Jamaica

parliamentary democracyIndependence 6 August 1962 (from UK)

Jamaica as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 74 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalKingston
Area10,990 km2
1992

Every edition of Jamaica

Populationas each edition published it
2.51 million July 1992 · 2.44m in 1990
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 0.96% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 26.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 74.09 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.5 children per woman 1992 · 2.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
18 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 16 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $1,500 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 1.5% in 1993

Geography

13 fields
Total area
10,990km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Coastline
1,022km
land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land area

10,830 km2

Climate

  • tropical;
  • hot, humid;
  • temperate interior

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Natural resources

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use

  • arable land 19%;
  • permanent crops 6%;
  • meadows and pastures 18%;
  • forest and woodland 28%;
  • other 29%;
  • includes irrigated 3%

Environment

  • subject to hurricanes (especially July to November);
  • deforestation;
  • water pollution

Note

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

People

14 fields
Population
2,506,701
(July 1992), growth rate 0.9% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth
23Death
6Net migration
-8

Ethnic divisions

African 76.3%Afro-European 15.1%East Indian and Afro-East Indian 3.0%white 3.2%Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%other 1.2%
Literacy
98%
(male 98%, female 99%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

18 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

72 years male, 76 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

2.5 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

noun - Jamaican(s); adjective - Jamaican

Religions

predominantly Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other 39.1%, including some spiritualist cults (1982)

Languages

English, Creole

Labor force

  • 1,062,100;
  • services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%;
  • unemployed 17.5% (1989)

Organized labor

24% of labor force (1989)

Government

Parliamentary democracy

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

57%
PNP 57%JLP 43%

Type

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)

Constitution

6 August 1962

National holiday

Independence Day (first Monday in August)

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Howard COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister P. J. Patterson (since 30 March 1992)

Political parties and leaders

People's National Party (PNP) P. J. Patterson; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward SEAGA

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Elections

House of Representatives:
  • last held 9 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1994);
  • results - PNP 57%, JLP 43%;
  • seats - (60 total) PNP 45, JLP 15

Other political or pressure groups

Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

Member of

ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, GATT, G-15, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Richard BERNAL;
  • Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006;
  • telephone (202) 452-0660;
  • there are Jamaican Consulates General in Miami and New York
US:
  • Ambassador Glen A. HOLDEN;
  • Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, Kingston;
  • telephone (809) 929-4850 through 4859, FAX (809) 926-6743

Flag

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

Economy

The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism.

17 fields
Inflation, consumer prices
80%
(1991 projected)
External debt
$3.8billion
(1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$600 millionExpenditures
$736 million
expenditures (FY91 est.)

Overview

The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985 it suffered a setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal prices.

The recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy. By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely complete, and real growth was up about 3% for 1989. In 1991, however, growth dropped to 1.0% as a result of the US recession, lower world bauxite prices, and monetary instability.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $3.6 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate 1.0% (1991 est.)

Exports

$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991, projected)

commodities:
bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas
partners:
US 36%, UK, Canada, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago

Imports

$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991 projected)

commodities:
petroleum, machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods
partners:
US 48%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago

Industrial production

growth rate - 2.0% (1990); accounts for almost 25% of GDP

Electricity

1,122,000 kW capacity; 2,520 million kWh produced, 1,012 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures

Agriculture

  • accounts for about 9% of GDP, 22% of work force, and 17% of exports;
  • commercial crops - sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, and vegetables;
  • live-stock and livestock products include poultry, goats, milk;
  • not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products

Illicit drugs

  • illicit cultivation of cannabis;
  • transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to North America;
  • government has an active cannabis eradication program

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.2 billion; other countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.6 billion

Currency

Jamaican dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 - 21.946 (January 1992), 12.116 (1991), 7.184 (1990), 5.7446 (1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 4 ships by typeone square, one ship

roll-on/roll-off cargo 1petroleum tanker 1bulk 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,619 GRT/16,302 DWT

Airports, 36 total, 23 usable

permanent-surface runways
13runways | over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
2runways 1,220-2,439 m
1

Networkskm

Highways
18,200Railroads
294
Highways: ; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km improved earth · Railroads: , all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track

Railroads

294 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track

Highways

18,200 km total; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km improved earth

Pipelines

petroleum products 10 km

Ports

Kingston, Montego Bay

Civil air

8 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • fully automatic domestic telephone network;
  • 127,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV;
  • 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations;
  • 3 coaxial submarine cables

Defense Forces

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

3 fields

Branches

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

Manpower availability

  • males 15-49, 640,058;
  • 454,131 fit for military service;
  • no conscription;
  • 26,785 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $20 million, less than 1% of GDP (FY91)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Jamaica.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/jamaica/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →