Jamaica

parliamentary democracyIndependence 6 August 1962 (from UK)

Jamaica as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 79 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

Locationin the northern Caribbean Sea, about 160 km south of Cuba

Populationas each edition published it

2.53 million July 1993 est. · 2.44m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.96% 1993 est. · 0.25% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

74.09 years 1993 est. · 76.3 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.47 children per woman 1993 est. · 2.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

17.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 16 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,500 1992 est. · $10,300 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

1.5% 1992 est. · -0.7% in 2025

Geography

In the northern Caribbean Sea, about 160 km south of Cuba

14 fields

Land useshare of 10,990 km2

arable land 19%permanent crops 6%meadows and pastures 18%forest and woodland 28%other 29%irrigated 350 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

10,990km2

land area: 10,830 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Coastline

1,022km

land boundaries: 0 kmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

in the northern Caribbean Sea, about 160 km south of Cuba

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

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

2,529,981

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.96% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

22.24Death

5.72Net migration

-6.95

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years74.09

71.92 · 76.36

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy98%

98% · 99%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990)

Ethnic divisions

African 76.3%Afro-European 15.1%East Indian and Afro-East Indian 3%white 3.2%Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%other 1.2%

Labor force

1,062,100

by occupation: services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%, unemployed 17.5% (1989)

Infant mortality rate

17.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Jamaican(s)
adjective:: Jamaican

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, including some spiritual cults 39.1% (1982)

Languages

English, Creole

Government

Parliamentary democracy

21 fields

Names

conventional long form:: none
conventional short form:: Jamaica

Digraph

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

Legal system

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

National holiday

Independence Day (first Monday in August)

Political parties and leaders

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

Other political or pressure groups

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Elections

House of Representatives:: last held 30 March 1993 (next to be held by February 1998);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (60 total) PNP 52, JLP 8

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 Sir Howard COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister P. J. PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992)

Member of

ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, 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 in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Richard BERNAL
chancery:: Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:: (202) 452-0660
consulates general:: Miami and New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Glen A. HOLDEN
embassy:: Kingston
mailing address:: 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.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,500

(1992 est.)

Real growth rate

1.5%

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 2.0% (1990); accounts for almost 25% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

52%

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

15.4%

(1992)

Budget

Revenues

$600 millionExpenditures

$736 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (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 0.2% as a result of the US recession, lower world bauxite prices, and monetary instability. In 1992, growth was 1.5%, supported by a recovery in tourism and stabilization of the Jamaican dollar in the second half of 1992.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.7 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

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

commodities:: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum
partners:: US 39%, UK 14%, Canada 12%, Netherlands 8%, Norway 7%

Imports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: fuel, other raw materials, construction materials, food, transport equipment, other machinery and equipment
partners:: US 51%, UK 6%, Venezuela 5%, Canada 5%, Japan 4.5%

External debt

$4.4 billion (1991 est.)

Electricity

1,127,000 kW capacity; 2,736 million kWh produced, 1,090 kWh per capita (1992)

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, vegetables;
livestock 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