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: 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
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, 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
@Jamaica:People
Population: 2,652,689 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (male 411,448; female 392,559) 15-64 years: 63% (male 832,314; female 837,133) 65 years and over: 7% (male 80,059; female 99,176) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.46% (2000 est.)