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 2 countries of Guyana and Suriname, situated on the north main coast of South America. Lots of nations 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 independence of these countries vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest countries in regards to land area 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 chosen democratic federal governments. The majority of the previous British colonies have parliamentary types of federal government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In http://www.williamsonherald.com/communities/franklin-based-wesley-financial-group-named-in-best-places-to-work/article_d3c79d80-8633-11ea-b286-5f673b2f6db6.html regards to local combination, 14 of the area's independent countries belong to the Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM), with the exception of the Dominican Republic (which has observer status) and Cuba. CARICOM was formed in 1973 to stimulate local financial integration. Some critics argue that it has been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other local financial groupings, however development has been made in approaching a single economic market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations also share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with financial policy managed by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Advancement Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic development and regional integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have been the norm, and for the a lot of part have been free 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 significant issues and political instability resulted in those elections being held off numerous times, till they were ultimately held on February 7, 2006.
Effective 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 federal government.) Although numerous Caribbean nations have actually preserved long democratic traditions, they are not immune from terrorist and other hazards to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent demonstrations after disputed elections; order was brought back with https://www.inhersight.com/companies/best?_n=112289281 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 obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it presumed power in a nearly bloodless coup in 1979 and set up 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 a financial slump in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have rebounded considering that 2003.
economic recession and sluggish recovery. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a hurricane in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors face unpredictable futures because of the European Union's plan to phase out preferred market access from previous Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decline start in 2001, with political instability worsening already challenging financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The strongest performing economies in the last few years have been those of the Dominican Republic, fueled by the garments sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with substantial energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the region's strongest economic performers averaging 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 prospering in 2004 since of devastating cyclones and tropical storms consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gross domestic item (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, economic growth has been stagnant or very little over the previous numerous years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% since of high oil prices and floods, which early in the year significantly affected agriculture and mining activities.
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Nonetheless, some observers have also been worried about the area'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 vary, and consist of financial, political, and security concerns. Throughout the Cold War, security concerns 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 concentrated on concerns about the Soviet and Cuban threat. U.S. policy concerns moved from one stressing security concerns to a brand-new concentrate on strengthened economic relations through trade and investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "3rd border," with occasions in the region having a direct impact on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean countries as "crucial partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric problems." The United States has close relations with most Caribbean nations, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by substantial economic linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a significant U.S. foreign help program supporting a range of projects to enhance democracy, promote economic growth and advancement, alleviate poverty, and fight the AIDS epidemic in the area. Customs and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are recognized and checked at foreign ports prior to they are positioned 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 legal initiative called for additional foreign help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, but no final action was finished before the end of the session.
2279 (Hollings), in September 2004, which would have provided for the help with timeshare Administrator of the Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to recognize foreign help programs that might assist in execution of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign nations. The act likewise would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, including an assessment of the effectiveness of the procedures employed to better security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program modifications needed to make the most of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 bills would attend to foreign support programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Costs), presented April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legal initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign support programs that might assist in implementation of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop 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 countries. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Section 504) that would develop a program to assist in 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 Transportation on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), introduced May 11, 2006. Rising crime 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 people in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 residents in 2005, Jamaica had the greatest murder rate in the world. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were surprised over the harsh killings of 6 member of the family, including four kids in the western part of the country. High levels of violent crime, consisting of murder and kidnaping, also have plagued Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean nations like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, together with his two brother or sisters and a security personnel, were shot and killed in an evident burglary. Gangs associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are responsible for much of the criminal offense. Some observers believe that lawbreakers deported from the United States have contributed to the region's rise in violent crime in recent years, although some maintain that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has actually promoted the development of a global procedure regarding the deportation of lawbreakers. A significant issue for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the rising rate of oil and the possible impact of such rising rates on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas producer, accounting for 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the region. The country is likewise the biggest supplier of liquified natural gas (LNG) to the United States, representing 75% of all U.S. LNG imports. Apart from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba likewise produces oil, but still imports a bulk of its intake requires. Barbados also produces a little quantity of oil, which is improved in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil usage requirements. Venezuela is now using oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a brand-new program understood as Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Considering that 1980, Caribbean countries have taken advantage of preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and given that 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 local supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing a development fund for those nations participating in the program. How to owner finance a home. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would provide 190,000 barrels each day of oil to the region, with countries 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 countries are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently receives discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has declined to sign the agreement, and Trinidad, which has its own significant energy resources, has declined to sign. (For extra 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 already begun to have negative consequences for financial and social development in the area. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 grownups and kids 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 adults aged 15-44 years.