The area includes 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, situated on the north main coast of South America. Lots of countries in the region 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 independence of these countries vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The largest countries in terms of land location 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 elected democratic federal governments. The majority of the previous 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 countries 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 spur local financial combination. Some critics argue that it has been slow to promote combination, compared to other local economic groupings, but 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 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 financial development and regional combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have been the standard, and for the most part have actually 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, however considerable issues and political instability resulted in those elections being postponed a number of times, until they were ultimately hung on February 7, 2006.
Effective elections ultimately 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 numerous Caribbean countries have actually maintained long democratic customs, they are not immune from terrorist and other threats to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent demonstrations after disputed elections; order was brought back with the assistance of security forces from surrounding states.
Earlier in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic norm after it assumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and set up an individuals's advanced 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. Many Caribbean nations experienced an economic slump in 2001-2002 due to slumps in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although the majority of Caribbean economies have actually rebounded given that 2003.
financial recession and sluggish healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were damaged by a hurricane in 2002 and a dry spell in 2003. Both sectors deal with uncertain futures because of 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 decline start in 2001, with political instability worsening already hard economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest nation. The greatest carrying out economies over the last few years have actually been those of the Dominican Republic, sustained by the clothing sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with considerable energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the region's greatest 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 countries not faring well in 2004 due to the fact that of ravaging cyclones and hurricanes included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decline in gdp (GDP), and Grenada, with a GDP decrease 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 minimal over the previous several years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% due to the https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/06/10/2046392/0/en/WESLEY-FINANCIAL-GROUP-RESPONDS-TO-DIAMOND-RESORTS-LAWSUIT.html fact that of high oil rates and floods, which early in the year badly impacted agriculture and mining activities.
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Nevertheless, some observers have likewise been worried about the region's high level of public financial obligation, with numerous Caribbean nations having debt levels that go beyond 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and consist of economic, political, and security issues. Throughout the Cold War, security issues 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 concerns about the Soviet and Cuban hazard. U.S. policy priorities shifted 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 events in the region having a direct influence on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean countries as "important partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric problems." 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 characterized by substantial financial linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a large U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a variety of tasks to enhance democracy, promote economic development and development, minimize poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customizeds and Border Security of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps make sure that high-risk containers are recognized and examined at foreign ports before 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 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 additional foreign help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, however no last action was finished prior to completion 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 assistance programs that might help with implementation of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries. 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 steps used to better security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program changes required to take full advantage of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, two expenses would offer foreign assistance programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Bill), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legal initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would identify foreign assistance programs that could facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism procedures at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such assistance in consultation with the Organization of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be needed to submit a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin countries. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transport Security Improvement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to assist in execution of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations, with specific emphasis on ports in the Caribbean Basin; this expense was presented 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. Increasing criminal activity is a major security difficulty throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 people killed in 2004 and more than 1,600 people in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 occupants in 2005, Jamaica had the greatest murder rate in the world. In https://local.hometownsource.com/places/view/159183/wesley_financial_group_llc.html late February 2006, Jamaicans were surprised over the ruthless killings of 6 member of the family, consisting of four young kids in the western part of the country. High levels of More helpful hints violent criminal activity, including murder and kidnaping, also have actually pestered Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller sized Caribbean countries like St.
On April 22, 2006, Guyana's Agriculture minister, in addition to his two siblings and a guard, were shot and killed in an apparent break-in. Gangs involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and violence are accountable for much of the crime. Some observers think that bad guys deported from the United States have contributed to the area's surge in violent criminal offense over the last few years, although some preserve that there is no established link. Jamaica has advocated the advancement of a global protocol 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 potential effect of such rising prices on economic growth and social stability.
Of these, just Trinidad and Tobago is a significant oil and gas producer, accounting for 60% of proven oil reserves and 91% of natural gas reserves in the area. 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 also produces oil, however still imports a majority of its intake requires. Barbados likewise produces a percentage of oil, which is refined in Trinidad and Tobago, but it imports 90% of its oil usage requirements. Venezuela is now providing oil to Caribbean nations on preferential terms in a brand-new program called Petro, Caribe, and there has been some U.S.
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Since 1980, Caribbean countries have benefitted from preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and given that 2001, Venezuela has actually provided additional support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, however, would go even more with the goal of putting in place a regional supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing a development fund for those nations taking part in the program. What credit score is needed to finance a car. Under the program, Venezuela revealed that it would provide 190,000 barrels daily of oil to the region, with countries paying market prices for 50% of the oil within 90 days, and the balance paid over 25 years at an annual rate of 2%.
To date, 14 Caribbean countries are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which currently gets reduced petroleum rates from Trinidad, has actually declined to sign the agreement, and Trinidad, which has its own substantial energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For additional 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 greatest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has actually already started to have negative effects for financial and social advancement 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 during the year, making it the leading cause of death among grownups aged 15-44 years.