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 countries of Guyana and Suriname, situated on the north central coast of South America. Numerous nations in the area share a common 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 what happens when a timeshare is foreclosed on you nations vary 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 biggest populations are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Politically, all Caribbean nations, with the exception of communist Cuba, have actually elected democratic governments. Many 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 regards to local integration, 14 of the region's independent countries 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 spur local financial integration. Some critics argue that it has actually been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other regional economic groupings, however development has actually been made in Additional reading 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 financial policy managed by the Eastern Caribbean Reserve Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes financial development and regional integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have been the standard, and for the many part have been complimentary 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 resulted in those elections being postponed several times, until they were ultimately hung on February 7, 2006.
Successful 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 many wesley corporation Caribbean countries have actually kept 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 contested elections; order was brought back with the assistance of security forces from surrounding states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a bizarre coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And naturally, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it presumed power in a nearly bloodless coup in 1979 and installed an individuals's revolutionary federal government. After the violent overthrow and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States intervened to restore order and end the Cuban existence on the island. Lots of Caribbean nations experienced an economic depression in 2001-2002 due to declines in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have actually rebounded considering that 2003.
economic recession and sluggish healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were harmed by a tropical storm in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors face uncertain futures due to the European Union's strategy to phase out preferred market access 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 challenging economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest performing economies in the last few years have actually been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the apparel sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with substantial energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the region's greatest financial entertainers balancing growth 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 nations not faring well in 2004 due to the fact that of devastating hurricanes and tropical storms included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decline 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, economic development has been stagnant or very little over the previous a number of years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% due to the fact that of high oil prices and floods, which early in the year seriously affected agriculture and mining activities.
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Nevertheless, some observers have also been concerned about the region's high level of public financial obligation, 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 concerns. During 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 dispute in the Caribbean that concentrated on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban hazard. U.S. policy priorities moved from one stressing 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 region having a direct effect on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean countries as "important partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, local democracy, and other hemispheric problems." 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 identified by extensive economic linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a sizeable U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a variety of projects to enhance democracy, promote financial development and advancement, relieve poverty, and fight the AIDS epidemic in the area. Customizeds and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps make sure that high-risk containers are identified and inspected at foreign ports prior to they are put on vessels for shipment to the United States. In September 2006, three Caribbean ports ended up being 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 legal effort called for additional foreign help in order to enhance 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 offered for the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to determine foreign support programs that could facilitate implementation of port security antiterrorism steps 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 efficiency of the procedures employed 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 bills would attend to foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Expense), presented April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legal effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would recognize foreign support programs that could assist in implementation of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such assistance in consultation with the Organization of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be needed to send a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin countries. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Enhancement Act of 2005, consists of an arrangement (Area 504) that would establish a program to help with execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries, with specific emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this costs was introduced May 17, 2005, and reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transport on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), presented May 11, 2006. Rising criminal activity is a significant security challenge throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 individuals killed in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005, Jamaica had the highest murder rate on the planet. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were stunned over the harsh killings of 6 member of the family, consisting of 4 young kids in the western part of the nation. High levels of violent criminal activity, consisting of murder and kidnaping, also have afflicted Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, together with his two siblings and a guard, were shot and killed in an evident break-in. Gangs associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the criminal offense. Some observers believe that bad guys deported from the United States have actually added to the area's surge in violent criminal activity in recent years, although some preserve that there is no established link. Jamaica has advocated the advancement of a global procedure concerning the deportation of lawbreakers. A significant issue for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the increasing cost of oil and the possible result of such increasing prices on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas manufacturer, accounting for 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the region. The country is also the largest 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 majority of its consumption requires. Barbados also produces a small quantity of oil, which is improved in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil consumption needs. 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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Given that 1980, Caribbean nations have actually benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and since 2001, Venezuela has actually provided additional assistance for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go further with the objective of putting in location a regional supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and developing a development fund for those countries getting involved in the program. How to owner finance a home. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would provide 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the region, 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 nations are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently gets discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually decreased to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has declined to sign. (For additional details, 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 begun to have unfavorable effects 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 claiming 24,000 lives throughout the year, making it the leading cause of death among grownups aged 15-44 years.