Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

127,000 telephones; fully automatic domestic telephone network local: NA intercity: NA international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 8 televisions: NA

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Jamaica Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $19.3 million, 1% of GDP (FY91/92) JAN MAYEN (territory of Norway)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 670,958; males fit for military service 475,235; males reach military age (18) annually 26,244 (1995 est.)

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for about 7% of GDP, 22% 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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $600 million expenditures: $736 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90/91 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.2 billion; other countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.6 billion

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 730,000 kW production: 2.6 billion kWh consumption per capita: 988 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 - 33.195 (December 1994), 33.986 (1994), 24.949 (1993), 22.960 (1992), 12.116 (1991), 7.184 (1990)

Exports [time series]

$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum partners: US 47%, UK 11%, Canada 9%, Norway 7%; France 4% (1993)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$3.6 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals partners: US 54%, Japan 4.0%, Mexico 6%, UK 4%, Venezuela 3% (1993)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 0.4% (1992); accounts for almost 30% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

26.7% (1994)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.8 billion (1994 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$3,050 (1994 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

2% (1994 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Key sectors in this island economy are bauxite (alumina and bauxite account for more than half of exports) and tourism. The government's tight fiscal and monetary policies, which have been partially successful in curbing inflation, have held growth to 1.2% in 1993 and 2.0% in 1994.

Unemployment rate [time series]

15.7% (1992)

Area [time series]

total area: 10,990 sq km land area: 10,830 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Coastline [time series]

1,022 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions natural hazards: hurricanes (especially July to November) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

350 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 19% permanent crops: 6% meadows and pastures: 18% forest and woodland: 28% other: 29%

Location [time series]

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Administrative divisions [time series]

14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland

Capital [time series]

Kingston

Constitution [time series]

6 August 1962

Digraph [time series]

JM

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNAL chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660

Executive branch [time series]

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 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 452-0081 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (809) 926-6743

Flag [time series]

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

Legislative branch (House of Representatives) [time series]

elections last held 30 March 1993 (next to be held by March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) PNP 52, JLP 8

Independence [time series]

6 August 1962 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day (first Monday in August) (1962)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New Beginnings Movement (NBM)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

People's National Party (PNP) P. J. PATTERSON; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward SEAGA

Legislative branch (Senate) [time series]

consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador J. Gary COOPER (since October 1994) embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [1] (809) 929-4850 through 4859

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 33% (female 412,565; male 431,043) 15-64 years: 60% (female 786,700; male 770,681) 65 years and over: 7% (female 96,348; male 76,954) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

22.03 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.62 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

16.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

English, Creole

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 74.65 years male: 72.39 years female: 77.01 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over has ever attended school (1987) total population: 82% male: 77% female: 86%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican

Net migration rate [time series]

-8.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population [time series]

2,574,291 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.78% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

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)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.42 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Airports [time series]

total: 41 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 31 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 18,200 km paved: 12,600 km unpaved: gravel 3,200 km; improved earth 2,400 km

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,931 GRT/10,545 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 10 km

Ports [time series]

Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Longs Wharf, Rocky Point

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

total: 370 km standard gauge: 370 km 1.435-m gauge