REGIONAL INTEGRATION REGION: an area of a country

Transcript:REGIONAL INTEGRATION REGION: an area of a country:
REGIONAL INTEGRATION REGION: an area of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries Definable characteristics: noticeable features or qualities shared by the Caribbean islands INTEGRATION: the act of combining things to form a whole CARIBBEAN: relating to the region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands and the surrounding coasts Cooperation: working helpfully with others TEAMWORK 7 DEFINABLE CHARACTERISTICS DEFINABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CARIBBEAN REGION LIMITED NATURAL RESOURCES Minerals (T&T has oil, Jamaica has bauxite) Agriculture-based economies (fertile soils: sugar, bananas, arrowroot, ground provisions) Tropical climate: suitable for agriculture and tourism DEPENDENCE ON TOURISM Historical sites, scenic beauty: eco-tourism (nature trails, bird watching, mud volcanoes etc) Tourism industry is characterized by fickleness e.g. H1N1 outbreak in Barbados can cause major losses in the hotel industry Present world economic and financial crisis crippling tourist industry worldwide Price fluctuations etc can lead to major losses of foreign exchange revenues PRONE TO NATURAL DISASTERS: e.g. hurricanes , floods and earthquakes which destroy property and cause economic setbacks (Grenada) SMALL POPULATION SIZE, SMALL PHYSICAL SIZE: Small domestic markets Distance between the islands and inefficient inter-island transport Hinders trade Increases transport costs Increases costs of production BRAIN DRAIN Skilled and educated people leave and migrate to developed countries in search of more attractive jobs and a higher standard of living COMMON HISTORY AND HERITAGE Members of the British Commonwealth Law, language, education system, social institutions VARIED ETHNIC COMPOSITION Due to our cultural and national tradition Their small physical size, small population size, limited resources, underdevelopment etc led them to attempt to unite and cooperate for their common good Define the following terms and concepts related to regional integration: Bilateral agreement, multilateral agreement, common market, single market, single economy, economic integration, independent state, underdeveloped country, developing country, developed country, trade liberalization, globalization, multinational corporation, regionalism, trading bloc, fiscal policy, monetary policy Major challenges facing the Caribbean Region Major stages in the integration movement Functions of the various organizations (OECS Secretariat, CARICOM Secretariat, Conference of Heads of Government) Objectives of the various organizations: OECS, CARICOM, CSME Factors that promote regional integration Factors that hinder regional integration Benefits of regional integration The role of individuals, businesses and government in the integration process The role of regional agencies in the integration process Definitions Bi-lateral Agreement: An agreement between two parties or states setting out the conditions under which trade between them will be