Jamaica

• tropical;
• hot, humid;
• temperate interior

• third largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola);
• strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

noun:

Jamaican(s)

adjective:

Jamaican

total:

28.8 years (2025 est.)

male:

30.1 years

female:

31.7 years

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.91 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

14.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

11.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

9.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.3 years (2024 est.)

male:

74.5 years

female:

78.1 years

total:

3.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

1.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

9% (2025 est.)

male:

15.1% (2025 est.)

female:

3.1% (2025 est.)

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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• tropical;
• hot, humid;
• temperate interior

urban population:

57.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

1.052 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

15% (2022 est.)

municipal:

339.867 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

43.989 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

78.972 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Jamaica

etymology:

from the Arawak word xaymaca , meaning "Land of Wood and Water" or possibly "Land of Springs"

name:

Kingston

geographic coordinates:

18 00 N, 76 48 W

time difference:

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the name is a blend of the words "king's" and "town;" named after the English king at the time of the city's founding in 1692, WILLIAM III

history:

several previous (pre-independence); latest drafted 1961-62, submitted to British Parliament 24 July 1962, entered into force 6 August 1962 (at independence)

amendment process:

• proposed by Parliament;
• passage of amendments to "non-entrenched" constitutional sections, such as lowering the voting age, requires majority vote by the Parliament membership;
• passage of amendments to "entrenched" sections, such as fundamental rights and freedoms, requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament;
• passage of amendments to "specially entrenched" sections such as the dissolution of Parliament or the executive authority of the monarch requires two-thirds approval by Parliament and approval in a referendum

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

4 out of the previous 5 years

chief of state:

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Sir Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)

head of government:

Prime Minister Andrew HOLNESS (since 3 March 2016)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

election/appointment process:

• the monarchy is hereditary;
• governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister;
• following legislative elections, the governor general appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Representatives as prime minister

legislature name:

Parliament

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

House of Representatives

number of seats:

63 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

9/3/2025

parties elected and seats per party:

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) (35); People's National Party (PNP) (28)

percentage of women in chamber:

30.2%

expected date of next election:

August 2030

chamber name:

Senate

number of seats:

21 (all appointed)

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

9/18/2025

percentage of women in chamber:

33.3%

expected date of next election:

September 2030

highest court(s):

Court of Appeal (consists of president of the court and a minimum of 4 judges); Supreme Court (40 judges organized in specialized divisions)

judge selection and term of office:

• chief justice of the Supreme Court and president of the Court of Appeal appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister;
• other judges of both courts appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission;
• judges of both courts serve till age 70

subordinate courts:

resident magistrate courts, district courts, and petty sessions courts

note: appeals beyond Jamaica's highest courts are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court for member states of the Caribbean Community)

• Jamaica Labor Party or JLP
• Jamaica Progressive Party or JPP
• People's National Party or PNP
• United Independents' Congress or UIC

chief of mission:

Ambassador Antony B. ANDERSON (since 24 July 2025)

chancery:

1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 452-0660

FAX:

[1] (202) 452-0036

email address and website:

[email protected]; Jamaican Embassy (embassyofjamaica.org)

consulate(s) general:

Miami, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Scott RENNER (since 13 August 2025)

embassy:

142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6

mailing address:

3210 Kingston Place, Washington DC 20521-3210

telephone:

(876) 702-6000

FAX:

(876) 702-6348

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://jm.usembassy.gov/

description:

diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles, two green (top and bottom) and two black (left and right)

meaning:

• green stands for hope, vegetation, and agriculture;
• black for hardships overcome and to be faced;
• and yellow for sunshine and natural resources

title:

"Jamaica, Land We Love"

lyrics/music:

Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE

history:

adopted 1962

total World Heritage Sites:

2 ( 1mixed,1 cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Blue and John Crow Mountains (m); The Archaeological Ensemble of 17th Century Port Royal (c)

• upper-middle-income Caribbean island economy;
• key agriculture and tourism sectors;
• high crime, youth unemployment, and poverty;
• susceptible to natural disasters and global commodity price shocks;
• progress in reducing public debt and moderating inflation within target range

agriculture:

9.8% (2024 est.)

industry:

18.3% (2024 est.)

services:

60.3% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

14.5% (2024 est.)

male:

12.9% (2024 est.)

female:

16.4% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

2.2% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

29.6% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

106,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

100 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

105,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

3,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

41,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

consumption:

822.549 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

822.549 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

total ports:

11 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

1

small:

2

very small:

8

ports with oil terminals:

5

key ports:

Falmouth, Kingston, Lucea, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rio Bueno, Rocky Point, Savannah la Mar

• 18-23 for voluntary military service (17 with parental consent) for men and women;
• 18-28 for the reserves;
• no conscription;
• since 2017, the JDF's standard mode of recruitment is to enroll recruits ages 18-23 through the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC), which has a service requirement of 12 months (2025)

note 1: the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF), a youth organization under the Ministry of Security, also provides a recruitment pool for the JDF, as well as other government agencies

note 2: as of 2022, women made up about 20% of the JDF's uniformed personnel