit?. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would provide 190,000 barrels each day of oil to the area, with countries paying market rates 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 already gets discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually declined to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own significant energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For extra 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 among the highest exterior of sub-Saharan Africa, has actually currently started to have unfavorable consequences for economic and social development in the region. In 2005, an approximated 300,000 grownups and children in the Caribbean were reported to be coping with HIV, defaulting on timeshares with the epidemic claiming 24,000 lives during the year, making it chuck mcdowell net worth the leading cause of death amongst grownups aged 15-44 years.