Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates: 18 15 N, 77 30 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 10,990 sq km
land: 10,830 sq km
water: 160 sq km

Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,022 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain: mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

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

Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 17%
other: 39% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 350 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes (especially July to November)

Environment—current issues: deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions

Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

 

People

Population: 2,652,443 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 421,127; female 402,593)
15-64 years: 62% (male 819,956; female 828,176)
65 years and over: 7% (male 79,747; female 100,844) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.64% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 20.22 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.62 years
male: 73.22 years
female: 78.13 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.26 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican

Ethnic groups: black 90.4%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.6%

Religions: Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7%

Languages: English, Creole

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 85%
male: 80.8%
female: 89.1% (1995 est.)

 

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica

Data code: JM

Government type: parliamentary democracy

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)

National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August) (1962)

Constitution: 6 August 1962

Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA 1993)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

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 13 seats, opposition eight seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 18 December 1997 (next to be held by March 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—PNP 50, JLP 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)

Political parties and leaders: People's National Party or PNP [P. J. PATTERSON]; Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Edward SEAGA]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Bruce GOLDING]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New Beginnings Movement or NBM

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNAL
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley Louis MCLELLAND
embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [1] (809) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX: [1] (809) 926-6743

Flag description: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles—green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)

 

Economy

Economy—overview: Key sectors in this island economy are bauxite (alumina and bauxite account for more than half of exports) and tourism. Since assuming office in 1992, Prime Minister PATTERSON has eliminated most price controls, streamlined tax schedules, and privatized government enterprises. Continued tight monetary and fiscal policies have helped slow inflation—although inflationary pressures are mounting—and stabilize the exchange rate, but have resulted in the slowdown of economic growth (moving from 1.5% in 1992 to 0.5% in 1995). In 1996, GDP showed negative growth (-1.4%) and remained negative through 1998. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased foreign competition; the weak financial condition of business in general resulting in receiverships or closures and downsizings of companies; the shift in investment portfolios to non-productive, short-term high yield instruments; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt for government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the economy, particularly the financial sector. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon encouraging investment in the productive sectors, maintaining a competitive exchange rate, stabilizing the labor environment, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper fiscal and monetary policies.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$8.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: -2% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$3,300 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.4%
industry: 42.1%
services: 50.5% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: 34.2% (1992 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 31.9% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.9% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 1.14 million (1996)

Labor force—by occupation: services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19% (1989)

Unemployment rate: 16.5% (1997 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.27 billion
expenditures: $3.66 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.265 billion (FY98/99 est.)

Industries: tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity—production: 6.125 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 97.96%
hydro: 2.04%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 6.125 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk

Exports: $1.7 billion (1997)

Exports—commodities: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum

Exports—partners: US 33.3%, EU (excluding UK and Norway) 17.1%, Canada 14.1%, UK 13.4%, Norway 6.1%, Caricom 3.4%

Imports: $2.8 billion (1997)

Imports—commodities: machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals

Imports—partners: US 47.7%, EU (excluding UK) 12.8%, Caricom 10.2%, Latin America 6.7%, UK 3.7% (1997)

Debt—external: $4.2 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid—recipient: $102.7 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1—35.57 (December 1998), 35.404 (1997), 37.120 (1996), 35.142 (1995), 33.086 (1994)

Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March

 

Currancy

Currency: Jamaican dollar Exchange rate: US$1 = J$40. 2 (called jay)

Relative costs: cheap meal: US$2-5 restaurant meal: US$10-20 cheap room: US$15-25 hotel room: $US30-60

Jamaica is relatively inexpensive compared to other Caribbean islands, though how much you spend depends largely on the style in which you travel. Budget travellers will need around US$25-30 per day, while those staying in comfortable hotels and eating at tourist restaurants will need at least US$75 per day - add another $US50 per day if you hire a car. The Jamaican dollar is the only legal tender though prices are often quoted in US dollars, which are widely accepted. European currencies are generally frowned upon so it's best to have US dollar travellers' cheques. All major brands of travellers' cheques and credit cards are accepted in Jamaica. You can exchange money at banks, licensed exchange bureaus or hotels, though the rate at hotels is usually 2% to 5% below the bank rate. Plenty of Jamaicans will approach you to change Jamaican dollars on the black market. This is illegal and the black market rate is usually only 5% to 10% better than the bank rate so it's not worth the risk of falling for a scam. The government charges a 15% General Consumption Tax on hotel and restaurant bills and most purchases from shops. A 10% tip is considered normal in most hotels and restaurants, though some restaurants add a 10% to 15% service charge, in which case there's no need to leave an additional tip. Most prices in shops are fixed but bargaining (higgling) at street stalls and markets is expected. Bargaining occasionally gets a bit brusque so do your best to keep things good natured.

 

Communications

Telephones: 350,000 (1997 est.)

Telephone system: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1997)

Radios: 1.973 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 7 (1997)

Televisions: 330,000 (1992 est.)

 

Transportation

Railways:
total: 370 km
standard gauge: 370 km 1.435-m gauge; note—207 km belong to the Jamaica Railway Corporation in common carrier service, but are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite

Highways:
total: 18,700 km
paved: 13,100 km
unpaved: 5,600 km (1997 est.)

Pipelines: petroleum products 10 km

Ports and harbors: Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,478 GRT/5,878 DWT
ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)

Airports: 36 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 23 (1998 est.)

 

Military

Military branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force

Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 715,260 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 503,667 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 26,108 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $47.9 million (FY97/98 est.)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: NA%

 

Misc

What you Need to Know About Jamaica

History

It was originally filled with Arawak Indians. Then it became a territorial fight among the various European countries. Knowing all that, Jamaica has a lot of influences among them. You'll be able to taste that in their food. It has a French influence, Cajun, etc. It was a target for the pirates to invade. It's now a cool place to have a vacation.

People

They are very friendly. They have traditional views. They live a simple life not filled with material things. They believe friends and family is important. They will make you happy because they are happy.

Culture

They are a poor and rich classed society. Some people live in shacks while others live in houses. You won't find many apartments where we are going.

Food

It's mostly sea and traditional food. They use lime in their cooking instead of lemon since lemons aren't from the island. You'll see quite a few meals that are prepared with yummy vegetables that are native to that island.

Present Situation

The economy is mainly focused on tourism. Although they have a few factories for bauxite mining in the manufacturing of aluminum and the harvesting of their famous expensive Blue Mountain Coffee, they are really into the tourism thing and that's making you feel good.

Cities

They are nice with little shops and a few of your favorite franchise fast food places. But since you're there for your first time, you might want to get a taste of eating their foods.

Climate

80 to 100 degrees. But hey, you'll be enjoying the water a lot through our adventure.

Immigration Regulations

Bring your passport.

Manners

If they come to your country, you expect them to be on good behavior. They don't want you to have a bad manner license.

Shopping

When you go shopping, it's duty free which saves you quite a bit on prices. When you shop outside a designated store, you need to take haggling lessons. Yes, they're included in the tour.