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Compare Jamaica (2006) - Montserrat (2008)

Compare Jamaica (2006) z Montserrat (2008)

 Jamaica (2006)Montserrat (2008)
 JamaicaMontserrat
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
3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Age structure 0-14 years: 33.1% (male 464,297/female 449,181)


15-64 years: 59.6% (male 808,718/female 835,394)


65 years and over: 7.3% (male 90,100/female 110,434) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 23.5% (male 1,144/female 1,094)


15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,989/female 3,281)


65 years and over: 10.8% (male 527/female 503) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products
Airports 35 (2006) 2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 11


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 5 (2006)
total: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 24


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 22 (2006)
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Area total: 10,991 sq km


land: 10,831 sq km


water: 160 sq km
total: 102 sq km


land: 102 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Connecticut about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Background The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated, replaced by African slaves. England siezed the island in 1655 and a plantation economy - based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee - was established. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of which became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and 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 created by the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. The cycle of violence, drugs, and poverty has served to impoverish large sectors of the populace. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy. English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three decades later. The British and French fought for possession of the island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid 19th century. Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003.
Birth rate 20.82 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 17.51 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $3.21 billion; including capital expenditures of $180.4 million (2005 est.)
revenues: $31.4 million


expenditures: $31.6 million (1997 est.)
Capital name: Kingston


geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W


time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Plymouth


geographic coordinates: 16 42 N, 62 13 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat
Climate tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 1,022 km 40 km
Constitution 6 August 1962 effective 19 December 1989
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Jamaica
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Montserrat
Death rate 6.52 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 7.02 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $7.162 billion (2005 est.) $8.9 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON


embassy: Mutual Life Building, 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
none (overseas territory of the UK)
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, New York
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $18.5 million; note - US aid only (2004) Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.)
Economy - overview The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from remittances, tourism, 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 2003-04, with brisk tourist seasons. But the economy faces serious long-term problems: high interest rates, increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a growing stock of internal debt - the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-1990s. The ratio of debt to GDP is 135%. Inflation, previously a bright spot, is expected to remain in the double digits. Uncertain economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including gang violence fueled by the drug trade. In 2004, the government faced 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. Attempts at deficit control were derailed by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, which required substantial government spending to repair the damage. Despite the hurricane, tourism looks set to enjoy solid growth for the foreseeable future. Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade.
Electricity - consumption 2.974 billion kWh (2004) 18.6 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2004) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2004) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 3.717 billion kWh (2004) 20 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: lava dome in English's Crater (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) estimated at over 930 m (2006)
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 land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation
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% black, white
Exchange rates Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003), 48.416 (2002), 45.996 (2001) East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)


note: fixed rate since 1976
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 30 March 2006)


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
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Peter A. WATERWORTH (since 27 July 2007)


head of government: Chief Minister Lowell LEWIS (since 2 June 2006)


cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister
Exports NA bbl/day 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers, limes, live plants; cattle
Exports - partners US 25.8%, Canada 19.3%, UK 10.7%, Netherlands 8.6%, China 7%, Norway 6.4%, Germany 5.6% (2005) US, Antigua and Barbuda (2006)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 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) blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.9%


industry: 33.7%


services: 61.5% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 1.2%


industry: 23.1%


services: 75.7% (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.8% (2005 est.) -1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 15 N, 77 30 W 16 45 N, 62 12 W
Geography - note strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.7%


highest 10%: 30.3% (2000)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs 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 transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
Imports NA bbl/day 458 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials
Imports - partners US 41.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 14%, Venezuela 5.5%, Japan 4.6% (2005) US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (2006)
Independence 6 August 1962 (from UK) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate -2% (2000 est.) NA%
Industries tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Infant mortality rate total: 15.98 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 16.66 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 7.03 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.15 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15.3% (2005 est.) 2.6% (2002 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, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU
Irrigated land 250 sq km (2002) NA
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court)
Labor force 1.2 million (2005 est.) 4,521


note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 19.3%


industry: 16.6%


services: 64.1% (2004)
-
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 15.83%


permanent crops: 10.01%


other: 74.16% (2005)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 80% (2005)
Languages English, patois English English
Legal system based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction English common law and statutory law
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 no later than October 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%; seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26
unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)


note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members


elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%, MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP 1, independents 1


note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.24 years


male: 71.54 years


female: 75.03 years (2006 est.)
total population: 79 years


male: 76.8 years


female: 81.31 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 87.9%


male: 84.1%


female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 97%


male: 97%


female: 97% (1970 est.)
Location Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references Central America and the Caribbean 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
territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 10 ships (1000 GRT or over) 124,323 GRT/184,247 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 10 (Germany 3, Greece 6, Italy 1) (2006)
-
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $31.17 million (2003 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.4% (2003 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 6 August (1962) Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Nationality noun: Jamaican(s)


adjective: Jamaican
noun: Montserratian(s)


adjective: Montserratian
Natural hazards hurricanes (especially July to November) severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)
Natural resources bauxite, gypsum, limestone NEGL
Net migration rate -6.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Hyacinth BENNETT]; People's National Party or PNP [Percival James PATTERSON] Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS]; Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]
Political pressure groups and leaders New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists) NA
Population 2,758,124 (July 2006 est.) 9,538


note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 19.1% (2003 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0.8% (2006 est.) 1.048% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 2, 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)
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Religions Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Baptist 8.8%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 5.5%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Brethren 1.1%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other including some spiritual cults 34.7% Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.046 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.911 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.048 male(s)/female


total population: 0.955 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 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
general assessment: modern and fully digitalized


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-664; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad
Telephones - main lines in use 342,000 (2005) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.7 million (2005) NA
Television broadcast stations 7 (1997) 1 (1997)
Terrain mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Total fertility rate 2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.77 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 11.5% (2005 est.) 6% (1998 est.)
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