Facts about Jamaica
Official Name Administrative Divisions
Age Structure
Airports Area
Average Rainfall Average Temperature Birth Rate Capital Climate Climate Coastline Coat of Arms
Jamaica 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland 0-14 years: 28.6% (male 395,074; female 376,870) 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 870,486; female 869,431) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 82,022; female 101,984) (2003 est.) Norman Manley International Airport, Donald Sangster International Airport, Tinson Pen Airport total: 10,991 sq km land: 10,831 sq km water: 160 sq km 78 inches annually 82° F 17.35 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) Kingston tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior Tropical. Hot, Humid, temperate interior. 1,022 km The Jamaican national motto is ‘Out of Many One People’, based on the population’s multi-racial roots. The motto is represented on the Coat of Arms, showing a male and female member of the Taino tribe standing on either side of a shield which bears a red cross with five golden pineapples. The crest shows a Jamaican crocodile mounted on the Royal Helmet of the British Monarchy and mantling. 6 August 1962 18 15 N, 77 30 W Jamaican Dollar. Bank notes are issued for the following amounts $50, $100, $500, $1000. The heads of famous
Constitution Coordinates Currency
Death Rate Economy
Elevation Extremes Environmental International Agreements
Environmental Issues
Ethnic Groups Executive Branch
Jamaican people appear on the notes. One Jamaican dollar is equal to about 40 US dollars. The exchange rates change everyday. There are 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents 1 dollar, 10 dollar and 20dollar coins. The heads of famous Jamaican people also appear on the back of the coins. 5.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) The economy, which depends heavily on tourism and bauxite, has been stagnant since 1995. After five years of recession, the economy inched ahead, by 0.8% in 2000, 1.7% in 2001, and 0.8% in 2002; the global economic slowdown, particularly in the United States after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, has stunted the economic recovery. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased foreign competition; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt, the result of government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the economy, particularly the financial sector. Depressed economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including serious violent crime. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon encouraging investment and tourism, maintaining a competitive exchange rate, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper fiscal and monetary policies. lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate ChangeKyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1% 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) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Export Trading Partners Exports External Debt GDP GDP by Sector
GDP per capita Geography Government Type constitutional parliamentary democracy Head of Government The head of government in Jamaica is the Prime Minister who is elected by the Jamaican people. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives. Head of State The head of state is the governor-general, who is appointed by the monarch of England. History HIV/AIDS (Adult 1.2% (2001 est.) Prevalence) HIV/AIDS (People 20,000 (2001 est.) Living with) HIV/AIDS Deaths 980 (2001 est.) Import Trading US 45%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 4.7% (2002) Partners Imports machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals, fertilizers, consumer goods, electrical equipment Independence 6 August 1962 (from UK) Industries tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products Infant Mortality Rate total: 13.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 14.3 deaths/1,000 live births International ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, Organization IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM,
elections: none; the monarch 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; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime minister US 28.1%, Canada 12.2%, Norway 10.7%, UK 10.5%, Germany 7%, Netherlands 5.6% (2002) alumina, bauxite; sugar, bananas, rum, apparel, coffee, citrus and citrus products, cocoa $5.3 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $10.08 billion (2002 est.) agriculture: 6% industry: 31% services: 63% (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2002 est.)
Participation
Irrigated Land Labour Force by Occupation Land Use
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO 250 sq km (1998 est.) services 60%, agriculture 21%, industry 19% (1998) arable land: 16.07% permanent crops: 9.23% other: 74.7% (1998 est.) The official language is English but Patois, a dialect, is widely spoken across the island based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21member 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 eight seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%; seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26 146 miles total population: 75.85 years male: 73.84 years female: 77.97 years (2003 est.) definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 87.9% male: 84.1% female: 91.6% (2003 est.) Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba measured from claimed archipelagic baselines exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 NM total: 26.5 years male: 25.8 years female: 27.2 years (2002) Jamaica Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing) “Jamaica Land We Love”
Language Legal System Legislative Branch
Length Life Expectancy at Birth Literacy
Location Maritime Claims
Median Age
Military National Anthem
National Bird
The Doctor-Bird (Trochilus polytmus) or Swallow-Tail Hummingbird
National Dish
Ackee and Saltfish
National Flag
National Flower
The diagonal cross is gold. The top and bottom triangles are green. The hoist and fly (side) triangles are black. “The sun shineth, the land is green and the people are strong and creative” is the symbolism of the colours of the flag. Black depicts the strength and creativity of the people; Gold, the natural wealth and beauty of sunlight; and green, hope and agricultural resources. Lignum Vitae (Guiacum officinale), translated from Latin, means “wood of life”. Ackee
National Fruit
National Pledge National Song National Tree
“Before God and all mankind …” “I Pledge My Heart” The Blue Mahoe (Hibiscus elatus)
Nationality Natural Hazards Natural Resources Net Migration Rate Police Political Parties Population
Population Growth
Jamaican hurricanes (July to November), earthquakes bauxite, gypsum, limestone -5.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) Jamaica Constabulary Force People’s National Party (PNP), Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) 2,695,867 (July 2003 est.): Kingston, 800,000; Montego Bay, 82,000; Mandeville, 13,681; Port Antonio, 10,426; Ocho Rios, 5,851; Negril, 1,166 0.61% (2003 est.)
Rate Ports
Public Holidays
Railway
Religions
Sex Ratio
Suffrage Terrain Total Fertility Rate Well Known for
Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf) New Years Day (January 1), Ash Wednesday (February 25), Good Friday (April 9), Easter Monday (April 12), Labour Day (May 23), Emancipation Day (August 1), Independence Day (August 6), National Heroes Day (October 18), Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26) Belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation, is no longer operational, except for privately owned and used rail to transport bauxite (2002) 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% at birth: 1.05 male/female under 15 years: 1.05 male/female 15-64 years: 1 male/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male/female total population: 1 male/female (2003 est.) 18 years of age mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain 2.01 children born/woman (2003 est.) Blue Mountain Coffee Solomon Gundy The Jamaican Bobsled Team Reggae Music and Bob Marley Jerk Chicken (pork) and Sauce Beautiful Beaches (eg. Dunns River Falls) 22-51 miles
Width