First colonized by the Spanish and then, from 1655, by the English, Jamaica is located in the Caribbean, 145 km (90 miles) south of Cuba. It was the first of the Caribbean island countries to become independent in the postwar years, and remains an active force in Caribbean politics. Jamaica is also influential on the world music scene; reggae and ragga (or dancehall) developed in the tough conditions of Kingston's poor districts.

Jamaicans are a broad ethnic mix. Most are the descendants of Africans brought to the island between the 16th and 19th centuries, but there are minorities of Europeans, Indians, Chinese, and Arabs. Jamaica is also home to the Rastafarians, worshippers of the former Emperor of Ethiopia.

Most social tension is the result of the marked disparities in wealth. The Caribbean women's rights movement originated in Jamaica, and today many women hold senior positions in economic and political life.

Although life revolves around the family, absentee fathers are common. Many career women are single parents by choice. Life in the ghettos of Kingston is often violent and based largely on gun law. Kingston slums have their own patois.

Strengths

Relatively diversified economy. Mining and refining of bauxite for aluminum. Tourism. Agriculture, including sugar, bananas, rum, and coffee. Light manufacturing and data processing for US companies are growing sectors.

Weaknesses

Banking and insurance sectors. Financing of sugar production. Stagnant growth. High debt burden.

The country's political complexion changed markedly in the late 1980s, as the ideologies of the once socialist PNP and the conservative JLP converged toward a moderate free-market economic approach. A general election in December 1997 gave the PNP government a third consecutive term in office. The party subsequently swept the local elections in 1998.

Violent disturbances in 1998 and 1999 were in response to the government's attempts to deal with economic recession and a large fiscal deficit. The unrest, which led to several deaths, gave new life to the internally troubled JLP, as it then identified itself with opposition to fuel tax increases.

Antidrugs cooperation with the USA and future relations within Caricom and the Commonwealth predominate.

Jamaica's defense force buys its arms from the USA, but is trained by the UK. Today, the defense force is used against narcotics smugglers and to assist the police to break up unrest, as in 1999.

Jamaica is the world's fourth-largest producer of bauxite. Sugar and bananas are major exports.

Acidic dust from bauxite processing is a major problem, as is urban pollution in Kingston and its bay. Broad-leaved tropical forests have largely disappeared.

Kingston's harbor has been expanded and its airport improved. Main roads encircle the island. Private buses provide public transportation.

The once-efficient state health service is now seriously underfunded. There are fewer doctors and nurses than in the 1980s. Hospitals generally have a shortage of drugs and there is only rudimentary medical equipment.

Education is based on the former British 11-plus selection system. Jamaica hosts the largest of the three campuses of the University of the West Indies.

Armed crime is a major problem. Many murders are the result of armed robberies linked to narcotics gangs competing for territory. Much of the world crack trade is still controlled from Jamaica. Large areas of Kingston are ruled by violent gang leaders. The armed police are also frequently accused of the arbitrary shooting of suspects.

An agreement to create a new Caribbean Court of Justice increased the likelihood of executions being carried out. The last hangings were in 1988.

Wealth disparities are highly marked in Jamaica, although better education has seen an increase in the number of Afro-Jamaicans taking more lucrative, white-collar jobs. The poorest in Jamaica, mostly migrants from rural areas, live in the slums of Kingston.

Tourism is the major earner of foreign exchange. Most tourists stay in large, enclosed beach resorts. Recent bouts of social unrest have damaged the sector.

Spain occupied the island in 1510, wiping out the indigenous Arawak population. Britain seized it in 1655.

• 1958–1961 West Indies Federation.
• 1962 Independence under JLP.
• 1972 PNP elected. Reforms fail; street violence begins.
• 1980 Unpopular IMF austerity measures lead to JLP election win.
• 1991–1997 PNP returned and austerity continues.
• 1999 Violent protests over fuel tax increases.