$Unique_ID{COW01973} $Pretitle{233J} $Title{Jamaica Statistical Profile of Jamaica} $Subtitle{} $Author{Central Intelligence Agency} $Affiliation{United States Government} $Subject{rate jamaica km saint bauxite jamaican total } $Date{1990} $Log{National Anthem*62200010.aud Map of Jamaica*0197301.scf Flag of Jamaica*0197302.scf } Country: Jamaica Book: CIA World Factbook Author: Central Intelligence Agency Affiliation: United States Government Date: 1990 [Hear National Anthem] [See Map of Jamaica] [See Flag of Jamaica] Statistical Profile of Jamaica Geography Total area: 10,990 km2; land area: 10,830 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut Land boundaries: none Coastline: 1,022 km Maritime claim: 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: 19% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 28% forest and woodland; 29% other; includes 3% irrigated Environment: subject to hurricanes (especially July to November); deforestation; water pollution Note: strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal People Population: 2,484,957 (July 1989), growth rate 1.1% (1989) Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1989) Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1989) Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1989) Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (July 1989) Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 78 years female (July 1989) Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1989) Nationality: noun--Jamaican(s); adjective--Jamaican Ethnic divisions: 76.3% African, 15.1% Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2% white, 1.2% Chinese and Afro-Chinese, 0.8% other Religion: predominantly Protestant (including Anglican and Baptist), some Roman Catholic, some spiritualist cults Language: English, Creole Literacy: 74% Labor force: 728,700; 32% agriculture, 28% industry and commerce, 27% services, 13% government; shortage of technical and managerial personnel (1984) Organized labor: 24% of labor force (1986) Government Long-form name: none Type: independent state within Commonwealth, recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state 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) Constitution: 6 August 1962 Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August), 7 August 1989 Branches: Cabinet headed by prime minister; bicameral legislature--21-member Senate (13 nominated by the prime minister, eight by opposition leader); 60-member elected House of Representatives; judiciary follows British tradition under a chief justice Leaders: Chief of State Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Florizel A. GLASSPOLE (since 2 March 1973); Head of Government Prime Minister Michael MANLEY (since 9 February 1989) Suffrage: universal over age 18 Elections: at discretion of governor general upon advice of prime minister but within five years; last held 9 February 1989 Political parties and leaders: People's National Party (PNP), Michael Manley; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward Seaga; Workers' Party of Jamaica (WPJ), Trevor Munroe Voting strength: (9 February 1989 general elections) 60 seats total--PNP 45 seats (57%), JLP 15 seats (43%); as of March 1989 the JLP plans to contest five seats Communists: Workers' Party of Jamaica (Marxist-Leninist) Other political or pressure groups: New World Group (Caribbean regionalists, nationalists, and leftist intellectual fraternity); Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New Creation International Peacemakers Tabernacle (leftist group); Workers Liberation League (a Marxist coalition of students/labor) Member of: CARICOM, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Keith JOHNSON; Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 452-0660; there are Jamaican Consulates General in Miami and New York; US--Ambassador Michael SOTIRHOS; Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, Kingston; telephone [809] 929-4850 Flag: 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 1985 it suffered a setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal prices. The recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. GDP: $2.9 billion, per capita $1,160; real growth rate 5% (1987) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.7% (1987) Unemployment rate: 21% (April 1987) Budget: revenues $914 million; expenditures $973 million, including capital expenditures of $211 million (FY87 est.) Exports: $0.65 billion (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas; partners--US 40%, UK, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Norway Imports: $1.21 billion (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--petroleum, machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods; partners--US 46%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago External debt: $3.5 billion (April 1987) Industrial production: growth rate 4.4% (1986) Electricity: 1,437,000 kW capacity; 2,400 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per capita (1988) Industries: tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures Agriculture: sugarcane, citrus fruits, bananas, pimento, coconuts, coffee, cocoa, tobacco; an illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade Aid: NA Currency: Jamaican dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1--5.4843 (January 1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986), 5.5586 (1985) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March Communications Railroads: 370 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track Highways: 18,200 km total; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km improved earth Pipelines: refined products, 10 km Ports: Kingston, Montego Bay Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,048 GRT/21,412 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 bulk Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft Airports: 42 total, 27 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: fully automatic domestic telephone network; 127,000 telephones; stations--10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables Defense Forces Branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Coast Guard and Air Wing) Military manpower: males 15-49, 608,425; 432,807 fit for military service; no conscription; 27,370 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually Military budget: NA