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$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