Jamaica

constitutional parliamentary democracyIndependence 6 August 1962 (from UK)

Jamaica as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 122 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, UTC-5

Position18 15 N, 77 30 W

Area10,991 sq km

LocationCaribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Populationas each edition published it

2.76 million July 2006 est. · 2.44m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.8% 2006 est. · 0.96% in 1993

Median ageyears

23 years 2006 est. · 26.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

73.24 years 2006 est. · 74.09 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.41 children per woman 2006 est. · 2.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

15.98 deaths per 1,000 live births 2006 est. · 16 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$4,500 2005 est. · $1,500 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.8% 2005 est. · 1.5% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated, replaced by African slaves. England siezed the island in 1655 and a plantation economy - based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee - was established. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of which became small farmers.

Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and in 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs created by the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering.

The cycle of violence, drugs, and poverty has served to impoverish large sectors of the populace. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.

Geography

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

18 fields

Land useshare of 10,991 sq km

arable land 15.83%permanent crops 10.01%other 74.16% (2005)irrigated 250 sq km (2002)

Area

10,991sq km

land: 10,831 sq kmwater: 160 sq kmslightly smaller than Connecticut

Coastline

1,022km

land boundaries: 0 kmMaritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselinesterritorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

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

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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, 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

People

19 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)

90,100

65 and over7.3%

110,434

808,718

15-6459.6%

835,394

464,297

0-1433.1%

449,181

MaleFemale

Population

2,758,124

(July 2006 est.)growth rate: 0.8% (2006 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)

Birth

20.82Death

6.52Net migration

-6.27

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2006 est.)73.24

71.54 · 75.03Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)15.98

16.66 · 15.27

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)87.9%

84.1% · 91.6%Median age years (2006 est.)23

22.4 · 23.5

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.2%

(2003 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

22,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

900 (2003 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Jamaican(s)
adjective:: Jamaican

Languages

English, patois English

Government

Constitutional parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February 2006); Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 30 March 2006)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

52%

PNP 52%JLP 47.3%last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held no later than October 2007)

Legislature, 60 seats, elected 16 October 2002one dot, one seat

PNP 34JLP 26

Percent of vote

PNP 52%JLP 47.3%

Country name

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

Government type

constitutional parliamentary democracy

Capital

name:: Kingston
geographic coordinates:: 18 00 N, 76 48 W
time difference:: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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 note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation

Independence

6 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 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 Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February 2006)
head of government:: Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 30 March 2006)
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 no later than 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 [Bruce GOLDING];
National Democratic Movement or NDM [Hyacinth BENNETT];
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, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON
embassy:: Mutual Life Building, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX:: [1] (876) 935-6001

Flag description

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

Economy

The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from remittances, tourism, and bauxite/alumina.

42 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$12.18billion

(2005 est.)official exchange rate: $9.127 billion (2005 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

$4,500

(2005 est.)

Real growth rate

1.8%

(2005 est.)industrial production growth: -2% (2000 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

15.3%

(2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)

agriculture 4.9%industry 33.7%services 61.5% (2005 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

25.8%

41.4%

19.3%

Canada

Trinidad and Tobago

14%

10.7%

8.6%

Netherlands

China

6.4%

Norway

5.6%

Germany

Venezuela

5.5%

Japan

4.6%

Exports $1.608 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)Imports $4.093 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)(2005)

Budget

Revenues

$2.8 billionExpenditures

$3.21 billion (2005 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $180.4 million

Electricity

Electricity production

3.717 billion (2004)Electricity consumption

2.974 billion (2004)

Economy - overview

The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from remittances, tourism, and bauxite/alumina. The global economic slowdown, particularly after the terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September 2001, stunted economic growth;

the economy rebounded moderately in 2003-04, with brisk tourist seasons. But the economy faces serious long-term problems: high interest rates, increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a growing stock of internal debt - the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-1990s.

The ratio of debt to GDP is 135%. Inflation, previously a bright spot, is expected to remain in the double digits. Uncertain economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including gang violence fueled by the drug trade. In 2004, the government faced the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime problem that is hampering economic growth.

Attempts at deficit control were derailed by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, which required substantial government spending to repair the damage. Despite the hurricane, tourism looks set to enjoy solid growth for the foreseeable future.

Labor force

1.2 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:: 19.3%
industry:: 16.6%
services:: 64.1% (2004)

Unemployment rate

11.5% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

19.1% (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37.9 (2003)

Investment (gross fixed)

32.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Public debt

128.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables;
poultry, goats, milk;
crustaceans, mollusks

Industries

tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

69,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Current account balance

$-974 million (2005 est.)

Exports

$1.608 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels

Imports

$4.093 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.17 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$7.162 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$18.5 million; note - US aid only (2004)

Currency (code)

Jamaican dollar (JMD)

Exchange rates

Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003), 48.416 (2002), 45.996 (2001)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

2.7 million

(2005)

Internet users

1,402

(2006)

Fixed lines

342,000

(2005) · country code .jm

Telephone system

general assessment:: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic:: NA
international:: country code - 1-876;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
3 coaxial submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations

AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

7 (1997)

Internet users

1.067 million (2005)

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2,438 to 3,047 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 11Unpaved 24

Networkskm

Roadways

18,700Railways

272

Roadways: paved: 13,009 km · unpaved: 5,610 km (1999) · Railways: standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge note: 207 of these km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation had been in common carrier service until 1992 but are no longer operational; 57 km of the remaining track is privately owned and used by ALCAN to transport bauxite (2003)

Airports

35 (2006)

Railways

total:: 272 km
standard gauge:: 272 km 1.435-m gauge

note: 207 of these km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation had been in common carrier service until 1992 but are no longer operational; 57 km of the remaining track is privately owned and used by ALCAN to transport bauxite (2003)

Roadways

total:: 18,700 km
paved:: 13,009 km
unpaved:: 5,610 km (1999)

Merchant marine

total:: 10 ships (1000 GRT or over) 124,323 GRT/184,247 DWT
by type:: bulk carrier 5, cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned:: 10 (Germany 3, Greece 6, Italy 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals

Kingston, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Port Rhoades, Rocky Point

Military

Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing

6 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.4%

(2003 est.)

males age 18-49:: 592,018
females age 18-49:: 616,500 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49:: 478,761
females age 18-49:: 504,541 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49:: 27,923
females age 18-49:: 27,889 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

Disputes - international

none

Trafficking in persons

current situation:: Jamaica is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and labor;
information suggests that women from the Dominican Republic and Eastern Europe are also trafficked to Jamaica for sexual exploitation;
women and children are trafficked internally from rural to urban and tourist areas for sexual exploitation;
there may also be trafficking for domestic servitude and forced labor
tier rating:: Tier 2 Watch List - Jamaica is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List based on the determination that it is making significant efforts to undertake future action

Illicit drugs

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Jamaica.” The World Factbook 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/jamaica/2006.

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