The region includes 13 island nations, from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south; Belize, which is website geographically located in Central America; and the two countries of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north main 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 colonies, Haiti was French, and Suriname was Dutch. The dates of independence of these nations vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest nations in terms of acreage are Guyana and Suriname, while those with the largest populations are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Politically, all Caribbean countries, with the exception of communist Cuba, have actually chosen democratic governments. The majority of the previous British colonies 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 regional integration, 14 of the area's independent nations 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 stimulate regional economic combination. Some critics argue that it has been slow to promote integration, compared to other regional economic groupings, however progress has been made in approaching a single financial market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS nations also 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 local integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular 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 expected to hold elections in 2005, but significant issues and political instability resulted in those elections being delayed several times, till they were ultimately hung on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections ultimately were hung 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 Caribbean nations have actually preserved long democratic traditions, they are not immune from terrorist and other threats to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent protests after contested elections; order was brought back with the help of security forces from surrounding states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a bizarre coup plot involving foreign mercenaries. And naturally, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic norm after it assumed power in a nearly bloodless coup in 1979 and installed an individuals's revolutionary 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 depression in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourism and farming sectors, although the majority of Caribbean economies have actually rebounded since 2003.
economic recession and sluggish recovery. 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 plan to phase out favored market access from former Caribbean nests for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decrease beginning in 2001, with political instability intensifying already hard financial conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest performing economies in current 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 area's strongest economic performers balancing growth 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 faring well in 2004 due to the fact that of ravaging typhoons and hurricanes consisted of Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease in gross domestic product (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decline of 3%. For 2005, nevertheless, Grenada's economy rebounded with development over 5%, while Haiti's growth was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial development has been stagnant or minimal over the past several years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% since of high oil costs and floods, which early in the year badly affected farming and mining activities.
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Nevertheless, some observers have actually also been concerned about the region's high level of public financial obligation, with numerous Caribbean nations having financial obligation levels that go beyond 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 consequences of the Cold War, other U.S. policy interests emerged from the shadow of the East-West conflict in the Caribbean that focused on issues about the Soviet and Cuban risk. U.S. policy top priorities moved from one emphasizing security issues to a brand-new focus on strengthened economic relations through trade and financial investment.
interest in the Caribbean. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "third border," with occasions in the area having a direct https://www.instagram.com/wesleyfinancialgroupllc/ effect on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean nations as "crucial partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, local democracy, and other hemispheric issues." 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 comprehensive financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a sizeable U.S. foreign help program supporting a variety of tasks to reinforce democracy, promote financial development and development, ease hardship, and fight the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customs and Border Defense of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are recognized and checked at foreign ports before they are put on vessels for shipment to the United States. In September 2006, 3 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 initiative called for extra foreign help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was completed 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 recognize foreign support programs that might assist in implementation of port security antiterrorism steps in foreign nations. The act also would have required a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an evaluation of the effectiveness of the procedures employed to https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/03/12/1999688/0/en/WESLEY-FINANCIAL-GROUP-SETS-COMPANY-RECORD-FOR-TIMESHARE-CANCELATIONS-IN-FEBRUARY.html improved security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program changes required to maximize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 bills would offer foreign assistance programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Costs), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Assistance Program. Under the legal initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign support programs that might help with execution 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 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 nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Enhancement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign nations, with specific focus 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), presented May 11, 2006. Rising criminal offense is a major security difficulty 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 occupants 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 children in the western part of the country. High levels of violent crime, including murder and kidnaping, likewise have actually afflicted Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Farming minister, in addition to his 2 brother or sisters and a guard, were shot and eliminated in an obvious burglary. Gangs involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the crime. Some observers believe that crooks deported from the United States have contributed to the area's surge in violent crime in current years, although some keep that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has actually promoted the advancement of a global protocol concerning the deportation of lawbreakers. A significant issue for Caribbean nationsthe bulk of which are net energy importershas been the rising rate of oil and the possible result of such increasing prices on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas manufacturer, accounting for 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the area. The country is likewise the largest provider of liquified natural 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 likewise produces a percentage of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil usage needs. Venezuela is now using oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a new program referred to as Petro, Caribe, and there has actually 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 provided extra assistance for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go even more with the objective of putting in location a local supply, refining, and transportation and storage network, and developing a development fund for those nations taking part in the program. Which of the following was eliminated as a result of 2002 campaign finance reforms?. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would supply 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the region, with countries 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 already gets discounted petroleum rates from Trinidad, has decreased to sign the arrangement, and Trinidad, which has its own considerable energy resources, has decreased to sign. (For extra 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 greatest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has actually currently started to have unfavorable effects for financial and social advancement in the area. In 2005, an estimated 300,000 grownups and children in the Caribbean were reported to be dealing with HIV, with the epidemic claiming 24,000 lives during the year, making it the leading cause of death among adults aged 15-44 years.