Jamaica (2004)

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Jamaica 2004 year


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 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
Age structure	0-14 years: 28.2% (male 390,966; female 372,961) 15-64 years: 65% (male 883,053; female 880,296) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 82,788; female 103,066) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, vegetables, poultry, goats, milk, crustaceans, and mollusks
Airports	35 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 22 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 10,991 sq km land: 10,831 sq km water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut
Background	Jamaica gained full independence within the British Commonwealth in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence and a drop off in tourism. Elections in 1980 saw the democratic socialists voted out of office. Political violence marred elections during the 1990s.
Birth rate	16.94 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $2.596 billion expenditures: $3.111 billion, including capital expenditures of $236 million (2003 est.)
Capital	Kingston
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Coastline	1,022 km
Constitution	6 August 1962
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica
Currency	Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Death rate	5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$4.962 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Sue McCourt COBB embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859 FAX: [1] (876) 935-6001
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon SHIRLEY chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660 FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
Disputes - international	none
Economic aid - recipient	$16 million (2003)
Economy - overview	The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for 70% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. The global economic slowdown, particularly after the terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September 2001, stunted economic growth; the economy rebounded moderately in 2003, with one of the best tourist seasons on record. But the economy faces serious long-term problems: high interest rates; increased foreign competition; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a sizable merchandise trade deficit; large-scale unemployment; and a growing internal debt, the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy. The ratio of debt to GDP is close to 150%. Inflation, previously a bright spot, is expected to remain in the double digits. Depressed economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including gang violence fueled by the drug trade. In 2004, the government faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime problem that is hampering economic growth.
Electricity - consumption	5.833 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	6.272 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
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, 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
Ethnic groups	black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%
Exchange rates	Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 57.7409 (2003), 48.4159 (2002), 45.9962 (2001), 42.7011 (2000), 39.0435 (1999)
Executive branch	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 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
Exports	0 kWh (2001)
Exports	$1.355 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels
Exports - partners	US 29.6%, UK 11%, Canada 10.8%, France 7.9%, Norway 6.8%, Germany 6.2%, China 6%, Netherlands 4.4% (2003)
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
GDP	purchasing power parity - $10.61 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 6.7% industry: 37.2% services: 56.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	1.9% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	18 15 N, 77 30 W
Geography - note	strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
Highways	total: 18,700 km paved: 13,109 km unpaved: 5,591 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.7% highest 10%: 30.3% (2000)
Illicit drugs	major transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions
Imports	0 kWh (2001)
Imports	$3.265 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners	US 39.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 9.7%, Germany 5.6%, Venezuela 4.5%, France 4.5%, Japan 4.2% (2003)
Independence	6 August 1962 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	-2% (2000 est.)
Industries	tourism, bauxite/alumina, textiles, agro processing, wearing apparel, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
Infant mortality rate	total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	10.3% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	250 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal
Labor force	1.13 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 21%, industry 19%, services 60% (1998)
Land boundaries	0 km
Land use	arable land: 16.07% permanent crops: 10.16% other: 73.77% (2001)
Languages	English, patois English
Legal system	based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	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 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 in October 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%; seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 76.07 years male: 74.04 years female: 78.21 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 87.9% male: 84.1% female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
Location	Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	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
Merchant marine	total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 74,881 GRT/100,682 DWT by type: bulk 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, short-sea/passenger 1 foreign-owned: Greece 2, Iceland 1, Latvia 1, United States 2 (2004 est.)
Military branches	Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$31 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.4% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 764,266 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 533,768 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 27,126 (2004 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, first Monday in August (1962)
Nationality	noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican
Natural hazards	hurricanes (especially July to November)
Natural resources	bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Net migration rate	-4.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Edward SEAGA]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Hyacinth BENNETT]; People's National Party or PNP [Percival James PATTERSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders	New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Population	2,713,130 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	19.7% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate	0.66% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	total: 272 km standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge note: 207 of these km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation had been in common carrier service until 1992 but are no longer operational; 57 km of the remaining track is privately owned and used by ALCAN to transport bauxite (2003)
Religions	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%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network domestic: NA international: country code - 1-876; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables
Telephones - main lines in use	444,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1.4 million (2002)
Television broadcast stations	7 (1997)
Terrain	mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Total fertility rate	1.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	15.9% (2003 est.)

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