2003 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.6% (male 395,074; female 376,870) 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 870,486; female 869,431) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 82,022; female 101,984) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

35 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total

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

under 914 m

5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

24 914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m

22 (2002) Military Jamaica

Area

land

10,831 sq km

total

10,991 sq km

water

160 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Background

Jamaica gained full independence within the British Commonwealth in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence and a dropoff in tourism. Elections in 1980 saw the democratic socialists voted out of office. Subsequent governments have been open market oriented. Political violence marred elections during the 1990s. Geography Jamaica

Birth rate

17.35 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$2.56 billion, including capital expenditures of $232.5 million (FY 99/00 est.)

revenues

$2.23 billion

Capital

Kingston

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Coastline

1,022 km

Constitution

6 August 1962

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Jamaica

Currency

Jamaican dollar (JMD)

Currency code

JMD

Death rate

5.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$5.3 billion (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Sue McCourt COBB

embassy

Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Seymour MULLINGS

consulate(s) general

Miami and New York

Disputes - international

none

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37.9 (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

NA

Economy - overview

The economy, which depends heavily on tourism and bauxite, has been stagnant since 1995. After five years of recession, the economy inched ahead, by 0.8% in 2000, 1.7% in 2001, and 0.8% in 2002; the global economic slowdown, particularly in the United States after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, has stunted the economic

recovery. Serious problems include

high interest rates; increased foreign competition; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt, the result of government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the economy, particularly the financial sector. Depressed economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including serious violent crime. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon encouraging investment and tourism, maintaining a competitive exchange rate, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper fiscal and monetary policies.

Electricity - consumption

5.833 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

6.272 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

96.8%

hydro

1.8%

nuclear

0%

other

1.5% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

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, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%

Exchange rates

Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 48.42 (2002), 46 (2001), 42.7 (2000), 39.04 (1999), 36.55 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1 August 1991)

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

head of government

Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992)

Exports

$1.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

alumina, bauxite; sugar, bananas, rum

Exports - partners

US 28.1%, Canada 12.2%, Norway 10.7%, UK 10.5%, Germany 7%, Netherlands 5.6% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 452-0081

[1] (876) 935-6001

chancery

1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone

[1] (202) 452-0660

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications Jamaica

Flag description

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $10.08 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6%

industry

31%

services

63% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Geography - note

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

Government type

constitutional parliamentary democracy

Highways

paved

13,109 km

total

18,700 km

unpaved

5,591 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

980 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

20,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.3% (2000)

lowest 10%

2.7%

Illicit drugs

major 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 This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$3.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals, fertilizers

Imports - partners

US 45%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 4.7% (2002)

Independence

6 August 1962 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

-2% (2000 est.)

Industries

tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products

Infant mortality rate

female

12.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

14.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

13.26 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.jm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

21 (2000)

Internet users

100,000 (2002) Transportation Jamaica

Irrigated land

250 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal

Labor force

1.13 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation

services 60%, agriculture 21%, industry 19% (1998)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

16.07%

other

74.7% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

9.23%

Languages

English, patois English

Legal system

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

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%; seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26

elections

last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.97 years (2003 est.)

male

73.84 years

total population

75.85 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

91.6% (2003 est.) Government Jamaica

male

84.1%

total population

87.9%

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

contiguous zone

24 NM

continental shelf

200 NM or to edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

27.2 years (2002)

male

25.8 years

total

26.5 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Latvia 2, US 2 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1

total

5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 50,536 GRT/62,868 DWT

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$30 million (FY95/96 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA% Transnational Issues Jamaica

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

755,698 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

528,689 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

27,398 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, first Monday in August (1962)

Nationality

adjective

Jamaican

noun

Jamaican(s)

Natural hazards

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Natural resources

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Net migration rate

-5.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

66,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 10 km

Political parties and leaders

Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Edward SEAGA]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Bruce GOLDING]; 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)

Population

2,695,867 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

34.2% (1992 est.)

Population growth rate

0.61% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

1.215 million (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

272 km 1.435-m gauge; note - 207 km, belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation, were in common carrier service but are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite (2002)

total

272 km

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%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

fully automatic domestic telephone network

international

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Telephones - main lines in use

353,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular

54,640 (1996)

Television broadcast stations

7 (1997)

Televisions

460,000 (1997)

Terrain

mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Total fertility rate

2.01 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

15.4% (2002 est.)

Waterways

none