The area consists of 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, situated 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 Click here to find out more Dutch. The dates of independence of these nations vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest nations in regards to 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 actually elected democratic governments. The majority of the previous 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 regards to local 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 stimulate regional economic combination. Some critics argue that it has actually been slow to promote combination, compared to other local financial groupings, however development has been made in approaching a single financial market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations likewise share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with monetary policy managed by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic advancement and local combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have been the standard, and for the a lot of part have actually been totally free 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, but considerable problems and political instability led to those elections being delayed a number of times, till they were eventually hung on February 7, 2006.
Effective elections eventually 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 federal government.) Although numerous Caribbean nations have actually maintained long democratic customs, they are not immune from terrorist and other hazards 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 neighboring states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a bizarre coup plot involving foreign mercenaries. And obviously, 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 a people's revolutionary federal government. After the violent topple and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States stepped in to bring back order and end the Cuban existence on the island. Lots of Caribbean countries experienced a financial slump in 2001-2002 due to declines in the tourist and agriculture sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have actually rebounded given that 2003.
financial recession and slow healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a hurricane in 2002 and a drought in 2003. Both sectors face uncertain futures because of the European Union's strategy to phase out preferred market gain access to from former Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline beginning in 2001, with political instability exacerbating already difficult financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The strongest performing economies recently 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 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 faring well in 2004 since of devastating typhoons and hurricanes included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decline in https://www.trustpilot.com/review/timesharecancellations.com gross domestic product (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decline of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has been stagnant or very little over the previous numerous years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil rates and floods, which early in the year severely impacted agriculture and mining activities.
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However, some observers have also been worried about the area's high level of public financial obligation, with several Caribbean countries having debt levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean are varied, and include economic, political, and security concerns. 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 conflict in the Caribbean that concentrated on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban risk. U.S. policy concerns shifted from one stressing 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 "3rd border," with events in the region having a direct influence 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 countries, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is identified by extensive economic linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a significant U.S. foreign help program supporting a range of projects to reinforce democracy, promote economic development and development, ease poverty, and fight the AIDS epidemic in the area. Custom-mades and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps ensure that high-risk containers are identified and checked at foreign ports prior to they are positioned on vessels for delivery to the United States. In September 2006, 3 Caribbean ports became functional 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 legislative initiative called for 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 identify foreign support programs that might help with execution of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations. The act also would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of the procedures used to improved security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program changes needed to make the most of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 bills would offer foreign assistance programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Costs), presented April 11, 2005, would develop a Caribbean Basin Port Assistance Program. Under the legislative initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would recognize foreign support programs that could help with application of port security antiterrorism measures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such help 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 nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2005, consists of an arrangement (Area 504) that would develop a program to assist in application 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 Transport on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), introduced May 11, 2006. Rising criminal activity is a major security obstacle throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 people eliminated in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals 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 vacation club vs timeshare over the ruthless killings of six household members, consisting of 4 kids in the western part of the country. High levels of violent crime, including murder and kidnaping, likewise have afflicted Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, along with his 2 siblings and a guard, were shot and eliminated in an evident robbery. Gangs included in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal offense. Some observers think that lawbreakers deported from the United States have actually added to the region's surge in violent criminal activity in recent years, although some keep that there is no established link. Jamaica has actually promoted the advancement of an international protocol relating to the deportation of lawbreakers. A major concern for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the increasing price of oil and the potential impact of such increasing rates on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, only Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas manufacturer, representing 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the region. The nation is likewise the biggest supplier of liquified gas (LNG) to the United States, accounting for 75% of all U.S. LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba likewise produces oil, however still imports a majority of its usage needs. Barbados likewise produces a little quantity of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil usage needs. Venezuela is now offering oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a brand-new program referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Since 1980, Caribbean countries have actually benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and because 2001, Venezuela has supplied additional assistance for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go even more with the goal of putting in place a regional supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing an advancement fund for those countries taking part in the program. Trade credit may be used to finance a major part of a firm's working capital when. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would provide 190,000 barrels per 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 countries are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently receives affordable petroleum rates from Trinidad, has declined to sign the agreement, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has decreased to sign. (For additional 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 amongst the highest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has actually already begun to have negative repercussions for economic and social advancement in the area. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 adults 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.