This wide ranging thematic and comparative text analyses the origins and nature of the developmental and political crises of the region and the reasons for their recent intensification. It covers all the Central American states and the largest Caribbean island territories - Jamaica, Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico - as well as Panama and Grenada, assessing their common experiences as small economies living in the shadow of the United States but also highlighting key differences.

Introduction: The Caribbean Model of Development
The Historical Evolution of the Caribbean Basin
Making Politics: Class, Ethnicity and Nation
Political Systems of the Region
The International Relations of the Caribbean Basin
Regional Development Revolution: Cuba, Nicaragua and Grenada
Conclusion: Is the Crisis Over?