	Introduction to the Caribbean Region

The Caribbean, encompassing 16 independent nations and 13 overseas territories, is a region of almost 42 million people that includes some of the hemisphere's richest and poorest nations. The region 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 two nations of Guyana and Suriname, located on the north central coast of South America. Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname are republics headed by presidents. Regular free and fair elections have been the norm in most Caribbean nations for many years, with the exception of Cuba and Haiti. Although many Caribbean nations have maintained long democratic traditions, they are not immune from terrorist and other threats to their political stability. Many Caribbean nations experienced an economic slump in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourism and agriculture sectors, although most economies in the region have rebounded since 2003. Issues in Caribbean-U.S. Relations

U.S. interests in the Caribbean are diverse, and include economic, political, and security concerns. The Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "third border," with events in the region having a direct impact on the homeland security of the United States. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by extensive economic linkages, cooperation on counternarcotics efforts and security, and a sizeable U.S. foreign assistance program supporting a variety of projects to strengthen democracy, promote economic growth and development, alleviate poverty, and combat the AIDS epidemic in the region. Despite close U.S. relations with most Caribbean nations, at times there has been tension in the relationship. In another example, Caribbean nations generally maintain good relations with Cuba and Venezuela, and resent U.S. expressions of concern about these relations. U.S. Foreign Assistance

The United States has provided considerable amounts of foreign assistance to the Caribbean over the past 25 years. Congress approved the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) ( P.L. The CBTPA benefits are scheduled to expire at the end of September 2008, or earlier if the country enters into a free trade agreement with the United States. Since the United States first implemented a preferential trade program for Caribbean Basin imports in 1984, the overall performance of the region's exports has been mixed (see Table 6 ). President Bush pledged to Caribbean leaders that he would work with Congress to extend and update the CBPTA. Most significantly, the initiative included increased funding to combat HIV/AIDS in the region. CRS Report RL32001, HIV/AI DS in the Caribbean and Central America , by [author name scrubbed]. CRS Report RL33951, U.S. Trade Policy and the Caribbean: From Trade Preferences to Free Trade Agreements , by [author name scrubbed].
With some 42 million people encompassing 16 independent countries and 13 overseas territories, the Caribbean is a diverse region that includes some of the hemisphere's richest and poorest nations. The region 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, located on the north central coast of South America. With the exception of Cuba and Haiti, regular elections in the region are the norm, and for the most part have been free and fair. Nevertheless, while many Caribbean nations have long democratic traditions, they are not immune to threats to their political stability, including terrorism. Many nations in the region experienced economic decline in 2001-2002 due to downturns in the tourism and agriculture sectors, but most Caribbean economies have rebounded since 2003.
U.S. interests in the Caribbean are diverse, and include economic, political, and security concerns. The Bush Administration describes the Caribbean as America's "third border," with events in the region having a direct impact on the homeland security of the United States.
The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by extensive economic linkages, cooperation on counternarcotics and security, and a sizeable U.S. foreign assistance program. U.S. aid supports a variety of projects to strengthen democracy, promote economic growth and development, alleviate poverty, and combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. The United States has offered preferential treatment for Caribbean imports since 1984 under the Caribbean Basin Initiative yet the performance of the region's exports to the United States has been mixed. During a June 2007 meeting in Washington, DC, Caribbean leaders and President Bush pledged to strengthen existing trade arrangements. President Bush vowed to work with Congress to extend and update the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, which provides NAFTA-like tariff treatment for Caribbean imports, before it expires at the end of September 2008. Despite close U.S. relations with most Caribbean nations, there has been tension at times in relations. Many Caribbean nations resent U.S. expressions of concern about their relations with Cuba and Venezuela. Another delicate issue has been the large number of deportations from the United States to the region over the past several years.
This report, which will be updated periodically, deals with broad issues in U.S. relations with the Caribbean, including foreign assistance; counternarcotics and security cooperation; support to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic; trade policy; the deportation issue; and energy issues. It does not include an extensive discussion of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, or Haiti, which are covered in other CRS reports. Additional CRS reports on the Caribbean region include CRS Report RL33951, U.S. Trade Policy and the Caribbean: From Trade Preferences to Free Trade Agreements, by [author name scrubbed], and CRS Report RL32001, HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and Central America, by [author name scrubbed].