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 seized 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 whom 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 affiliated with 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.
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
Area
total
10,991 sq km
land
10,831 sq km
water
160 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
1,022 km
Maritime claims
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Natural resources
bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use
arable land
15.83%
permanent crops
10.01%
other
74.16% (2005)
Irrigated land
250 sq km (2002)
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
Population
2,780,132 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
32.5% (male 459,968/female 444,963)
15-64 years
60.1% (male 822,486/female 848,310)
65 years and over
7.4% (male 91,856/female 112,549) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
23.2 years
male
22.6 years
female
23.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.777% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
20.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.034 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.816 male(s)/female
total population
0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
15.73 deaths/1,000 live births
male
16.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female
15.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
73.12 years
male
71.43 years
female
74.9 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.36 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
1.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
22,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
900 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Jamaican(s)
adjective
Jamaican
Ethnic groups
black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)
Religions
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
Languages
English, English patois
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population
87.9%
male
84.1%
female
91.6% (2003 est.)
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 8 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]; People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
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
142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
mailing address
P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5
telephone
[1] (876) 702-6000
FAX
[1] (876) 702-6348
Flag description
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
Economy - overview
The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for more than 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Jamaica's economy, already saddled with a record of sluggish growth, was hit hard by Hurricane Ivan in late 2004, but has made a gradual recovery. The economy faces serious long-term problems: high but declining interest rates, increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a high debt burden - the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s. Following a strategy begun in 2004, Jamaica has reduced its public debt to 133.3% of GDP. Inflation also had declined to 5.8% at the end of 2006. High unemployment exacerbates the serious crime problem, including gang violence fueled by the drug trade. The government faces 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$12.82 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$9.23 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$4,600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
5.2%
industry
27.3%
services
67.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force
1.1 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
18.1%
industry
17.3%
services
64.6% (2004)
Unemployment rate
11.3% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
14.8% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.4%
highest 10%
30.3% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
38.1 (2003)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
30.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$2.85 billion
expenditures
$3.174 billion; including capital expenditures of $180.4 million (2006 est.)
US 23.7%, Canada 16.5%, China 15.1%, UK 10.1%, Germany 7.5%, Netherlands 6.4%, Norway 5.9% (2006)
Imports
$4.682 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners
US 39.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.4%, Venezuela 5.8% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.317 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$7.384 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$254.7 million (2004)
Currency (code)
Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Currency code
JMD
Exchange rates
Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003), 48.416 (2002)
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
20,996 km
paved
15,386 km (includes 33 km of expressways)
unpaved
5,610 km (2004)
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 branches
Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2007)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
Manpower available for military service
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.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.6% (2006 est.)
Disputes - international
none
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption 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
