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.

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 10,990 km²
Land: 10,830 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,022 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use
Arable land: 19%
Permanent crops: 6%
Meadows and pastures: 18%
Forest and woodland: 28%
Other: 29%

Irrigated land: 350 km² (1989 est.)

Natural hazards: subject to hurricanes (especially July to November)

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

Population: 2,555,064 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.02% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Jamaican(s)

Ethnic groups: African 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%

Languages: English, Creole

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)

Population growth rate: 1.02% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 21.69 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 5.62 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; water pollution

Infant mortality rate: 16.8 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.36 years
Male: 72.16 years
Female: 76.68 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.41 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
Total population: 98%
Male: 98%
Female: 99%

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Kingston

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

Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in 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 Sir Howard COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
Head of government: Prime Minister P. J. PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992); Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA)

Legislative branch: Jamaica Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
Senate: consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general
House of Representatives: elections last held 30 March 1993 (next to be held by February 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) PNP 52, JLP 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-19, G-77, GATT, G-15, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lacy A. WRIGHT, Jr.
From the us chancery: Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20,006
From the us telephone: (809) 929-4,850 through 4,859
From the us fax: (809) 926-6,743
From the us consulates general: Miami and New York
From the us embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston
From the us mailing address: use Embassy street address

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

Economy overview: The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. 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 to about 3% for 1989. In 1991, however, growth dropped to 0.2% as a result of the US recession, lower world bauxite prices, and monetary instability. In 1992, growth was 1.2%, supported by a recovery in tourism and stabilization of the Jamaican dollar in the second half of 1992.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.2% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,200 (1992 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for about 7% of GDP, 23% of work force, and 17% of exports; commercial crops - sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; livestock 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: 2% (1990; accounts for almost 25% of GDP

Labor force: 1,062,100
By occupation services: 41%
By occupation agriculture: 22.5%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation unemployed: 17.5% (1989)

Unemployment rate: 15.4% (1992)

Budget: revenues:$600 million

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum
Partners: US 40%, UK 14%, Germany 10%, Canada 10%, Norway 7%

Imports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: fuel, other raw materials, construction materials, food, transport equipment, other machinery and equipment
Partners: US 53%, UK 5%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 5%, Japan 4.0%

Debt external: $4.5 billion (1992 est.)

Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 -32.758 (31 December 1993), 22.960 (1992), 12.116 (1991), 7.184 (1990), 5.7446 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 1,127,000 kW
Production: 2.736 trillion kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,090 kWh (1992)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $19.3 million, 1% of GDP (FY91/92)

Airports: 40
Usable: 27
With permanentsurface runways: 10
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 2
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1

Pipelines: petroleum products 10 km

Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,618 GRT/16,215 DWT, bulk 2, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

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