Map of Jamaica | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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 and a more conservative government installed.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 10,990 km²
Land: 10,830 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 1,022 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: none

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation

Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone

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

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 2,506,701 (July 1992), growth rate 0.9% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Jamaican(s; adjective - Jamaican

Ethnic groups:

Languages: English, Creole

Religions: predominantly 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 39.1%, including some spiritualist cults (1982)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 23 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: -8 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to hurricanes (especially July to November); deforestation; water pollution
Current issues note: strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 99%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Kingston

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August)

Constitution: 6 August 1962

Legal system:

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18
House of Representatives:

Executive branch:

Legislative branch:

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Richard BERNAL; Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20,006; telephone (202) 452-0660; there are Jamaican Consulates General in Miami and New York
US:

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985 it suffered a setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal prices. The recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy. By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely complete, and real growth was up about 3% for 1989. In 1991, however, growth dropped to 1.0% as a result of the US recession, lower world bauxite prices, and monetary instability.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $3.6 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate 1.0% (1991 est.)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for about 9% of GDP, 22% of work force, and 17% of exports; commercial crops - sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, and vegetables; live-stock and livestock products include poultry, goats, milk; not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate - 2.0% (1990; accounts for almost 25% of GDP

Labor force: 1,062,100; services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%; unemployed 17.5% (1989)
Organized labor: 24% of labor force (1989)

Unemployment rate: 15.1% (1991)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $600 million; expenditures $736 million (FY91 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991, projected)
Commodoties: bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas
Partners: US 36%, UK, Canada, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago

Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991 projected)
Commodoties: petroleum, machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods
Partners: US 48%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 - 21.946 (January 1992), 12.116 (1991), 7.184 (1990), 5.7446 (1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986)


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Electricity
Production: 1,122,000 kW capacity; 2,520 million kWh produced, 1,012 kWh per capita (1991)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $20 million, less than 1% of GDP (FY91)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Heliports

Pipelines: petroleum products 10 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:
Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of cannabis; transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to North America; government has an active cannabis eradication program