The area 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, situated on the north main coast of South America. Many countries in the region share a common 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 countries 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 biggest populations are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Politically, all Caribbean nations, with the exception of communist Cuba, have actually chosen democratic federal governments. The majority of the former British colonies have parliamentary types of government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In terms of regional integration, 14 of the region's independent countries 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 local economic integration. Some critics argue that it has actually been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other local financial groupings, but progress has been made in moving toward 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 monetary policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Advancement Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial advancement and local integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have actually been the standard, and for the many part have actually been complimentary and fair. 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, however substantial problems and political instability led to those elections being postponed several times, till they were ultimately held on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections eventually were hung on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had actually 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 preserved long democratic customs, they are not immune from terrorist and other hazards to their political stability. In 1993, stability https://www.inhersight.com/companies/best/reviews/responsiveness?_n=112289636 on St. Kitts was threatened following violent protests after disputed elections; order was brought back with the help of security forces from surrounding states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot involving 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 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 restore order and end the Cuban presence on the island. Many Caribbean nations experienced an economic depression in 2001-2002 due to slumps in the tourist and agriculture sectors, although many Caribbean economies have actually rebounded considering 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 uncertain futures because of the European Union's strategy to phase out favored market gain access to from previous Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline beginning in 2001, with political instability intensifying currently challenging economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The greatest performing economies in the last few years have actually been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the garments sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with considerable energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the region's greatest economic performers balancing 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 prospering in 2004 due to the fact that of devastating typhoons and tropical storms consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease of 3%. For 2005, nevertheless, Grenada's economy rebounded with growth over 5%, while Haiti's growth was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has actually been stagnant or minimal over the past several years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% due to the fact that of high oil prices and floods, which early in the year badly impacted farming and mining activities.
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Nevertheless, some observers have also been concerned about the area's high level of public debt, with numerous Caribbean countries having debt levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and include 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 concerns about https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/20/02/p15374673/34-companies-named-2020-best-places-to-work the Soviet and Cuban threat. U.S. policy priorities moved from one highlighting security concerns to a new focus on strengthened economic relations through trade and 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 nations as "vital partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric problems." 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 characterized by extensive financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a large U.S. foreign help program supporting a range of projects to reinforce democracy, promote economic development and advancement, relieve poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customs and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists guarantee that high-risk containers are determined and inspected 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 called for extra foreign assistance in order to enhance foreign port security worldwide, however no last action was finished before the end of the session.
2279 (Hollings), in September 2004, which would have supplied for 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 procedures in foreign countries. The act also would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an assessment of the effectiveness of the procedures employed to improved security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program changes required to optimize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two costs would provide for foreign assistance programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), introduced April 11, 2005, would develop a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legislative initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign help programs that might assist in execution of port security antiterrorism steps at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such assistance in consultation with the Organization of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be needed to submit a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transportation Security Enhancement Act of 2005, includes an arrangement (Area 504) that would establish a program to facilitate application of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign countries, with specific focus on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this costs 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 difficulty throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to skyrocket, with 1,445 people 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 highest murder rate in the world. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the harsh killings of 6 member of the family, including 4 kids in the western part of the country. High levels of violent criminal activity, consisting of murder and kidnaping, likewise have actually plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, in addition to his 2 siblings and a guard, were shot and killed in an evident burglary. Gangs associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the crime. Some observers think that crooks deported from the United States have contributed to the region's surge in violent criminal offense over the last few years, although some keep that there is no established link. Jamaica has promoted the advancement of a worldwide protocol regarding the deportation of wrongdoers. A major issue for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the increasing price of oil and the prospective impact of such rising rates on financial growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas manufacturer, accounting for 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the region. The country is likewise the biggest provider of liquified natural gas (LNG) to the United States, accounting for 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 percentage of oil, which is improved in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil consumption needs. Venezuela is now using oil to Caribbean nations on preferential terms in a new program called Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
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Because 1980, Caribbean countries have actually gained from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and considering that 2001, Venezuela has actually offered additional assistance for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go further with the goal of putting in place a local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing a development fund for those countries taking part in the program. How to owner finance a home. Under the program, Venezuela announced 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 nations are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently receives reduced petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually decreased to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has decreased 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 exterior of sub-Saharan Africa, has currently begun to have negative repercussions for economic and social advancement in the region. In 2005, an approximated 300,000 adults and children in the Caribbean were reported to be living with HIV, the wesley company with the epidemic declaring 24,000 lives throughout the year, making it the leading cause of death amongst grownups aged 15-44 years.