The Caribbean countries and the Free Trade Area of the Americas

The Caribbean countries are acutely conscious of their small size, whether judged by one or all of the criteria of land area, population or gross domestic product (GDP). Paradoxically, this impels them to join a larger trading group for fear that they might otherwise be denied a place in the mainstream of international activity. This article analyses several characteristics of small countries, with particular attention to those that seem especially relevant to the Caribbean. The paper notes that small size does indeed place greater demands on the national leadership as regards appropriate and consistent economic management, while the citizens of small countries live at higher levels of risk, whether due to the vagaries of the weather or to the turmoil of international markets.