The region includes 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 countries of Guyana and Suriname, situated on the north central coast of South America. Numerous countries in the region 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 biggest countries in terms of 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. Many of the previous British nests 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 local combination, 14 of the region's independent nations come from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with the exception of the Dominican Republic (which has observer status) and Cuba. CARICOM was formed in 1973 to spur local financial combination. Some critics argue that it has actually been slow to promote combination, compared to other local economic groupings, but development has actually been made in moving toward 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 handled by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Advancement Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial advancement and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have been the standard, and for the a lot of 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 anticipated to hold elections in 2005, but considerable issues and political instability led to those elections being delayed a number of times, until they were eventually hung on February 7, 2006.
Effective elections ultimately were held on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had actually 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 federal government.) Although lots of Caribbean countries have maintained 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 challenged 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 an unusual coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And naturally, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal 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 an individuals's innovative 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 existence on the island. Many Caribbean nations experienced an economic slump in 2001-2002 due to recessions in the tourist and agriculture sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have rebounded since 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 deal with unpredictable futures because 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 decline beginning in 2001, with political instability exacerbating already difficult economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The strongest performing economies over 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 strongest economic entertainers 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 faring well in 2004 because of devastating cyclones and tropical storms included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gross domestic item (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease of 3%. For 2005, nevertheless, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's growth was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial growth has been stagnant or very little over the past numerous years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil rates and floods, which early in the year seriously impacted farming and mining activities.
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However, some observers have actually likewise been concerned 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 include economic, political, and security issues. During the Cold War, security issues tended to eclipse other policy interests. In the consequences of the Cold War, other U.S. policy interests emerged from the shadow of the East-West dispute in the Caribbean that focused on issues about the Soviet and Cuban risk. U.S. policy concerns moved from one stressing security issues to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and financial 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 nations as "crucial partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric concerns." 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 comprehensive economic linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a considerable U.S. foreign help program supporting a range of jobs to reinforce democracy, promote economic development and development, reduce poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customs and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are recognized and inspected at foreign ports before they are put on vessels for shipment to the United States. In September 2006, three Caribbean ports became 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 legislative effort called for additional foreign assistance in order to improve 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 attended to the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to recognize foreign support programs that could help with application of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign countries. The act likewise would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an evaluation of the efficiency of the measures utilized to enhanced security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program changes required to make the most of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two expenses would supply for foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), 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 assistance programs that could assist in implementation of port security antiterrorism measures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such help in assessment 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 Transport Security Improvement Act of 2005, includes an arrangement (Section 504) that would establish a program to help with implementation of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign nations, with particular focus 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. Rising crime is a significant 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 highest murder rate in the world. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the harsh killings of 6 wesley financial group llc relative, consisting of four young kids in the western part of the country. High levels of violent crime, consisting of murder and kidnaping, likewise have plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, in addition to his 2 brother or sisters and a security guard, were shot and killed in an obvious break-in. Gangs associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal activity. Some observers believe that wrongdoers deported from the United States have added to the region's surge in violent crime over the last few years, although some maintain that there is no established link. Jamaica has advocated the advancement of an international https://fortune.com/best-small-workplaces-for-women/2020/wesley-financial-group/ protocol regarding the deportation of wrongdoers. A significant issue for Caribbean the wesley group nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the increasing rate of oil and the prospective impact of such rising prices on economic development and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas manufacturer, representing 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the region. The nation is likewise 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 also produces oil, however still imports a bulk of its consumption requires. Barbados likewise produces a percentage of oil, which is improved in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil usage needs. Venezuela is now using oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a new program known as Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Because 1980, Caribbean nations have benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and considering that 2001, Venezuela has actually supplied additional assistance for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go even more with the objective of putting in location a local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and developing a development fund for those nations taking part in the program. How to finance building a home. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would provide 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 an annual rate of 2%.
To date, 14 Caribbean countries are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently receives discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has decreased to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own significant energy resources, has actually declined 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 greatest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has actually currently started to have negative consequences for financial and social advancement in the area. In 2005, an approximated 300,000 adults and kids in the Caribbean were reported to be dealing 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.