Jamaica

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.jm

Internet hosts

3,906 (2012) country comparison to the world: 149

Internet users

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

Telephone system

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 2011 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)

Telephones - main lines in use

272,100 (2011) country comparison to the world: 123

Telephones - mobile cellular

2.975 million (2011) country comparison to the world: 128

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $3.83 billion expenditures: $4.764 billion (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.1% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 175

Central bank discount rate

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

Commercial bank prime lending rate

13.1% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 19.51% (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.523 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 -$1.723 billion (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$14.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 $14.62 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

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

Economy - overview

The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for nearly 65% 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. Jamaica's economy faces many challenges to growth: 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 is the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably to the financial sector. In early 2010, the Jamaican government created the Jamaica Debt Exchange in order to retire high-priced domestic bonds and significantly reduce annual debt servicing. 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. Jamaica was hard hit by the effects of the global economic crisis, experiencing economic contractions from 2008-10 and growth remains low. The SIMPSON-MILLER 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. As of late 2012, the SIMPSON-MILLER government was working to negotiate a new IMF Stand-by agreement to gain access to additional funds.

Exchange rates

Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - 88.59 (2012 est.) 85.893 (2011 est.) 87.196 (2010 est.) 87.89 (2009) 72.236 (2008)

Exports

$1.718 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 $1.665 billion (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 36.8%, Canada 18.1%, Netherlands 7.3%, UK 5.4%, Norway 4.3% (2011)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$15.26 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$25.18 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 $24.96 billion (2011 est.) $24.65 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 6.5% industry: 29.9% services: 63.5% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$9,100 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $9,100 (2011 est.) $9,000 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0.9% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 168 1.3% (2011 est.) -1.5% (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$6.019 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $5.859 billion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 32.8%, Venezuela 15%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.2%, China 6.3%, Mexico 4.1% (2011)

Industrial production growth rate

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.8% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 7.5% (2011 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

19.5% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

Labor force

1.325 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

Labor force - by occupation

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

Market value of publicly traded shares

$7.223 billion (31 December 2011) country comparison to the world: 78 $6.626 billion (31 December 2010) $6.201 billion (31 December 2009)

Population below poverty line

16.5% (2009 est.)

Public debt

127.3% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 127.6% of GDP (2011 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 $2.282 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$7.309 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 $7.012 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$7.229 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 $7.131 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$2.028 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 $1.962 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.1% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 127

Unemployment rate

14.2% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 139 14.1% (2011 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

9.217 million Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 133

Crude oil - imports

23,780 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 148

Electricity - consumption

4.801 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 212

Electricity - from fossil fuels

93.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

1.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 138

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 115

Electricity - from other renewable sources

4.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 204

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.198 million kW (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

Electricity - production

5.208 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 117

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 158

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 152

Refined petroleum products - consumption

78,520 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 90

Refined petroleum products - exports

9,145 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87

Refined petroleum products - imports

68,410 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59

Refined petroleum products - production

22,790 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 94

Area

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

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Coastline

1,022 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

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

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

250 sq km (2002)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

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

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Natural resources

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Terrain

mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Total renewable water resources

9.4 cu km (2000)

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 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

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

Constitution

6 August 1962

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen VASCIANNIE 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

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 Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 5 January 2012) 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 description

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

constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

6 August 1962 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

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

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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

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

common law system based on the English model

Legislative branch

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 (63 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-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

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1962)

National symbol(s)

green-and-black streamertail (bird)

Political parties and leaders

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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 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.

Manpower available for military service

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

Manpower fit for military service

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

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

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

Military branches

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

Military expenditures

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

Military service age and obligation

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.5% (male 433,686/ female 419,296) 15-64 years: 62.8% (male 896,832/ female 917,543) 65 years and over: 7.7% (male 99,259/ female 122,571) (2012 est.)

Birth rate

18.89 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 101

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

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

Death rate

6.59 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 146

Education expenditures

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

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

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

Health expenditures

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

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant mortality rate

total: 14.3 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 121 male: 14.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Languages

English, English patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.43 years country comparison to the world: 119 male: 71.78 years female: 75.15 years (2012 est.)

Literacy

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

Major cities - population

KINGSTON (capital) 580,000 (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

110 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 67

Median age

total: 24.4 years male: 23.9 years female: 24.9 years (2012 est.)

Nationality

noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican

Net migration rate

-5.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 194

Physicians density

0.85 physicians/1,000 population (2003)

Population

2,889,187 (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 139

Population growth rate

0.714% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 139

Religions

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

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.12 children born/woman (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

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

Urbanization

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

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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

Airports

27 (2012) country comparison to the world: 125

Airports - with paved runways

total: 12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 6 (2012)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 15 under 914 m: (2012)

Merchant marine

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

Ports and terminals

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

Roadways

total: 22,121 km (includes 44 km of expressways) (2005) country comparison to the world: 103