The area consists of 13 island countries, from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south; Belize, which is geographically located in Central America; and the two countries of Guyana and Suriname, situated on the north central coast of South America. Lots of nations in the area share a common 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 self-reliance of these nations vary from Haiti in 1804 to St. Kitts and Nevis in 1983. The biggest 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 governments. The majority of the former British nests have parliamentary kinds of 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 belong to 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 economic combination. Some critics argue that it has actually been slow to promote combination, compared to other regional financial groupings, but development has been made in moving toward a single economic market and in establishing a Caribbean Court of Justice.
The 6 OECS countries likewise share a common currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, with monetary policy handled by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), headquartered in Barbados, promotes economic advancement and regional integration. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, routine elections have actually been the norm, and for the many part have actually been totally 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, however substantial issues and political instability led to those elections being postponed numerous times, up until they were ultimately held on February 7, 2006.
Successful elections eventually were hung 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 countries have kept long democratic customs, they are not immune from terrorist and other risks to their political stability. In 1993, stability on St. Kitts was threatened following violent protests after disputed elections; order was brought back with the support of security forces from surrounding states.
Previously in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot including foreign mercenaries. And naturally, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented federal government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it assumed power in a nearly bloodless coup in 1979 and installed an individuals's innovative federal government. After the violent topple and murder of Bishop in 1983, the United States stepped in to bring back order and end the Cuban presence on the island. Numerous Caribbean nations experienced a financial depression in 2001-2002 due to recessions in the tourist and farming sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have rebounded since 2003.
financial recession and slow recovery. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were harmed by a hurricane in 2002 and a drought in 2003. Both sectors face unsure futures because of the European Union's strategy to phase out preferred market access from former Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and wesley mcdowell for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decrease beginning 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 garments sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with considerable energy resources.
In 2004 and 2005, the region's greatest economic entertainers 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 nations not faring well in 2004 because of devastating typhoons and tropical storms 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 growth over 5%, while Haiti's development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, financial growth has been stagnant or very little over the past numerous years. In 2005, the economy declined 3% since of high oil rates and floods, which early in the year severely affected agriculture and mining activities.
Getting My What Happened To Household Finance Corporation To Work
Nonetheless, some observers have likewise been concerned about the region's high level of public debt, with several Caribbean countries having debt levels that surpass 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and consist of economic, political, and security issues. During the Cold War, security issues tended to eclipse other policy interests. In the aftermath 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 threat. U.S. policy priorities moved from one emphasizing security concerns 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 "3rd border," with events in the area 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, local democracy, and other hemispheric concerns." 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 significant U.S. foreign support program supporting a variety of tasks to enhance democracy, promote financial growth and development, alleviate poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps guarantee that high-risk containers are determined and checked at foreign ports prior to they are put 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 legislative effort required extra foreign help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was finished before the end of the session.
2279 (Hollings), in September 2004, which would have supplied for the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to identify foreign support programs that might help with execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries. 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 measures utilized to better security at such ports and an evaluation of the resources and program changes needed to maximize security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 bills would attend to foreign support programs for Caribbean Basin ports.
744 (Nelson, Expense), introduced April 11, 2005, would establish a Caribbean Basin Port Support Program. Under the legislative initiative, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would determine foreign support programs that might help with execution of port security antiterrorism steps at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would establish a program for such support in consultation with the Organization 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 Improvement Act of 2005, consists of an arrangement (Area 504) that would establish a program to help with execution westlake timeshare 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 Transport on February 27, 2006 (S.Rept.
2791 (Stevens), introduced May 11, 2006. Increasing criminal activity is a significant security challenge throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to skyrocket, with 1,445 individuals eliminated in 2004 and more than 1,600 individuals in 2005. With rate of 60 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005, Jamaica had the greatest murder rate on the planet. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the brutal killings of 6 member of the family, including four young kids in the western part floating week timeshare definition of the nation. High levels of violent criminal offense, consisting of murder and kidnaping, likewise have actually pestered Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Even smaller Caribbean countries 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 accountable for much of the criminal offense. Some observers believe that crooks deported from the United States have actually added to the area's rise in violent criminal offense over the last few years, although some keep that there is no recognized link. Jamaica has actually promoted the advancement of an international procedure concerning the deportation of crooks. A major concern for Caribbean nationsthe majority of which are net energy importershas been the increasing rate of oil and the prospective impact of such increasing prices on financial development and social stability.
Of these, only Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas producer, representing 60% of tested oil reserves and 91% of gas reserves in the region. The country is also the largest supplier 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, however still imports a bulk of its intake requires. Barbados also produces a little quantity of oil, which is fine-tuned in Trinidad and Tobago, however it imports 90% of its oil intake needs. Venezuela is now offering oil to Caribbean countries on preferential terms in a new program called Petro, Caribe, and there has actually been some U.S.
The Facts About How Long Can You Finance An Rv Uncovered
Since 1980, Caribbean nations have taken advantage of preferential oil imports from Venezuela (and Mexico) under the San Jose Pact, and considering that 2001, Venezuela has supplied additional support for Caribbean oil imports under the Caracas Energy Accord. Petro, Caribe, nevertheless, would go even more with the goal of putting in location a regional supply, refining, and transport and storage network, and establishing an advancement fund for those nations taking part in the program. How to finance a home addition. Under the program, Venezuela announced that it would provide 190,000 barrels each day of oil to the area, with nations paying market value 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 nations are signatories of Petro, Caribe. Barbados, which already receives affordable petroleum rates from Trinidad, has decreased to sign the contract, and Trinidad, which has its own significant energy resources, has actually declined to sign. (For additional 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 among the highest beyond sub-Saharan Africa, has already begun to have unfavorable consequences for financial 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 during the year, making it the leading cause of death among grownups aged 15-44 years.