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Communications

Broadcast media [time series]

3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2013)

Internet country code [time series]

.jm

Internet users [time series]

total: 1.274 million | percent of population: 43.2% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

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 fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity exceeds 110 per 100 persons | 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) (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 252,630 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total: 3.137 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $3.899 billion | expenditures: $3.941 billion (2015 est.)

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

-0.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43

Central bank discount rate [time series]

2% (31 December 2010) | country comparison to the world: 115

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

16.98% (31 December 2015 est.) | 17.22% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26

Current account balance [time series]

-$598 million (2015 est.) | -$980 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Debt - external [time series]

$16.49 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $17.25 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

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

45.5 (2004) | 37.9 (2000) | country comparison to the world: 40

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which accounts for more than 70% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Remittances and tourism each account for 30% of GDP, while bauxite/alumina exports make up roughly 5% of GDP. The bauxite/alumina sector was most affected by the global downturn while the tourism industry and remittance flow remained resilient. | Jamaica's economy faces many challenges to growth: high crime and corruption, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 130%. The attendant debt servicing cost consumes a large portion of the government's budget, limiting its ability to fund the critical infrastructure and social programs required to drive growth. Jamaica's economic growth rate in the recent past has been stagnant, averaging less than 1% per year for over 20 years. | Jamaica's onerous public debt burden is largely the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector. In early 2010, the Jamaican Government initiated the Jamaica Debt Exchange to retire high-priced domestic bonds and reduce annual debt servicing. Despite these efforts, debt continued to be a serious concern, forcing the government to negotiate and sign a new IMF agreement in May 2013 to gain access to approximately $1 billion in additional funds. As a precursor, the government instigated a second National Debt Exchange in 2012. The IMF deal requires the government to reform its tax system, eliminate discretionary tax exemptions and waivers, and achieve an annual surplus of 7.5%, excluding debt payments, to reduce its debt below 100% of GDP by 2020. The SIMPSON-MILLER administration now faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline 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, which is fueled by the drug trade.

Exchange rates [time series]

Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - | 116.898 (2015 est.) | 110.935 (2014 est.) | 110.935 (2013 est.) | 88.75 (2012 est.) | 85.893 (2011 est.)

Exports [time series]

$1.261 billion (2015 est.) | $1.449 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

US 24.4%, Canada 16.5%, Russia 9.3%, Netherlands 8.9%, Iceland 7.2%, UK 6.5% (2015)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$13.92 billion (2015 est.)

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

$24.65 billion (2015 est.) | $24.38 billion (2014 est.) | $24.25 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 138

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

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

agriculture: 6.6% | industry: 21.2% | services: 72.2% (2015 est.)

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

$8,800 (2015 est.) | $8,700 (2014 est.) | $8,700 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 142

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

1.1% (2015 est.) | 0.5% (2014 est.) | 0.2% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Gross national saving [time series]

20.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | 14.4% of GDP (2014 est.) | 12.3% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$4.414 billion (2015 est.) | $5.208 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

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 12.4%, China 12%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.1% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

2.1% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.7% (2015 est.) | 8.3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Labor force [time series]

1.309 million (2015 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]

$6.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | $7.223 billion (31 December 2011 est.) | $6.626 billion (31 December 2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Population below poverty line [time series]

16.5% (2009 est.)

Public debt [time series]

126.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | 129.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$2.914 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $2.473 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Stock of broad money [time series]

$7.847 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $7.519 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$6.881 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $7.078 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$3.542 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $3.156 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

28% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Unemployment rate [time series]

14% (2015 est.) | 14.2% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

13 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Crude oil - imports [time series]

23,360 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 149

Electricity - consumption [time series]

2.8 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

91.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

2.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

5.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

1 million kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125

Electricity - production [time series]

3.9 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Electricity access [time series]

population without electricity: 200,000 | electrification - total population: 93% | electrification - urban areas: 98% | electrification - rural areas: 87% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 157

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 214

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 153

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

53,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

4,526 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

33,970 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

23,630 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Coastline [time series]

1,022 km

Elevation [time series]

mean elevation: 18 m | elevation extremes: 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 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

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 (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 41.4% | arable land 11.1%; permanent crops 9.2%; permanent pasture 21.1% | forest: 31.1% | other: 27.5% (2011 est.)

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

Population distribution (Population - distribution) [time series]

population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

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)

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 4 out of the previous 5 years

Constitution [time series]

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 2015 (2016)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Jamaica | etymology: from the native Taino word "haymaca" meaning "land of wood and water" or possibly "land of springs"

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Luis G. MORENO (since 13 January 2015) | embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6 | mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5 | telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000 | FAX: [1] (876) 702-6348

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph Samuel THOMAS (since 9 September 2015) | chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660 | FAX: [1] (202) 452-0036 | consulate(s) general: Miami, New York | consulate(s): Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Concord (MA), Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia (PA), Richmond (VA), San Francisco, Seattle

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 3 March 2016) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister | elections/appointments: 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 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 fly 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]

parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; 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, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), 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

Judicial branch [time series]

highest resident court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of president of the court and a minimum of 4 judges; Supreme Court (40 judges organized in specialized divisions); note - appeals beyond Jamaica's highest courts are referred 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

Legal system [time series]

common law system based on the English model

Legislative branch [time series]

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister and the minority party leader, 13 seats allocated to the ruling party, and 8 seats allocated to the minority party; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives (63 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-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

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]

Emancipation Day, 1 August (1834); Independence Day, 6 August (1962)

National symbol(s) [time series]

green-and-black streamertail (bird), Guaiacum officinale (Guaiacwood); national colors: green, yellow, black

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

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, 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.

Military and Security

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

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

Military expenditures [time series]

0.86% of GDP (2012) | 0.92% of GDP (2011) | 0.86% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 111

Military service age and obligation [time series]

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

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 27.56% (male 416,421/female 402,283) | 15-24 years: 21.13% (male 315,190/female 312,362) | 25-54 years: 37.59% (male 551,384/female 565,279) | 55-64 years: 5.78% (male 82,754/female 88,786) | 65 years and over: 7.94% (male 105,593/female 130,288) (2016 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

18 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Child labor - children ages 5-14 [time series]

total number: 38,516 | percentage: 6% (2005 est.)

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

2.5% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 112

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

72.5% (2008/09)

Death rate [time series]

6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 48.6% | youth dependency ratio: 35% | elderly dependency ratio: 13.6% | potential support ratio: 7.4% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

6% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 40

Ethnic groups [time series]

black 92.1%, mixed 6.1%, East Indian 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.7% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

1.63% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

1,200 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

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

29,000 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

5.4% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 114

Hospital bed density [time series]

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 12.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Languages [time series]

English, English patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 73.6 years | male: 72 years | female: 75.3 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school | total population: 88.7% | male: 84% | female: 93.1% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population [time series]

KINGSTON (capital) 588,000 (2015)

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

89 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Median age [time series]

total: 25.6 years | male: 25.1 years | female: 26.1 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]

21.2 | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Jamaican(s) | adjective: Jamaican

Net migration rate [time series]

-4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

26.8% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 67

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

0.41 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population [time series]

2,970,340 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Population distribution [time series]

population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel

Population growth rate [time series]

0.68% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Religions [time series]

Protestant 64.8% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 12.0%, Pentecostal 11.0%, Other Church of God 9.2%, New Testament Church of God 7.2%, Baptist 6.7%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.5%, Anglican 2.8%, United Church 2.1%, Methodist 1.6%, Revived 1.4%, Brethren 0.9%, and Moravian 0.7%), Roman Catholic 2.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.9%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 6.5%, none 21.3%, unspecified 2.3% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.99 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

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

total: 37.8% | male: 30% | female: 48.1% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 54.8% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.9% 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

Trafficking in persons [time series]

current situation: Jamaica is a source and destination country for children and adults subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; sex trafficking of children and adults occurs on the street, in night clubs, bars, massage parlors, and private homes; child sex tourism is a problem in resort areas; Jamaicans have been subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor in the Caribbean, Canada, the US, and the UK, while foreigners have endured conditions of forced labor in Jamaica or aboard foreign-flagged fishing vessels operating in Jamaican waters; a high number of Jamaican children are reported missing | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Jamaica does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the government made significant efforts to raise public awareness of human trafficking, and named a national trafficking-in-persons rapporteur – the first in the region; authorities initiated more new trafficking investigations than in 2013 and concluded a trafficking case in the Supreme Court, but chronic delays impeded prosecutions and no offenders were convicted for the sixth consecutive year; more adult trafficking victims were identified than in previous years, but only one child victim was identified, which was exceptionally low relative to the number of vulnerable children (2015)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

28 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 123

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 11 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 | under 914 m: 5 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 17 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 16 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

6Y (2016)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 14 | by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 5, container 4, roll on/roll off 1 | foreign-owned: 14 (Denmark 1, Germany 10, Greece 3) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 103

National air transport system [time series]

number of registered air carriers: 2 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 92,836 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Discovery Bay (Port Rhoades), Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rocky Point | container port(s) (TEUs): Kingston (1,724,928)

Roadways [time series]

total: 22,121 km (includes 44 km of expressways) | paved: 16,148 km | unpaved: 5,973 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 104