The area consists of 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 nations of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north main coast of South America. Numerous countries in the area 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 countries in terms of 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 chosen democratic governments. The majority of the former British colonies have parliamentary forms 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 financial combination. Some critics argue that it has actually been slow to promote combination, compared to other local financial groupings, however progress has actually been made in moving towards a single financial market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS countries also 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 actually been the standard, and for the most part have been totally free and reasonable. 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 problems and political instability led to those elections being delayed several times, up until they were eventually held on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections eventually 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 government.) Although many Caribbean nations have preserved long democratic traditions, they are not immune from terrorist and other risks to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent demonstrations after challenged 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 a bizarre coup plot including 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 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 stepped in to restore 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 most Caribbean economies have rebounded because 2003.
financial recession and sluggish 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 unsure futures due to the European Union's strategy to phase out favored market access from previous Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decrease beginning in 2001, with political instability intensifying already tough economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest performing economies recently have been those of the Dominican Republic, fueled by the apparel sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with substantial energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the area's greatest economic entertainers averaging development rates over 5% for those 2 years, were Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Those countries not prospering in 2004 since of ravaging cyclones and hurricanes consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gross domestic item (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease of 3%. For 2005, however, Grenada's economy rebounded with growth over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, economic development has actually been stagnant or very little over the previous a number of years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% because of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year significantly impacted farming and mining activities.
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However, some observers have likewise been worried about the region's high level of public financial obligation, with a number of Caribbean nations having debt levels that exceed 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and include economic, political, and security issues. During Have a peek at this website the Cold War, security concerns 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 hazard. U.S. policy concerns shifted from one stressing security issues to a new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "third border," with events 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, regional democracy, and other hemispheric concerns." The United States has close relations with many Caribbean countries, 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 significant U.S. foreign help program supporting a variety of tasks to enhance democracy, promote economic growth and advancement, relieve hardship, and fight the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customizeds and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program assists make sure that high-risk containers are identified and checked at foreign ports before they are positioned on vessels for shipment 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 extra foreign assistance in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, but no final action was completed 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 help programs that might facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations. The act likewise would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an assessment of the effectiveness of the procedures employed to enhanced security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program modifications needed to take full advantage of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two expenses would offer foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), presented April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the cancel xm radio phone number legislative initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would determine foreign help programs that could facilitate implementation of port security antiterrorism steps 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 send a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Enhancement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to assist in implementation of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries, with particular focus 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. Increasing crime is a major security challenge throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to skyrocket, with 1,445 individuals 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 worldwide. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the brutal killings of 6 family members, consisting of 4 children in the western part of the country. High levels of violent criminal activity, consisting of murder and kidnaping, also have pestered Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, along with his 2 brother or sisters and a security personnel, were shot and killed in an evident burglary. Gangs involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the crime. Some observers think that crooks deported from the United States have added to the region's surge in violent criminal activity over the last few years, although some maintain that there is no established link. Jamaica has actually promoted the advancement of a global procedure relating to the deportation of lawbreakers. A major concern for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the increasing rate of oil and the prospective effect of such increasing rates on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, only Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas producer, representing 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the area. The nation is also the biggest provider 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, but still imports a bulk of its usage requires. Barbados likewise produces a small quantity of oil, which is fine-tuned 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 referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Given that 1980, Caribbean countries have benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and since 2001, Venezuela has actually provided additional support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go even more with the objective of putting in place a local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing an advancement fund for those nations taking part in the program. The trend in campaign finance law over time has been toward which the following?. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would supply 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the area, with nations paying market rates for 50% of the oil within 90 days, and the balance paid over 25 years at an https://www.inhersight.com/companies/best/reviews/telecommute?_n=112289508 annual rate of 2%.
To date, 14 Caribbean nations are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which already gets discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has decreased to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own significant energy resources, has actually decreased to sign. (For extra 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 beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has currently begun to have negative effects for economic and social advancement in the region. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 adults and kids in the Caribbean were reported to be dealing with HIV, with the epidemic claiming 24,000 lives throughout the year, making it the leading cause of death amongst grownups aged 15-44 years.