Page last updated on January 31, 2014
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.
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 10,991 sq km
country comparison to the world: 168
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km
slightly smaller than Connecticut
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
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
bauxite, gypsum, limestone
arable land: 10.92%
permanent crops: 9.1%
other: 79.98% (2011)
total: 0.93 cu km/yr (32%/16%/52%)
per capita: 369.9 cu m/yr (2009)
hurricanes (especially July to November)
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
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
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican
black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)
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)
2,909,714 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
0-14 years: 29% (male 428,643/female 414,348)
15-24 years: 21.8% (male 318,132/female 315,945)
25-54 years: 36% (male 514,172/female 532,094)
55-64 years: 5.5% (male 78,510/female 82,565)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 100,820/female 124,485) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 54 %
youth dependency ratio: 41.8 %
elderly dependency ratio: 12.2 %
potential support ratio: 8.2 (2013)
total: 24.6 years
male: 24.1 years
female: 25.2 years (2013 est.)
0.7% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
18.65 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
6.63 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
-4.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
urban population: 52% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
KINGSTON (capital) 580,000 (2009)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
21.2
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)
110 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 69
total: 13.98 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 119
male: 14.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 73.44 years
country comparison to the world: 122
male: 71.81 years
female: 75.15 years (2013 est.)
2.09 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
5.2% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 139
0.41 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
1.8 beds/1,000 population (2010)
1.7% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
32,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
1,200 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
24.1% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 67
1.9% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 118
6.4% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 31
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87%
male: 82.1%
female: 91.8% (2011 est.)
total number: 38,516
percentage: 6 % (2005 est.)
total: 34%
country comparison to the world: 20
male: 27.1%
female: 42.6% (2012)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica
constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
6 August 1962 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 6 August (1962)
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 2011 (2011)
common law system based on the English model
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
18 years of age; universal
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
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
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
highest 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)
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
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew HOLNESS]
New Beginnings Movement or NBM
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen C. VASCIANNIE (since 20 July 2012)
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela E. BRIDGEWATER (since 1 December 2010)
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
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
green-and-black streamertail (bird)
name: "Jamaica, Land We Love"
lyrics/music: Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE
note: adopted 1962
The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which accounted for more than 60% of GDP at the end of 2011. 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 roughly 5%. The bauxite/alumina sector was most affected by the global downturn while the tourism industry was resilient. Tourism revenues account for roughly 5% of GDP in 2011. Jamaica's economy faces many challenges to growth: high crime and corruption, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of nearly 130%. 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.
$24.69 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$14.64 billion (2012 est.)
-0.5% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
$8,900 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
8.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
household consumption: 86.2%
government consumption: 15.9%
investment in fixed capital: 21%
investment in inventories: 0.5%
exports of goods and services: 33.7%
imports of goods and services: -57.2%
agriculture: 6.6%
industry: 29%
services: 64.4% (2012 est.)
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; shellfish
tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro-processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
-2.7% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
1.26 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
agriculture: 17%
industry: 19%
services: 64% (2006)
13.7% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 35.8% (2004)
45.5 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 38
revenues: $3.884 billion
expenditures: $4.499 billion (2012 est.)
26.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
-4.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
132.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
6.9% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
2% (31 December 2010 est.)
17.63% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$1.723 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
$7.309 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
$7.351 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
$7.223 billion (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 79
$-1.905 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
$1.747 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels
US 48%, Canada 7.2%, Slovenia 4.2%, Netherlands 4.1%, UAE 4.1% (2012)
$5.905 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
US 36.1%, Venezuela 15.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.8%, China 4.8%, Mexico 4% (2012)
$1.981 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
$14.09 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -
3.957 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
3.066 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
1.175 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
94.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
2.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
2,120 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
22,940 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 146
23,120 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
78,520 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
32,920 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 152
9.557 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
265,000 (2011)
country comparison to the world: 123
2.665 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 135
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; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Jamaica, Cuba, and Venezuela; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)
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)
3,906 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 149
1.581 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 80
28 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 123
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 5 (2013)
total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m:
total: 22,121 km (includes 44 km of expressways)
country comparison to the world: 103
paved: 16,148 km
unpaved: 5,973 km (2011)
total: 14
country comparison to the world: 102
by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 5, container 4, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 14 (Denmark 1, Germany 10, Greece 3) (2010)
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)
Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2010)
17 1/2 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
males age 16-49: 726,263
females age 16-49: 742,958 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 590,673
females age 16-49: 596,414 (2010 est.)
male: 33,369
female: 32,702 (2010 est.)
0.86% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 323
