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Jamaica gained full independence within the British Commonwealth in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence and a dropoff in tourism. Elections in 1980 saw the democratic socialists voted out of office. Subsequent governments have been open market oriented. Political violence marred elections during the 1990s.

[edit] Geography

Location 

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates 

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Map references 

Central America and the Caribbean

Area 

total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

1,022 km

Maritime claims 

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 NM

Climate 

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain 

mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Natural resources 

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use 

arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 9.23%
other: 74.7% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

250 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards 

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Environment - current issues 

heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions

Environment - international agreements 

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note 

strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

[edit] People

Population 

2,680,029 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 29.1% (male 399,249; female 380,864)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 858,433; female 859,174)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 81,321; female 100,988) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

0.56% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

17.74 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

5.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

-6.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

13.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 75.64 years
female: 77.73 years (2002 est.)
male: 73.65 years

Total fertility rate 

2.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

0.71% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

9,900 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

650 (1999 est.)

Nationality 

noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican

Ethnic groups 

black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%

Religions 

Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7%

Languages 

English, patois English

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 85%
male: 80.8%
female: 89.1% (1995 est.)

[edit] Government

Country name 

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica

Government type 

constitutional parliamentary democracy

Capital 

Kingston

Administrative divisions 

14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland

Independence 

6 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday 

Independence Day, first Monday in August (1962)

Constitution 

6 August 1962

Legal system 

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage 

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch 

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA 1993)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime minister

Legislative branch 

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated eight seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%; seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26

Judicial branch 

Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders 

Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Edward SEAGA]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP [Percival James PATTERSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders 

New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

International organization participation 

ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador Seymour MULLINGS
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador Sue McCourt COBB
embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX: [1] (876) 926-6743

Flag description 

diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)

[edit] Economy

Economy - overview 

The economy, which depends heavily on tourism and bauxite, has been stagnant since 1995. After five years of recession, the economy grew 0.8% in 2000 and 1.1% in 2001, but the global economic slowdown, particularly in the United States after the 11 September terrorist attacks, has stunted the economic recovery. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased foreign competition; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt, the result of government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the economy, particularly the financial sector. Depressed economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including a mounting crime rate. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon encouraging investment, maintaining a competitive exchange rate, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper fiscal and monetary policies.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $9.8 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

1.1% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 7%
industry: 28%
services: 65% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line 

34% (1992 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 29% (1996) (1996)

Distribution of family income - Gini index 

36 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

6.9% (2001 est.)

Labor force 

1.13 million (1998) (1998)

Labor force - by occupation 

services 60%, agriculture 21%, industry 19% (1998) (1998)

Unemployment rate 

16% (2000 est.)

Budget 

revenues: $2.23 billion
expenditures: $2.56 billion, including capital expenditures of $232.5 million

Industries 

tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products

Industrial production growth rate 

-2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production 

6.74 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 89%
hydro: 3%
other: 7% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

6.27 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk

Exports 

$1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities 

alumina, bauxite; sugar, bananas, rum

Exports - partners 

US 35.7%, EU (excluding UK) 15.9%, UK 13%, Canada 10.5% (1999)

Imports 

$3.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities 

machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals, fertilizers

Imports - partners 

US 47.8%, Caricom countries 12.4%, Latin America 7.2%, EU (excluding UK) 4.7% (1999)

Debt - external 

$5.2 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient 

$102.7 million (1995) (1995)

Currency 

Jamaican dollar (JMD)

Currency code 

JMD

Exchange rates 

Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 47.277 (December 2001), 45.996 (2001), 42.701 (2000), 39.044 (1999), 36.550 (1998), 35.404 (1997)

Fiscal year 

1 April - 31 March

[edit] Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

353,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

54,640 (1996)

Telephone system 

general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios 

1.215 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

7 (1997)

Televisions 

460,000 (1997)

Internet country code 

.jm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

21 (2000)

Internet users 

100,000 (2002)

[edit] Transportation

Railways 

total: 272 km
standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge; note - 207 km, belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation, were in common carrier service but are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite (2000)

Highways 

total: 19,000 km
paved: 13,433 km
unpaved: 5,567 km (1997)

Waterways 

none

Pipelines 

petroleum products 10 km

Ports and harbors 

Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf)

Merchant marine 

total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,954 GRT/25,250 DWT
ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Latvia 2, United States 2 (2002 est.)

Airports 

35 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 22 (2002)

[edit] Military

Military branches 

Jamaica Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force

Military manpower - military age 

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability 

males age 15-49: 747,043 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service 

males age 15-49: 523,550 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually 

males: 27,729 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure 

$30 million (FY95/96 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 

NA%

[edit] Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none

Illicit drugs 

major transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions