1988 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; Habomai Islands, Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan islands occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan; Kuril Islands administered by Soviet Union; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Coastline

1,022 km

13,685 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Connecticut

slightly smaller than California

Environment

subject to hurricanes, especially (May to December); deforestation; water pollution

many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year

Ethnic divisions

76.3% African, 15.1% Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian and AfroEast Indian, 3.2% white, 1.2% Chinese and Afro-Chinese, 0.8% other

99.4% Japanese, 0.6% other (mostly Korean)

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Infant mortality rate

16.8/1,000 (1984)

6/1,000 (1984)

Labor force

728,700 (1984); 32% agriculture, 28% industry and commerce, 27% services, 13% government; shortage of technical and managerial personnel; 30% unemployment

(1985) 59.3 million; 53% trade and services; 33% manufacturing, mining, and construction; 9% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 3% government; 2.68% unemployed (1985 average)

Land use

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

11% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 2% meadows and pastures; 68% forest and woodland; 17% other; includes 9% irrigated

Language

English, Creole

Japanese

Life expectancy

65

men 74.54, women 80.18

Literacy

76%

99%

Nationality

noun — Jamaican(s); adjective— Jamaican

noun — Japanese (sing., pi.); adjective — Japanese

Organized labor

about 33% of labor force (1980)

about 30% of labor force

Population

2,455,536 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 1.17%

122,124,293 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.55%

Religion

predominantly Protestant (including Anglican and Baptist), some Roman Catholic, some spiritualist cults

most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16% belong to other faiths, including 0.8% Christian

Special notes

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

strategic location in northeast Asia

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

mostly rugged and mountainous

Territorial sea

12 nm

12 nm (3 nm in international straits — La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western channels of Tsushima or Korea Strait)

Total area

10,990 km2; land area: 10,830 km2

372,310 km2; land area: 371,030 km2

Administrative divisions

14 parishes and the Kingston-St. Andrew corporate area

47 prefectures

Branches

Cabinet headed by Prime Minister; bicameral legislature — 21-member Senate (13 nominated by the Prime Minister, eight by opposition leader, if any; currently no official opposition because of People's National Party boycott of December 1983 election; eight nonJamaica Labor Party members appointed to current Senate by Prime Minister Seaga), 60-member elected House of Representatives; judiciary follows British tradition under a Chief Justice

Emperor is symbol of state; executive power is vested in Cabinet appointed by the Prime Minister, chosen by the lower house of the bicameral, elective legislature — Diet (House of Councilors, House of Representatives); judiciary is independent

Capital

Kingston

Tokyo

Communists

Workers' Party of Jamaica (Marxist-Leninist)

about 470,000 registered Communist Party members

Elections

at discretion of Governor General upon advice of Prime Minister but within five years; last held 15 December Jamaica (continued) Japan Political parties and leaders: Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward Seaga; People's National Party (PNP), Michael Manley; Workers' Party of Jamaica (WPJ), Trevor Munroe

general elections held every four years or upon dissolution of lower house, triennially for half of upper house Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Y. Nakasone, president; Japan Socialist Party (JSP), T. Doi, chairman; Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), S. Tsukamoto, chairman; Japan Communist Party (JCP), T. Fuwa, Presidium chairman; Komeito (Clean Government Party), J. Yano, chairman; Social Democratic Federation (SDF), S. Eda

Government leaders

Edward Philip George SEAGA, Prime Minister (since November 1980); Sir Florizel A. GLASSPOLE, Governor General (since 1973)

HIROHITO, Emperor (since December 1926); Yasuhiro NAKASONE, Prime Minister (since November 1982)

Legal system

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

civil law system with English-American influence; constitution promulgated in 1946; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Member of

CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDE— Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

ADB, ASPAC, Colombo Plan, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE— InterAmerican Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC— International Whaling Commission, IWC — International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

National holiday

Independence Day, first Monday in August

Foundation Day, 11 February

Official name

Jamaica

Japan

Other political or pressure groups

New World Group (Caribbean regionalists, nationalists, and leftist intellectual fraternity); Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New Creation International Peacemakers Tabernacle (leftist group); Workers Liberation League (a Marxist coalition of students/labor)

Suffrage

universal adult at age 18

universal over age 20

Type

independent state within Commonwealth, recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state

constitutional monarchy

Voting strength

in the 1983 general elections 54 seats were uncontested; in six contested seats the JLP won overwhelmingly against several small fringe parties; the PNP and WPJ boycotted the election; in 1980 general elections about 58.8% JLP (51 seats in House), 41.2% PNP (9 seats)

(1986 election) Lower House— 49.5% LDP (307 seats), 17.2% JSP (88 seats), 9.4% Komeito (57 seats), 8.8% JCP (27 seats), 6.4% DSP (29 seats), 0.8% SDF (4 seats), 6.1% independents and minor parties; Upper House — LDP 143 seats, JSP 40, Komeito 25 seats, JCP 16 seats, DSP 12 seats, SDF 1 seat, Niin Club 3 seats, Salaryman 3 seats, Zeikinto 2 seats, independents 3 seats

Agriculture

sugarcane, citrus fruits, bananas, pimento, coconuts, coffee, cocoa, tobacco; an illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade

land intensively cultivated; rice, sugar, vegetables, fruits; 64% selfsufficient in food (1984); food shortages — wheat, corn, beans

Aid

donor — ODA and OOF economic commitments (1970-84), $36.6 billion

Budget

revenues, $545.0 million; expenditures, $818.0 million (1985)

revenues, $243 billion; expenditures, $332 billion; deficit, $89 billion (general account for fiscal year ending March 1987 converted at 162.0 yen=US$l)

Crude steel

105.3 million metric tons produced (1985), 870 kg per capita

Electric power

1,119,000 kW capacity; 1,520 million kWh produced, 660 kWh per capita (1986)

181,000,000 kW capacity; 665,000 billion kWh produced, 5,500 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$568.6 million (f.o.b., 1985); alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, citrus fruits and fruit products, rum, cocoa

$175.6 billion (f.o.b., 1985); 97% manufactures (including 30% machinery, 25% motor vehicles, 8% consumer electronics

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

1 April-31 March

Fishing

catch 12.2 million metric tons (1985)

GDP

$2.0 billion, $820 per capita; real growth rate 5.0% (1986 est.)

GNP

$1,979 billion (at 167.1 yen=US$l); $16,290 per capita; 58% personal consumption, 28% investment, 10% government current expenditure, negligible stocks, and 4% foreign balance; real growth rate 2.1% (1986); average annual growth rate 3.6% (1981-86)

Imports

$998.8 million (f.o.b., 1985); fuels, machinery, transportation and electrical equipment, food, fertilizer

$129.5 billion (c.i.f., 1985); 44% fossil fuels, 25% manufactures, 14% foodstuffs, 16% non-fuel raw materials

Major industries

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

metallurgical and engineering industries, electrical and electronic industries, textiles, chemicals

Major trade partners

exports — US 48%, Canada 14%, UK 13%, Norway 3%, imports—US 46%, Netherlands Antilles 13%, Venezuela 8%, UK 5% (1984)

exports — 37% US, 19% Southeast Asia, 14% Western Europe, 7% Middle East, 9% Communist countries; imports— 23% Middle East, 23% Southeast Asia, 20% US, 10% Western Europe, 7% Communist countries

Monetary conversion rate

5.48 Jamaican dollars=US$l (November 1986)

162.0 yen=US$l (17 December 1986)

Natural resources

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

negligible mineral resources, fish

Shortages

fossil fuels, most industrial raw materials

Airfields

50 total, 45 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

42 total, 27 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie

Jamaica Defense Force (includes Coast Guard and Air Wing)

Civil air

19 major transport aircraft, including multinationally owned Air Afrique fleet

6 major transport aircraft

Highways

46,600 km total; 3,600 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surface; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and improved earth; 11,000 km unimproved

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

1,113,388 km total (1980); 510,904 km paved, 602,484 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved; 2,579 km national expressways, 40,212 km national highways, 43,907 km principal local roads, 86,930 km prefectural roads, 939,760 km municipal roads

Inland waterways

740 km navigable rivers and numerous coastal lagoons

about 1,770 km; sea going craft ply all coastal inland seas

Military manpower

males 15-49, 2,528,000; 1,305,000 fit for military service; 98,000 males reach military age (18) annually Caribbean Sea cho Riot Port Antonio Caribbean Sea Set region*) map III

males 15-49, 590,000; 420,000 fit for military service; no conscription; 28,000 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually North Pacific Ocean Philippine Sea ? Okinawa Stt rtfionalinip VIII

Pipelines

refined products, 10 km

Ports

2 major (Abidjan, San-Pedro), 2 minor

2 major (Kingston, Montego Bay), 10 minor

Railroads

657 km of the 1,175 km Abidjan to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, line, all single track 1.000-meter gauge; only diesel locomotives in use

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

21,387 km total (1982); 1,835 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 19,552 km predominantly 1.067-meter narrow gauge, 5,690 km doubleand multitrack sections, 8,830 km 1.067-meter narrowgauge electrified, 1,804 km 1. 435-meter standard gauge electrified

Telecommunications

system above African average; consists of open-wire lines and radio-relay links; 87,700 telephones (1.0 per 100 popl.); 3 AM, 17 FM, 11 TV stations; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables Defense Forces

fully automatic domestic telephone network with 127,000 telephones (6.0 per 100 popl.); 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT stations; 9 AM, 16 FM, 8 TV stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables Defense Forces