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The caribbean region


THIS PART OF THE WORLD EXPANDS FROM THE MEXICAN GULF TO FRENCH GUYANA AND IT CARRIES THE NAME OF ITS INDIGENOUS POPULATION WHO USED TO LIVE IN THE WEST INDIES AS WELL AS IN THE NEARBY COASTS: THEY WERE CALLED THE CARIB INDIANS.

THE CARIBBEAN REGION HAS BEEN THE CENTER STAGE OF A UNIQUE ETHNIC , CULTURAL AND IDEOLOGICAL MIXTURE FOR  CENTURIES .ITS GEOGRAPHY AND ITS HISTORY  HAVE PRODUCED A VARIED POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND A SOCIAL  LANDSCAPE .IT IS COMPOSED OF MANY COUNTRIES ORGANIZED IN GROUPS OF DIFFERENT SIZES.

AMONG THESE ANGUILA , ANTIGUA & BARBUDA , THE BAHAMAS , BARBADOS , BELIZE  , THE CAYMAN ISLANDS, COLOMBIA , COSTA RICA , CUBA , CURACAO, DOMINICA, THE GRENADINES, GUADELOUPE, GUATEMALA, GUYANA, THE FRENCH GUYANA , HAITI, HONDURAS, THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS , THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS ,JAMAÏCA, MARTINIQUE, MONTSERRAT, NICARAGUA, PANAMA,PORTO RICO, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, SAINT LUCIA , SAINT MARTEEN , SAINT VINCENT , SURINAM , TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, TURKS AND CAÏCOS , AS WELL AS VENEZUELA.

THE ASSOCIATION OF THE CARIBBEAN STATES ( AEC OR ACS IN ENGLISH ) WAS CREATED IN JULY 1994.
THE AIM OF SUCH AN ASSOCATION IS TO REGROUP ALL COUNTRIES SURROUNDED BY THE CARIBBEAN SEA.
WITH ITS 25 STATE MEMBERS , INCLUDING CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES, VENEZUELA, COLOMBIA, AND ITS 10 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS ALONG WITH THE FRENCH REPUBLIC (REPRESENTING GUADELOUPE, MARTINIQUE THE FRENCH GUYANA) THIS ASSSOCIATION IS THE BIGGEST AND THE MOST IMPORTANT.

SINCE 1973 THERE EXISTS A COMMON MARKET CALLED THE CARICOM ( THE CARIBBEAN COMMON MARKET ) INITIATED BY THE AEC WHICH INCLUDES MOST OF THE CARIBBEAN STATES. IT IS BETWEEN AN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION AND A POLITICAL UNION.

THE CARIBBEAN REGION SHELTERS  MORE THAN 40 MILLION INHABITANTS. THE TWO THIRDS ARE IN THE ISLANDS OF CUBA , THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND CUBA.

THERE ARE MANY  SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES IN THE REGION AS WELL AS MANY DIFFERENCES IN THE POLITICAL REGIMES.
ALL THESE ISLANDS HAVE ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR : TOURISM . TOURISM PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS  REGION\'S ECONOMY . THE  HIGHEST GROSS INTERIOR PRODUCT PER INHABITANT IS THAT OF THE BAHAMAS WICH 12.899 US DOLLARS  AND THE WEAKEST IS HAÏTI WITH 413 US DOLLARS , WITH THAT OF GUADELOUPE WHICH RISES  UP TO 8. 651 US DOLLARS.