Statistical information Jamaica 2012Jamaica

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

Jamaica in the World
Jamaica in the World



Jamaica - Introduction 2012
top of page


Background: 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 and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar cocoa and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually increased its independence from Britain. 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. Violent crime drug trafficking and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.


Jamaica - Geography 2012
top of page


Location: Caribbean island in the Caribbean Sea south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates: 18 15 N 77 30 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 168
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1022 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

Climate: tropical; hot humid; temperate interior

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation

Natural resources: bauxite gypsum limestone
Land use

Land use

Irrigated land: 250 km² (2002)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 9.4 km³ (2000)

Natural hazards: hurricanes (especially July to November)

Geography
Note: strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal


Jamaica - People 2012
top of page


Population: 2,889,187 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 139
Growth rate: 0.714% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 139
Below poverty line: 16.5% (2009 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: black 91.2% mixed 6.2% other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)

Languages: English English patois

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)

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.714% (2012 est.)
Rank: 139

Birth rate: 18.89 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 101

Death rate: 6.59 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 146

Net migration rate: -5.17 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 194

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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 from vehicle emissions

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 121

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 119

Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 114

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.85 physicians/1000 population (2003)

Hospital bed density: 1.7 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:
urban: 82% of population
rural: 84% of population
total: 83% of population

Unimproved:
urban: 18% of population
rural: 16% of population
total: 17% of population


Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.7% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 33
People living with hivaids: 32,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 68
Deaths: 1200 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 65

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.2% (2007)
Rank: 109

Education expenditures: 5.8% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 35

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Jamaica - Government 2012
top of page


Country name

Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 August 1962 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 6 August (1962)

Constitution: 6 August 1962

Legal system: common law system based on the English model

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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 (63 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

Political parties and leaders: Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew HOLNESS]; People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS]

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS C Caricom CDB CELAC FAO G-15 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITSO ITU LAES MIGA NAM OAS OPANAL OPCW Petrocaribe UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNITAR UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description
: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side); green represents hope vegetation and agriculture black reflects hardships overcome and to be faced and yellow recalls golden sunshine and the island's natural resources

National symbols: green-and-black streamertail (bird)

National anthem

National heritage


Jamaica - Economy 2012
top of page


Economy overview: The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services which now account for nearly 65% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism remittances and bauxite/alumina. Remittances account for nearly 15% of GDP and exports of bauxite and alumina make up about 10%. The bauxite/alumina sector was most affected by the global downturn while the tourism industry was resilient experiencing an increase of 4% in tourist arrivals. Tourism revenues account for roughly 10% of GDP and both arrivals and revenues grew in 2010 up 4% and 6% respectively. Jamaica's economy faces many challenges to growth: high crime and corruption large-scale unemployment and underemployment and a debt-to-GDP ratio of more than 120%. Jamaica's onerous public debt burden is the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy most notably to the financial sector. In early 2010 the Jamaican government created the Jamaica Debt Exchange in order to retire high-priced domestic bonds and significantly reduce annual debt servicing. Despite the improvement debt servicing costs still hinder the government's ability to spend on infrastructure and social programs particularly as job losses rise in a shrinking economy. Jamaica was hard hit by the effects of the global economic crisis experiencing economic contractions from 2008-10 and growth remains low. The SIMPSON-MILLER administration faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious crime problem that is hampering economic growth. High unemployment exacerbates the crime problem including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade. As of late 2012 the SIMPSON-MILLER government was working to negotiate a new IMF Stand-by agreement to gain access to additional funds.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$24.96 billion (2011 est.)
$24.65 billion (2010 est.)

Rank: 122

Real gdp growth rate:
1.3% (2011 est.)
-1.5% (2010 est.)

Rank: 168

Real gdp per capita:
$9,100 (2011 est.)
$9,000 (2010 est.)

Rank: 119

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: sugarcane bananas coffee citrus yams ackees vegetables; poultry goats milk; shellfish

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: -2% (2010 est.)
Rank: 155

Labor force: 1.325 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 134
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 14.1% (2011 est.)
Rank: 139

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 16.5% (2009 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 37.9 (2000)
Rank: 38

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -6.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 175

Taxes and other revenues: 25.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 127

Public debt: 127.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 7

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 172

Central bank discount rate:
2% (31 December 2010 est.)
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)


Commercial bank prime lending rate: 19.51% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 17

Stock of narrow money: $1.962 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 125

Stock of broad money: $7.012 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 117

Stock of domestic credit: $7.131 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 109

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$6.626 billion (31 December 2010)
$6.201 billion (31 December 2009)

Rank: 78

Current account balance: -$1.723 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 130

Exports: $1.665 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 147
Commodities: alumina bauxite sugar rum coffee yams beverages chemicals wearing apparel mineral fuels
Partners: US 36.8% Canada 18.1% Netherlands 7.3% UK 5.4% Norway 4.3% (2011)

Imports: $5.859 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 119
Commodities: food and other consumer goods industrial supplies fuel parts and accessories of capital goods machinery and transport equipment construction materials
Partners: US 32.8% Venezuela 15% Trinidad and Tobago 14.2% China 6.3% Mexico 4.1% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.282 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 122

Debt external: $14.62 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 84

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -
88.59 (2012 est.)
85.893 (2011 est.)
87.196 (2010 est.)
87.89 (2009)
72.236 (2008)



Jamaica - Energy 2012
top of page


Electricity
Production: 5.208 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 117
Consumption: 4.801 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 114
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 212
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 204
Installed generating capacity: 1.198 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 119
Generation sources fossil fuels: 93.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 71
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 115
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 138
Generation sources other renewable sources: 4.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 38

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 149
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 133
Crude oil imports: 23,780 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 69
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 148

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 22,790 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 94
Products consumption: 78,520 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 90
Products exports: 9,145 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 87
Products imports: 68,410 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 59

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 146
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 158
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 93
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 85
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 152

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 9.217 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 103

Energy consumption per capita


Jamaica - Communication 2012
top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 272,100 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 123
Mobile cellular: 2.975 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 128

Telephone system

Broadcast media: privately-owned Radio Jamaica Limited and its subsidiaries operate multiple TV stations subscription cable services and radio stations; 2 other privately-owned television stations; roughly 70 radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .jm
Hosts: 3,906 (2012)
Hosts rank: 149
Users: 1.581 million (2009)
Users rank: 80

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Jamaica - Military 2012
top of page


Military expenditures: 0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 158

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)

Space program

Terrorist groups


Jamaica - Transportation 2012
top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 27 (2012)
Rank: 125

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 103

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 103

Ports and terminals: Discovery Bay (Port Rhoades) Kingston Montego Bay Port Antonio Port Esquivel Port Kaiser Rocky Point


Jamaica - Transnational issues 2012
top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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


Orbitz


You found a piece of the puzzle

Please click here to complete it
Vipcars