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Communications

Broadcast media [time series]

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

Internet country code [time series]

.jm

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

3,099 (2010) country comparison to the world: 143

Internet users [time series]

1.581 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 80

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network 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 2009 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; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

263,100 (2010) country comparison to the world: 121

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

3.103 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 120

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks

Budget [time series]

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

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

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

Central bank discount rate [time series]

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

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

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

Current account balance [time series]

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

Debt - external [time series]

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

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

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

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

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

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

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

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

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

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$13.69 billion (2010 est.)

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

$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 - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

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

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$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

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

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

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

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

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

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

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

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

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

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

Labor force [time series]

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

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

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

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

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

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

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

Natural gas - exports [time series]

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

Natural gas - imports [time series]

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

Natural gas - production [time series]

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

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

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

Oil - consumption [time series]

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

Oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 166

Oil - imports [time series]

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

Oil - production [time series]

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

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

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

Population below poverty line [time series]

16.5% (2009 est.)

Public debt [time series]

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

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

Stock of broad money [time series]

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

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

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

Stock of narrow money [time series]

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

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

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

Unemployment rate [time series]

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

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Coastline [time series]

1,022 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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

Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

250 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

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]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Natural resources [time series]

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Total renewable water resources [time series]

9.4 cu km (2000)

Government

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 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

Capital [time series]

name: Kingston geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution [time series]

6 August 1962

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

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 theWorld 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

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence [time series]

6 August 1962 (from the UK)

International law organization participation [time series]

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

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)

Legal system [time series]

common law system based on the English model

Legislative branch [time series]

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

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 6 August (1962)

National symbol(s) [time series]

green-and-black streamertail (bird)

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

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

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

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

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

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

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

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures [time series]

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

Military service age and obligation [time series]

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

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

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.)

Birth rate [time series]

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

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

Death rate [time series]

6.54 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Drinking water source [time series]

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)

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

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

Ethnic groups [time series]

black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

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

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

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

Hospital bed density [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

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.)

Languages [time series]

English, English patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

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

Literacy [time series]

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

Major urban areas - population (Major cities - population) [time series]

KINGSTON (capital) 580,000 (2009)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

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

Median age [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican

Net migration rate [time series]

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

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

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

Population [time series]

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

Population growth rate [time series]

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

Religions [time series]

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)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

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)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

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

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

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

Urbanization [time series]

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

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

27 (2010) country comparison to the world: 122

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

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

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 15 under 914 m: 15 (2010)

Merchant marine [time series]

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 8) (2010)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

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

Roadways [time series]

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