Jamaica

parliamentary democracyIndependence 6 August 1962 (from UK)

Jamaica as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 99 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
Position18 15 N, 77 30 W
Area10,990 sq km
LocationCaribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
1998

Every edition of Jamaica

Populationas each edition published it
2.63 million July 1998 est. · 2.44m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.7% 1998 est. · 0.96% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 26.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
75.37 years 1998 est. · 74.09 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.33 children per woman 1998 est. · 2.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
14.47 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 16 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$3,660 1996 est. · $1,500 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-1.4% 1996 est. · 1.5% in 1993

Geography

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

18 fields

Land useshare of 10,990 sq km

arable land 14%permanent crops 6%permanent pastures 24%forests and woodland 17%other 39% (1993 est.)irrigated 350 sq km (1993 est.)note: irrigated land-3% (350 sq km)(1993 est.)
Area
10,990sq km
land: 10,830 sq kmwater: 160 sq kmslightly smaller than Connecticut
Coastline
1,022km
land boundaries: 0 kmMaritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselinescontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
2,256m
Blue Mountain Peaklowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

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

Climate

  • tropical;
  • hot, humid;
  • temperate interior

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Natural resources

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Natural hazards

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Environment-current issues

  • 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, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements

Geography-note

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

People

15 fields
Population
2,634,678
(July 1998 est.)growth rate: 0.7% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth
20.91Death
5.45Net migration
-8.45

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)75.37
73.01 · 77.84
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)85%
80.8% · 89.1%
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

Ethnic groups

black 90.4%East Indian 1.3%white 0.2%Chinese 0.2%mixed 7.3%other 0.6%

Age structure

0-14 years:
32% (male 425,233; female 406,529)
15-64 years:
62% (male 806,846; female 817,145)
65 years and over:
6% (male 79,125; female 99,800) (July 1998 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.79 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

14.47 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.33 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Jamaican(s)
adjective:
Jamaican

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, Creole

Government

Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1 August 1991); Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA 1993)

21 fields

Legislature, 60 seats, elected 18 December 1997one dot, one seat

PNP 50JLP 10

Country name

conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Jamaica

Government type

parliamentary democracy

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (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 queen is a hereditary monarch;
  • governor general appointed by the queen on the recommendation of the prime minister;
  • prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

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 13 seats, opposition 8 seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
last held 18 December 1997 (next to be held by March 2002)
election results:
percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PNP 50, JLP 10

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders

  • People's National Party (PNP), P. J. PATTERSON;
  • Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward SEAGA;
  • National Democratic Movement (NDM), Bruce GOLDING

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

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 (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNAL
chancery:
1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
[1] (202) 452-0660

FAX

[1] (202) 452-0081; consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Stanley Louis MCLELLAND
embassy:
Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[1] (809) 929-4850 through 4859

FAX

[1] (809) 926-6743

Flag description

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

Economy

Key sectors in this island economy are bauxite | (alumina and bauxite account for more than half of exports) and | tourism.

28 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
-$9.5billion
purchasing power parity · (1996 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
-$3,660
purchasing power parity · (1996 est.)
Real growth rate
-1.4%
(1996 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

GDP-composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 8%industry 37%services 55% (1996 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$3 billionExpenditures
$3 billion
expenditures including capital expenditures of $1.163 billion (FY97/98 est.)
Fixed lines
350,000
(1997 est.)

Economy-overview

Key sectors in this island economy are bauxite (alumina and bauxite account for more than half of exports) and tourism. Since assuming office in 1992, Prime Minister PATTERSON has eliminated most price controls, streamlined tax schedules, and privatized government enterprises. Continued tight monetary and fiscal policies have helped slow inflation and stabilize the exchange rate, but have resulted in the slow-down of economic growth (moving from 1.5% in 1992 to 0.5% in 1995.

In 1996, GDP was in negative growth (-1.4%) and remained so in 1997. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased foreign competition; the weak financial condition of business in general resulting in receiverships or closures and downsizings of companies; the shift in investment portfolios to non-productive, short-term high yield instruments; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt for government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the economy.

Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon encouraging investment in the productive sectors, maintaining a competitive exchange rate, stabilizing the labor environment, and implementing proper fiscal and monetary policies.

Labor force

total:
1.14 million (1996)
by occupation:
services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%, unemployed 17.5% (1989)

Unemployment rate

16% (1996 est.)

Industries

tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures

Electricity-capacity

1.182 million kW (1995)

Electricity-production

3.87 billion kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products

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

Exports

total value:
$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:
alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum
partners:
US 37%, UK 13%, Canada 12%, Netherlands 9%, Norway 7%

Imports

total value:
$2.9 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals
partners:
US 52%, Trinidad and Tobago 8%, Japan 6%, UK 4%, Canada 3%

Debt-external

$3.2 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $306 million (1996)

Currency

1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1-36.051 (November 1997), 37.120 (1996), 35.142 (1995), 33.086 (1994), 24.949 (1993)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March Communications

Telephone system

fully automatic domestic telephone network

domestic:
NA
international:
satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1997)

Radios

1.973 million (1997)

Televisions

330,000 (1992 est.)

Transportation

8 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1997 est.)

bulk 1oil tanker 1roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

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

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m
23
total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 2

Networkskm

Highways
18,700Railways
370
Highways: paved: 13,100 km · unpaved: 5,600 km (gravel 3,200 km; improved earth 2,400 km) (1997 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 370 km 1.435-m gauge; note-207 km belong to the Jamaica Railway Corporation in common carrier service, but are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite

Railways

total:
370 km
standard gauge:
  • 370 km 1.435-m gauge;
  • note-207 km belong to the Jamaica Railway Corporation in common carrier service, but are no longer operational;
  • the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite

Highways

total:
18,700 km
paved:
13,100 km
unpaved:
5,600 km (gravel 3,200 km; improved earth 2,400 km) (1997 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 10 km

Ports and harbors

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

Airports

36 (1997 est.)

Military

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

7 fields

Military branches

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

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 703,697 (1998 est.)

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$47.9 million (FY97/98 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Illicit drugs

  • transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to North America and Europe;
  • illicit cultivation of cannabis;
  • government has an active manual cannabis eradication program JAN MAYEN (territory of Norway)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Jamaica.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/jamaica/1998.

How to cite ← 1997 edition 1999 edition →