Jamaica

Jamaica

Introduction

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 obtained increasing 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.

Geography

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 10,991 sq km
country comparison to the world: 168 land:10,831 sq km
water:160 sq km

Area – comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

1,022 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

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

Natural resources

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use

arable land: 15.83%
permanent crops:10.01%
other:74.16% (2005)

Irrigated land

250 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources

9.4 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.41cu km/yr (34%/17%/49%)
per capita:155cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

hurricanes (especially July to November)

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 results from vehicle emissions

Environment – international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements

Geography – note

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

People and Society

Nationality

noun: Jamaican(s)
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)

Population

2,868,380 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139

Age structure

0-14 years: 30.1% (male 438,888/female 424,383)
15-64 years:62.3% (male 882,548/female 904,242)
65 years and over:7.6% (male 97,717/female 120,602) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 24.2 years
male:23.7 years
female:24.7 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

0.733% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Birth rate

19.2 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99

Death rate

6.54 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148

Net migration rate

-5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195

Urbanization

urban population: 52% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

KINGSTON (capital) 580,000 (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.81 male(s)/female
total population:0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

89 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 77

Infant mortality rate

total: 14.6 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 123 male:15.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female:14 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.45 years
country comparison to the world: 116 male:71.79 years
female:75.19 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.17 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

Health expenditures

8.3% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 49

Physicians density

0.85 physicians/1,000 population (2003)
country comparison to the world: 109

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)
country comparison to the world: 114

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 98% of population
rural: 89% of population
total: 94% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2% of population
rural: 11% of population
total: 6% of population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
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 (2008)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

1.7% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

32,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

HIV/AIDS – deaths

1,200 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.2% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 109

Education expenditures

5.8% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 35

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population:87.9%
male:84.1%
female:91.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years
male:13 years
female:15 years (2008)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 27.1%
country comparison to the world: 20 male:22.5%
female:33.1% (2009)

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form:Jamaica

Government type

constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital

name: Kingston
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
note:for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation

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

Suffrage

18 years of age

universal

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

represented by Governor General Dr. Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)
head of government:Prime Minister Andrew HOLNESS (since 23 October 2011)
cabinet:Cabinet is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website ) 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 (60 seats

members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:last held on 3 September 2007 (next to be held no later than December 2012)
election results:percent of vote by party – JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.8%

seats by party – JLP 33, PNP 27

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

New Beginnings Movement or NBM

Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Audrey P. MARKS
chancery:1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:[1] (202) 452-0660
FAX:[1] (202) 452-0081
consulate(s) general:Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela BRIDGEWATER
embassy:142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
mailing address:P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5
telephone:[1] (876) 702-6000
FAX:[1] (876) 702-6001

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 symbol(s)

green-and-black streamertail (bird)

National anthem

name: “Jamaica, Land We Love”
lyrics/music:Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE
note:adopted 1962

Economy

Economy – overview

The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for more than 60% 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. The Economic growth faces many challenges: 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 – the fourth highest in the world on a per capita basis – is the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably to the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s. In early 2010, the Jamaican government created the Jamaica Debt Exchange (JDX) in order to retire high-priced domestic bonds and significantly reduce annual debt servicing. The Government of Jamaica signed a $1.27 billion, 27-month Standby Agreement with the International Monetary Fund for balance of payment support in February 2010. Other multilaterals have also provided millions of dollars in loans and grants. 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. The GOLDING 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$23.72 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117 $23.99 billion (2009 est.)
$24.74 billion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$13.69 billion (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

-1.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199 -3% (2009 est.)
-0.9% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$8,300 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119 $8,500 (2009 est.)
$8,800 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 5.8%
industry:30%
services:64.3% (2010 est.)

Labor force

1.317 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135

Labor force – by occupation

agriculture: 17%
industry:19%
services:64% (2006)

Unemployment rate

12.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130 11.4% (2009 est.)

Population below poverty line

16.5% (2009 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%:35.8% (2004)

Distribution of family income – Gini index

45.5 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 38 37.9 (2000)

Investment (gross fixed)

20.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

Budget

revenues: $3.607 billion
expenditures:$4.458 billion (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

26.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165

Public debt

126.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7 129.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

12.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208 9.6% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate

2% (31 December 2010 est.)
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

16% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37 16.43% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.464 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127 $1.349 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$5.801 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117 $5.384 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$7.253 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104 $7.165 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$6.626 billion (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 76 $6.201 billion (31 December 2009)
$7.513 billion (31 December 2008)

Agriculture – products

sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables

poultry, goats, milk

crustaceans, mollusks

Industries

tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate

-2% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

Electricity – production

7.323 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

Electricity – consumption

6.4 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105

Electricity – exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

506 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

Oil – consumption

63,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Oil – exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179

Oil – imports

90,520 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67

Oil – proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146

Natural gas – production

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198

Natural gas – consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190

Natural gas – exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

Natural gas – imports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138

Natural gas – proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150

Current account balance

-$986.5 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133 -$1.126 billion (2009 est.)

Exports

$1.376 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146 $1.388 billion (2009 est.)

Exports – commodities

alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels

Exports – partners

US 34%, Canada 15.8%, Norway 9.4%, UK 6.6%, Netherlands 6.1% (2010)

Imports

$4.581 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121 $4.476 billion (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials

Imports – partners

US 32.6%, Venezuela 15%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.5%, China 4.6% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.501 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109 $2.076 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$12.57 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88 $10.77 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange rates

Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -
87.41 (2010)
87.89 (2009)
72.236 (2008)
69.034 (2007)
65.768 (2006)

Transportation

Airports

27 (2010)
country comparison to the world:123

Airports – with paved runways

total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m:2
914 to 1,523 m:3
under 914 m:7 (2010)

Airports – with unpaved runways

total: 15
under 914 m:15 (2010)

Roadways

total: 22,121 km (includes 44 km of expressways) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 107

Merchant marine

total: 19
country comparison to the world: 100 by type:bulk carrier 9, cargo 5, container 4, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned:19 (Denmark 1, Germany 10, Greece (2010)

Ports and terminals

Discovery Bay (Port Rhoades), Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rocky Point

Military

Military branches

Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service

younger recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 726,263
females age 16-49:742,958 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 590,673
females age 16-49:596,414 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 33,369
female:32,702 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158

Transnational Issues

Disputes – international

none

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 for illicit financial transactions