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◆ COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)
Broadcast media
3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2013)
Internet country code
.jm
Internet users
total: 1,336,653 | percent of population: 45.0% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109
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 fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity exceeds 120 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) (2016)
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 310,213 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122
Telephones - mobile cellular
total: 3,267,344 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140
◆ ECONOMY(39 fields)
Agriculture - products
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; shellfish
Budget
revenues: $3.995 billion | expenditures: $3.922 billion (2016 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
0.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34
Central bank discount rate
2% (31 December 2010) | country comparison to the world: 115
Commercial bank prime lending rate
16.5% (31 December 2016 est.) | 16.98% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29
Current account balance
$-309 million (2016 est.) | $-430 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76
Debt - external
$15.17 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $14.27 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101
Distribution of family income - Gini index
45.5 (2004) | 37.9 (2000) | country comparison to the world: 38
Economy - overview
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. Earnings from remittances and tourism each account for about 15% of GDP, while bauxite/alumina exports have declined to less than 5% of GDP. | Jamaica's economy has grown on average less than 1% a year for the last three decades and many impediments remain to growth: a bloated public sector which crowds out spending on important projects; high crime and corruption; red-tape; and a high debt-to-GDP ratio. Jamaica, however, has made steady progress in reducing its debt-to-GDP ratio from a high of almost 150% in 2012 to about 115% in 2017, in close collaboration with the International Monetary Fund. The existing Stand By Agreement requires Jamaica to produce an annual primary surplus of 7%, in an attempt to reduce its debt burden below 60% by 2025. | Economic growth reached 1.6% in 2016. The HOLNESS administration faces the difficult prospect of maintaining fiscal discipline to make debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious crime problem. High unemployment exacerbates the crime problem, including gang violence fueled by the drug trade.
Exchange rates
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - | 125.126 (2016 est.) | 125.126 (2015 est.) | 116.898 (2014 est.) | 110.935 (2013 est.) | 88.75 (2012 est.)
Exports
$1.195 billion (2016 est.) | $1.255 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153
Exports - commodities
alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, apparel, mineral fuels
Exports - partners
US 40.8%, Canada 11.9%, Netherlands 10.2%, Russia 5.8%, UK 4.1% (2016)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
GDP (official exchange rate)
$13.96 billion (2016 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$25.33 billion (2016 est.) | $24.69 billion (2015 est.) | $24.2 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 139
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 81.3% | government consumption: 13.7% | investment in fixed capital: 21.1% | investment in inventories: 0.1% | exports of goods and services: 29.3% | imports of goods and services: -45.5% (2016 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 7.2% | industry: 21.3% | services: 71.4% (2016 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$9,000 (2016 est.) | $8,900 (2015 est.) | $8,800 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 142
GDP - real growth rate
1.3% (2016 est.) | 0.9% (2015 est.) | 0.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153
Gross national saving
17% of GDP (2016 est.) | 18.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | 14.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.1% | highest 10%: 35.8% (2004)
Imports
$4.169 billion (2016 est.) | $4.449 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129
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 39%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.2%, China 6.4%, Japan 6.2%, Mexico 4.1% (2016)
Industrial production growth rate
1.7% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119
Industries
tourism, bauxite/alumina, agricultural-processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.3% (2016 est.) | 3.7% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129
Labor force
1.321 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 17% | industry: 19% | services: 64% (2006)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$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: 82
Population below poverty line
16.5% (2009 est.)
Public debt
127.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | 122.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$3.291 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $2.914 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102
Stock of broad money
$8.429 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $8.182 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110
Stock of domestic credit
$7.343 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $6.881 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114
Stock of narrow money
$3.409 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.542 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 112
Taxes and other revenues
28.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90
Unemployment rate
12.8% (2016 est.) | 13.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
◆ ENERGY(24 fields)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
13 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96
Crude oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143
Crude oil - imports
19,160 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64
Crude oil - production
0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151
Crude oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 150
Electricity - consumption
2.757 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153
Electricity - from fossil fuels
88.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116
Electricity - from other renewable sources
13% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164
Electricity - installed generating capacity
988,000 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128
Electricity - production
3.894 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126
Electricity access
population without electricity: 200,000 | electrification - total population: 93% | electrification - urban areas: 98% | electrification - rural areas: 87% (2013)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 154
Refined petroleum products - consumption
54,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102
Refined petroleum products - exports
845.3 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110
Refined petroleum products - imports
34,170 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98
Refined petroleum products - production
19,760 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91
◆ GEOGRAPHY(19 fields)
Area
total: 10,991 sq km | land: 10,831 sq km | water: 160 sq km | country comparison to the world: 167
Area - comparative
about half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Coastline
1,022 km
Elevation
mean elevation: 18 m | 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
Geographic coordinates
18 15 N, 77 30 W
Geography - note
third largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola); strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
Irrigated land
250 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
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
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
Population - distribution
population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel
Terrain
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
◆ GOVERNMENT(22 fields)
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)
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 4 out of the previous 5 years
Constitution
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
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
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Eric KHANT (since 30 June 2017) | 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
chief of mission: Ambassador Audrey Patrice MARKS (since 18 January 2017) | 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
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 description
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
parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; 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, 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
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
common law system based on the English model
Legislative branch
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 25 February 2016 (next to be held no later than February 2021) | election results: percent of vote by party - JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.7%, other 0.2%; seats by party - JLP 32, PNP 31
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), Guaiacum officinale (Guaiacwood); national colors: green, yellow, black
Political parties and leaders
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew HOLNESS] | People's National Party or PNP [Dr. Peter David PHILLIPS] | National Democratic Movement or NDM [Peter TOWNSEND]
Political pressure groups and leaders
New Beginnings Movement or NBM | Rastafarians
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
Background
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(3 fields)
Military branches
Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2010)
Military expenditures
0.82% of GDP (2016) | 0.83% of GDP (2015) | 0.87% of GDP (2014) | 0.9% of GDP (2013) | 0.93% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 111
Military service age and obligation
17 1/2 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(36 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 27.17% (male 413,325/female 399,190) | 15-24 years: 20.79% (male 312,400/female 309,477) | 25-54 years: 38.17% (male 564,414/female 577,059) | 55-64 years: 5.85% (male 84,271/female 90,612) | 65 years and over: 8.02% (male 107,310/female 132,503) (2017 est.)
Birth rate
17.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.5% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 112
Contraceptive prevalence rate
72.5% (2008/09)
Death rate
6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 48.7 | youth dependency ratio: 34.9 | elderly dependency ratio: 13.8 | potential support ratio: 7.2 (2015 est.)
Drinking water source
urban: 97.5% of population | rural: 89.4% of population | total: 93.8% of population | urban: 2.5% of population | rural: 10.6% of population | total: 6.2% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditures
5.4% of GDP (2015) | country comparison to the world: 40
Ethnic groups
black 92.1%, mixed 6.1%, East Indian 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.7% (2011 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
1.7% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30
HIV/AIDS - deaths
1,300 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
30,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67
Health expenditures
5.4% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 130
Hospital bed density
1.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Infant mortality rate
total: 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 13.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111
Languages
English, English patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.7 years | male: 72.1 years | female: 75.4 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school | total population: 88.7% | male: 84% | female: 93.1% (2015 est.)
Major infectious diseases
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
KINGSTON (capital) 588,000 (2015)
Maternal mortality rate
89 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77
Median age
total: 26 years | male: 25.5 years | female: 26.5 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151
Mother's mean age at first birth
21.2 years | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)
Nationality
noun: Jamaican(s) | adjective: Jamaican
Net migration rate
-4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
24.7% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 55
Physicians density
0.41 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
Population
2,990,561 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138
Population distribution
population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel
Population growth rate
0.68% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145
Religions
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
urban: 79.9% of population | rural: 84.1% of population | total: 81.8% of population | urban: 20.1% of population | rural: 15.9% of population | total: 18.2% of population (2015 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.96 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 37.8% | male: 32.4% | female: 43.8% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20
Urbanization
urban population: 55.3% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0.93% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(3 fields)
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
Trafficking in persons
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(8 fields)
Airports
28 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 123
Airports - with paved runways
total: 11 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 | under 914 m: 5 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 17 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 16 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
6Y (2016)
Merchant marine
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
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 and terminals
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
total: 22,121 km (includes 44 km of expressways) | paved: 16,148 km | unpaved: 5,973 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 104