The area consists of 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 2 nations of Guyana and Suriname, situated on the north main coast of South America. Many 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 countries range 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 countries, with the exception of communist Cuba, have elected democratic federal governments. The majority of the former British colonies have parliamentary forms of government, with the exception of Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname, which are republics headed by presidents. In regards to regional combination, 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 local economic combination. Some critics argue that it has been sluggish to promote integration, compared to other local financial https://apnews.com/Globe%20Newswire/8d0135af22945c7a74748d708ee730c1 groupings, but progress has actually been made in moving towards a single financial market and in developing a Caribbean Court of Justice.

The 6 OECS countries also share a typical 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 combination. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections have actually been the norm, and for the a lot of part have actually been complimentary 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 problems and political instability led to those elections being delayed several times, till they were ultimately hung on February 7, 2006.

Effective elections ultimately were hung on August 28, 2006, without the political violence that some observers had actually prepared for. 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 many Caribbean nations have preserved 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 challenged elections; order was restored with the help of security forces from neighboring states.

Previously in the 1980s, the federal government of Eugenia Charles in Dominica was threatened by a strange coup plot involving foreign mercenaries. And obviously, Grenada, under the socialist-oriented government of Maurice Bishop, experienced a break from the democratic standard after it presumed power in an almost bloodless coup in 1979 and installed an individuals's advanced federal government. After the violent topple 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 a financial depression in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourism and farming sectors, although a lot of Caribbean economies have actually rebounded because 2003.

economic recession and slow healing. The banana and sugar sectors in the Eastern Caribbean were harmed by a tropical storm in 2002 and a drought in 2003. Both sectors deal with uncertain futures due to the European Union's strategy to phase out favored market access from previous Caribbean colonies for bananas by 2006 and for sugar by 2009. The Haitian economy experienced decrease beginning in 2001, with political instability exacerbating currently difficult economic conditions in the hemisphere's poorest country. The greatest performing economies over the https://twitter.com/wesleygroupllc last few years have been those of the Dominican Republic, fueled by the clothing sector, and Trinidad and Tobago, with significant energy resources.

In 2004 and 2005, the area's greatest financial entertainers averaging 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 since of ravaging typhoons and hurricanes included Haiti, with a 3. 5%% decrease 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 development was 1. 8%. In Guyana, economic development has been stagnant or minimal over the previous numerous years. In 2005, the economy decreased 3% due to the fact that of high oil rates and floods, which early in what is a floating week timeshare the year severely affected agriculture and mining activities.

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However, some observers have actually also been concerned about the region's high level of public debt, with several Caribbean nations having debt levels that exceed 100% of their GDP. U.S. interests in the Caribbean vary, and include financial, political, and security issues. Throughout the Cold War, security issues 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 issues about the Soviet and Cuban danger. U.S. policy concerns moved from one emphasizing security issues to a 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 region having a direct impact on the homeland security of the United States. It describes Caribbean nations as "vital partners on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional democracy, and other hemispheric issues." The United States has close relations with a lot of Caribbean countries, with the exception of Cuba under Fidel Castro. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by comprehensive economic linkages, cooperation on counter-narcotics efforts and security, and a large U.S. foreign help program supporting a variety of projects to strengthen democracy, promote economic development and advancement, reduce poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Customs and Border Defense of the Department of Homeland Security. The CSI program helps make sure that high-risk containers are recognized and inspected at foreign ports before they are positioned 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 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 required additional foreign help in order to improve foreign port security worldwide, but no last action was completed before 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 determine foreign help programs that might facilitate execution of port security antiterrorism procedures in foreign countries. The act also would have called for a report on the security of ports in the Caribbean Basin, consisting of an assessment of the efficiency of the steps employed to better security at such ports and an assessment of the resources and program modifications needed to take full advantage of security at Caribbean Basin ports. In the 109th Congress, 2 costs would offer foreign help programs for Caribbean Basin ports.

744 (Nelson, Bill), introduced April 11, 2005, would develop a Caribbean Basin Port Help Program. Under the legislative effort, the Administrator of MARAD in the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would recognize foreign assistance programs that might help with execution of port security antiterrorism steps at Caribbean Basin ports. The Administrator and the Secretary would develop a program for such support in assessment with the Organization of American States. In addition, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be required to submit a report to Congress on status of port security in Caribbean Basin nations. S. 1052 (Stevens), the Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2005, includes a provision (Area 504) that would develop a program to facilitate implementation of port security antiterrorism measures in foreign nations, with specific focus 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 crime is a significant security difficulty throughout the Caribbean. The murder rate in Jamaica continues to soar, with 1,445 individuals 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 greatest murder rate worldwide. In late February 2006, Jamaicans were shocked over the ruthless killings of 6 relative, consisting of 4 young kids in the western part of the country. High levels of violent criminal