Jamaica

Radio broadcast stations

AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0

Radios

1.04 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

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

Telephones

212,257 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

8

Televisions

330,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $1.45 billion expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $732 million (FY95/96 est.)

Currency

1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$4.2 billion (1995)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $239 million (1993)

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 consolidated the market-oriented reforms initiated by his predecessor, Michael MANLEY, to make Jamaica a regional leader in economic reform. PATTERSON has eliminated most price controls, streamlined tax schedules, and privatized government enterprises. Tight monetary and fiscal policies under an IMF program have helped slow inflation and stabilize the exchange rate, but, as a result, economic growth has slowed down and unemployment remains high. Jamaica's medium-term prospects depend largely on its ability to continue to attract foreign capital and to limit speculation against the Jamaican dollar.

Electricity - capacity

848,400 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita

2,014 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

5.829 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 - 34.952 (December 1996), 37.120 (1996), 35.142 (1995), 33.086 (1994), 24.949 (1993), 22.960 (1992)

Exports

total value: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum partners: US 47%, UK 11%, Canada 9%, Norway 7%, France 4% (1993)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $8.4 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 8.1% industry: 36.2% services: 55.7% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,260 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.5% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $2.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals partners: US 54%, Japan 4.0%, Mexico 6%, UK 4%, Venezuela 3% (1993)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

bauxite, tourism, textiles, food processing, light manufactures

Inflation rate - consumer price index

17% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 1,062,100 by occupation: services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%, unemployed 17.5% (1989)

Unemployment rate

15.4% (1994 est.)

Area

total: 10,990 sq km land: 10,830 sq km water: 160 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Coastline

1,022 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point : Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

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, 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

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

350 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land : 14% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures: 24% forests and woodland: 17% other: 39% (1993 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Natural resources

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

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

Constitution

6 August 1962

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica

Data code

JM

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador J. Gary COOPER embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston mailing address : use embassy street address telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859

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

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

FAX

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

FAX

[1] (876) 926-6743

Flag description

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

6 August 1962 (from UK)

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

Judicial branch

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

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 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 30 March 1993 (next to be held by March 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNP 52, JLP 8; note - the establishment of a major third party, the National Democratic Movement (NDM) in 1995 led to a realignment of seats - PNP 51, JLP 7, NDM 2

National capital

Kingston

National holiday

Independence Day (first Monday in August) (1962)

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)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$30 million (FY95/96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 691,799 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 488,569 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males : 25,532 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years : 32% (male 428,831; female 409,959) 15-64 years: 61% (male 793,609; female 806,031) 65 years and over: 7% (male 78,453; female 98,699) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

21.56 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

5.5 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 76.3%, Afro-European 15.1%, East Indian and Afro-East Indian 3%, white 3.2%, Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other 1.2%

Infant mortality rate

15 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English, Creole

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.12 years male : 72.8 years female: 77.56 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 85% male: 80.8% female: 89.1% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun : Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican

Net migration rate

-8.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

2,615,582 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

0.75% (1997 est.)

Religions

Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other, including some spiritual cults 39.1% (1982)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.39 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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

Airports

26 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 25 2,438 to 3,047 m : 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 20 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 18,600 km paved: 13,132 km unpaved : 5,468 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,435 GRT/6,105 DWT ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1996 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 10 km

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

total: 272 km standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge; note - 207 km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation which were in common carrier service are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite