The area includes 13 island nations, from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south; Belize, which is geographically situated in Central America; and the two nations of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north central coast of South America. Many 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 largest nations in regards to 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 chosen democratic governments. Most 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 regional integration, 14 of the area'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 economic integration. Some critics argue that it has actually been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other regional financial groupings, however development has actually been made in approaching a single financial market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The six OECS countries likewise share a typical currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with financial policy managed by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial advancement and regional integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have been the norm, and for the many part have actually been complimentary and reasonable. In 2005, Dominica and Suriname held elections in Might, 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 postponed a number of times, up until they were ultimately hung on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections ultimately were held 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 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 help of security forces from neighboring states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot involving foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic norm after it assumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and installed an individuals's advanced federal government. After the violent topple 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 downturns in the tourist and agriculture sectors, although the majority of Caribbean economies have rebounded since 2003.
financial recession and sluggish healing. https://www.facebook.com/ChuckMcDowellCEO/ The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a hurricane in 2002 and a drought in 2003. Both sectors deal with uncertain futures in light of the European Union's strategy 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 start in 2001, with political instability exacerbating currently hard financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The strongest carrying out economies over the last few years have been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the garments sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with substantial energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the area's strongest financial 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 nations not prospering in 2004 due to the fact that of devastating cyclones and hurricanes included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decline of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's growth was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has actually been stagnant or very little over the previous several years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% because of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year significantly impacted agriculture and mining activities.
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However, some observers have actually also been concerned about the area's high level of public debt, with a number of Caribbean countries having debt levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and include financial, political, and security issues. During 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 dispute in the Caribbean that concentrated on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban danger. U.S. policy concerns shifted from one highlighting security issues to a brand-new focus on strengthened financial 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 influence on the homeland security of the United States. It explains Caribbean nations as "essential partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, local democracy, and other hemispheric problems." 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 defined by substantial financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a considerable U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a range of projects to reinforce democracy, promote economic growth and advancement, alleviate poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customizeds and Border Defense of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists ensure that high-risk containers are recognized and checked at foreign ports prior to 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 legislative initiative called for additional foreign help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was finished before completion 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 might assist in application of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries. The act likewise would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an assessment of the effectiveness of the procedures used to better security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program modifications needed to optimize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 costs would offer foreign support programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Expense), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Help Program. Under the legal initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign help programs that could facilitate application of port security antiterrorism measures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such support in consultation 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 countries. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Improvement Act of 2005, consists of a provision (Area 504) that would establish a program to facilitate implementation of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations, 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), introduced May 11, 2006. Increasing criminal offense is a significant 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 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 residents in 2005, Jamaica had the highest murder rate on the planet. In late https://www.bintelligence.com/blog/2020/2/17/34-companies-named-2020-best-places-to-work February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the harsh killings of 6 family members, consisting of four children in the western part of the country. High levels of violent criminal activity, including murder and kidnaping, likewise have plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, in addition to his two brother or sisters and a security guard, were shot and killed in an obvious burglary. Gangs associated with 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 crime in the last few years, although some preserve that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has actually promoted the advancement of a global protocol concerning the deportation of bad guys. A major concern for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the rising cost of oil and the potential result of such increasing rates on economic development and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas manufacturer, representing 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the area. The country is likewise the largest supplier of liquified gas (LNG) to the United States, accounting for 75% of all U.S. wesley financial group llc LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba likewise produces oil, however still imports a majority of its intake needs. Barbados also produces a little amount of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil usage requirements. Venezuela is now using 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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Given that 1980, Caribbean countries have actually taken advantage of preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and given that 2001, Venezuela has supplied extra support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go even more with the objective of putting in place a local supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and developing an advancement fund for those nations participating in the program. What does ear stand for in finance. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would supply 190,000 barrels per day of oil to the region, with nations paying market costs 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 discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has declined to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own considerable energy resources, has actually decreased to sign. (For additional info, 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 actually currently begun to have negative consequences for financial and social advancement in the region. 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 throughout the year, making it the leading cause of death amongst grownups aged 15-44 years.