The region includes 13 island countries, from floating weeks timeshare the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south; Belize, which is geographically situated in Central America; and the two countries of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north central coast of South America. Lots of 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 biggest nations in regards to acreage 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 elected democratic federal 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 terms of regional combination, 14 of the robin mcvey 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 stimulate regional economic combination. Some critics argue that it has actually been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other regional financial groupings, however progress has actually been made in approaching a single economic market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS countries also share a typical currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with financial policy managed by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial development and local combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have 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, however significant issues and political instability led to those elections being delayed several times, till they were ultimately held on February 7, 2006.
Effective elections ultimately were hung 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 kept 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 disputed elections; order was brought back with the help of security forces from surrounding states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by an unusual coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And of course, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it presumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and installed a people's advanced federal government. After the violent overthrow 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 nations experienced a financial depression in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourist and agriculture sectors, although the majority of Caribbean economies have rebounded because 2003.
financial recession and slow healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were harmed by a hurricane in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors deal with unpredictable futures due to the European Union's plan to phase out favored market gain access to from previous Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline start in 2001, with political instability intensifying currently tough economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest performing economies over the last few years have actually been those of the Dominican Republic, fueled by the apparel sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with considerable energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the region's greatest financial entertainers averaging 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 nations not faring well in 2004 since of ravaging hurricanes 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 development over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has been stagnant or minimal over the previous numerous years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil prices and floods, which early in the year seriously impacted farming and mining activities.
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Nonetheless, some observers have likewise been concerned about the area's high level of public debt, with several Caribbean countries having financial obligation levels that exceed 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and consist of financial, political, and security issues. Throughout 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 focused on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban hazard. U.S. policy priorities moved from one highlighting security concerns to a brand-new focus on strengthened financial relations through trade and investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration explains the Caribbean as America's "third 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, regional democracy, and other hemispheric issues." The United States has close relations with the majority of Caribbean countries, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by extensive economic linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a considerable U.S. foreign help program supporting a range of tasks to enhance democracy, promote economic development and advancement, alleviate hardship, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Custom-mades and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps ensure that high-risk containers are recognized and examined at foreign ports before they are placed 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 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 effort required additional foreign support in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, however no last action was finished before completion 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 assistance programs that might facilitate execution 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, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of the measures used to better security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program modifications needed to optimize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 costs would offer for foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Costs), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legal effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would determine foreign support programs that might assist in execution of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such support 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 Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign nations, with particular emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this bill was presented 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 crime is a major security challenge throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 people killed in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 occupants in 2005, Jamaica had the greatest murder rate in the world. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the harsh killings of six relative, including 4 children in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent criminal activity, consisting of murder and kidnaping, likewise have actually pestered 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 eliminated in an obvious break-in. 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 actually added to the area's surge in violent criminal offense over the last few years, although some keep that there is no established link. Jamaica has actually advocated the advancement of an international procedure concerning the deportation of bad guys. A major issue for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the rising rate of oil and the possible result of such increasing prices on financial development and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas producer, accounting for 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the region. The nation is also the largest 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 majority of its usage requires. Barbados likewise produces a small amount of oil, which is improved in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil intake requirements. Venezuela is now providing oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a brand-new program understood as Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
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Because 1980, Caribbean countries have benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and given that 2001, Venezuela has actually supplied extra support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go even more with the goal of putting in location a local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, Helpful site and establishing an advancement fund for those countries getting involved in the program. What is a note in finance. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would supply 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the region, with countries 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 declined to sign the agreement, and Trinidad, which has its own considerable energy resources, has declined to sign. (For extra information, 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 among the greatest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has actually already begun to have unfavorable consequences for financial and social development in the area. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 grownups and children in the Caribbean were reported to be living with HIV, with the epidemic declaring 24,000 lives during the year, making it the leading cause of death amongst grownups aged 15-44 years.