Long-form name:
none
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)
Constitution:
6 August 1962
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day (first Monday in August)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Howard COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister P. J. Patterson (since 30 March 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
People's National Party (PNP) P. J. Patterson; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP),
Edward SEAGA
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 9 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results - PNP
57%, JLP 43%; seats - (60 total) PNP 45, JLP 15
Other political or pressure groups:
Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Member of:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, GATT, G-15, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Richard BERNAL; Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW,
Washington, DC 20006; telephone (202) 452-0660; there are Jamaican
Consulates General in Miami and New York
US:
Ambassador Glen A. HOLDEN; Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica Mutual Life Center,
2 Oxford Road, Kingston; telephone (809) 929-4850 through 4859, FAX (809)
926-6743
Flag:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and
bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)
:Jamaica Economy
Overview:
The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985 it suffered a
setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina
industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic
recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the
bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal prices. The
recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and tourism
sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on
crops and the electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the
economy. By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was
largely complete, and real growth was up about 3% for 1989. In 1991,
however, growth dropped to 1.0% as a result of the US recession, lower world
bauxite prices, and monetary instability.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $3.6 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate
1.0% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
80% (1991 projected)
Unemployment rate:
15.1% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $600 million; expenditures $736 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991, projected)
commodities:
bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas
partners:
US 36%, UK, Canada, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago
Imports:
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991 projected)
commodities:
petroleum, machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods
partners:
US 48%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago
External debt:
$3.8 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate - 2.0% (1990); accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity:
1,122,000 kW capacity; 2,520 million kWh produced, 1,012 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures
Agriculture:
accounts for about 9% of GDP, 22% of work force, and 17% of exports;
commercial crops - sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, and
vegetables; live-stock and livestock products include poultry, goats, milk;
not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products
Illicit drugs:
illicit cultivation of cannabis; transshipment point for cocaine from
Central and South America to North America; government has an active
cannabis eradication program
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.2 billion; other countries,
ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.6 billion
Currency:
Jamaican dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
:Jamaica Economy
Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 - 21.946 (January 1992), 12.116 (1991), 7.184
(1990), 5.7446 (1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
:Jamaica Communications
Railroads:
294 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track
Highways:
18,200 km total; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km improved earth
Pipelines:
petroleum products 10 km
Ports:
Kingston, Montego Bay
Merchant marine:
4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,619 GRT/16,302 DWT; includes 1
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum tanker, 2 bulk
Civil air:
8 major transport aircraft
Airports:
36 total, 23 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
fully automatic domestic telephone network; 127,000 telephones; broadcast
stations - 10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 3
coaxial submarine cables
:Jamaica Defense Forces
Branches:
Jamaica Defense Force (including Coast Guard and Air Wing), Jamaica
Constabulary Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 640,058; 454,131 fit for military service; no conscription;
26,785 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $20 million, less than 1% of GDP (FY91)
:Jan Mayen Geography