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, 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
@Jamaica:People
Population: 2,634,678 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (male 425,233; female 406,529) 15-64 years: 62% (male 806,846; female 817,145) 65 years and over: 6% (male 79,125; female 99,800) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.7% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 20.91 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5.45 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)