Map of Jamaica | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino 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.


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Location: Caribbean island in the Caribbean Sea south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates: 18 15 N 77 30 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 168
Land: 10,831 km²
Water: 160 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1022 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 highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Natural resources: bauxite gypsum limestone

Land use
Permanent crops: 9.1%
Other: 79.98% (2011)

Irrigated land: 252.2 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 9.4 km³ (2011)

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


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Population: 2,909,714 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 140
Growth rate: 0.7% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 142
Below poverty line: 16.5% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Jamaican

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
15-24 years: 21.8% (male 318,132/female 315,945)
25-54 years: 36% (male 514,172/female 532,094)
55-64 years: 5.5% (male 78,510/female 82,565)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 100,820/female 124,485) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 41.8 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 12.2 %
Potential support ratio: 8.2 (2013)

Median age
Male: 24.1 years
Female: 25.2 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.7% (2013 est.)
Rank: 142

Birth rate: 18.65 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 103

Death rate: 6.63 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 148

Net migration rate: -4.99 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 191

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: KINGSTON (capital) 580,000 (2009)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 21.2

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 119
Male: 14.55 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.38 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 122
Male: 71.81 years
Female: 75.15 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 114

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 69% (2002/03)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.41 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 1.8 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

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: 63

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 24.1% (2008)
Rank: 67

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.9% (2007)
Rank: 118

Education expenditures: 6.4% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 31

Literacy
Total population: 87%
Male: 82.1%
Female: 91.8% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Jamaica

Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital
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

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 August 1962 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 6 August (1962)

Constitution: several previous (preindependence); latest drafted 1961-62 submitted to British Parliament 24 July 1962 entered into force 6 August 1962 (at independence); amended many times last in 2011 (2011)

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
Head of government: Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 5 January 2012)
Cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: the monarchy 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

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)
Elections: last held on 29 December 2011 (next to be held no later than December 2016)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 53.3% JLP 46.6%; seats by party - PNP 41 JLP 22

Judicial branch: note - appeals beyond Jamicia's highest courts are submitted to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court implemented for member states of the Caribbean Community)
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice of the Supreme Court and president of the Court of Appeal appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister; other judges of both courts appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; judges of both courts serve till age 70
Subordinate courts: resident magistrate courts district courts and petty sessions courts

Political parties and leaders:

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
In the us chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
In the us consulate general: Miami New York
From the us embassy: 142 Old Hope Road Kingston 6
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 541 Kingston 5
From the us telephone: [1] (876) 702-6,000
From the us FAX: [1] (876) 702-6,001

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
Lyrics and music: Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE

National heritage


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Economy overview: The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services which accounted for more than 60% of GDP at the end of 2011. 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 roughly 5%. The bauxite/alumina sector was most affected by the global downturn while the tourism industry was resilient. Tourism revenues account for roughly 5% of GDP in 2011. Jamaica's economy faces many challenges to growth: high crime and corruption large-scale unemployment and underemployment and a debt-to-GDP ratio of nearly 130%. 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:
Rank: 123

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 189

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 124

Gross national saving:
Rank: 133

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 15.9%
Investment in fixed capital: 21%
Investment in inventories: 0.5%
Exports of goods and services: 33.7%
Imports of goods and services: -57.2%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 29%
Services: 64.4% (2012 est.)

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

Industries: tourism bauxite/alumina agro-processing light manufactures rum cement metal paper chemical products telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate: -2.7% (2012 est.)
Rank: 162

Labor force: 1.26 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 139
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 64% (2006)

Unemployment rate: 12.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 137

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 35.8% (2004)

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

Budget
Expenditures: $4.499 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 151

Taxes and other revenues: 26.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 114

Public debt: 131.5% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 5

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 177

Central bank discount rate:

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: 129

Stock of broad money: $7.012 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 116

Stock of domestic credit: $7.131 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 105

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 79

Current account balance: $-2.063 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 139

Exports: $1.666 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 142
Commodities: alumina bauxite sugar rum coffee yams beverages chemicals wearing apparel mineral fuels
Partners: US 48% Canada 7.2% Slovenia 4.2% Netherlands 4.1% UAE 4.1% (2012)

Imports: $5.881 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 123
Commodities: food and other consumer goods industrial supplies fuel parts and accessories of capital goods machinery and transport equipment construction materials
Partners: US 36.1% Venezuela 15.6% Trinidad and Tobago 10.8% China 4.8% Mexico 4% (2012)

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

Debt external: $14.35 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 87

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 3.957 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 123
Consumption: 3.066 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 131
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 213
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 203
Installed generating capacity: 1.175 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 120
Generation sources fossil fuels: 94.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 68
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 113
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 134
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 59

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2,120 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 105
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 134
Crude oil imports: 22,940 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 66
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 146

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 23,120 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 90
Products consumption: 78,520 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 88
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 185
Products imports: 32,920 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 88

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 146
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 157
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 124
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 210
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 152

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 9.557 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 101

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 265,000 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 123
Mobile cellular: 2.665 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 135

Telephone system
Domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed-lines in use has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity exceeded 110 per 100 persons in 2011
International: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US parts of the Caribbean Central America and South America; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Jamaica Cuba and Venezuela; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)

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


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Military expenditures: 0.9% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 130

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17 1/2 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 28 (2013)
Rank: 123
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways: 16 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 103
Paved: 16,148 km
Unpaved: 5,973 km (2011)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 102
By type: bulk carrier 4 cargo 5 container 4 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 14 (Denmark 1 Germany 10 Greece 3) (2010)

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


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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