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Compare Jamaica (2008) - Puerto Rico (2006)

Compare Jamaica (2008) z Puerto Rico (2006)

 Jamaica (2008)Puerto Rico (2006)
 JamaicaPuerto Rico
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
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco
Age structure 0-14 years: 32.5% (male 459,968/female 444,963)


15-64 years: 60.1% (male 822,486/female 848,310)


65 years and over: 7.4% (male 91,856/female 112,549) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 21.3% (male 428,610/female 409,484)


15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,239,255/female 1,345,519)


65 years and over: 12.8% (male 218,045/female 286,275) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens
Airports 34 (2007) 30 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 11


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 5 (2007)
total: 17


over 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 5 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 23


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 21 (2007)
total: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


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


land: 10,831 sq km


water: 160 sq km
total: 13,790 sq km


land: 8,870 sq km


water: 4,921 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Connecticut slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
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 and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom 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 affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status.
Birth rate 20.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 12.77 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $3.441 billion


expenditures: $3.905 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $6.7 billion


expenditures: $9.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00)
Capital name: Kingston


geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W


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


geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 1,022 km 501 km
Constitution 6 August 1962 ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Jamaica
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico


conventional short form: Puerto Rico
Death rate 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $7.138 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $NA
Dependency status - unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON


embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6


mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5


telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000


FAX: [1] (876) 702-6348
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
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 (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
Disputes - international none increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
Economic aid - recipient $35.74 million (2005) $NA
Economy - overview The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for more than 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Remittances account for nearly 20% of GDP and are equivalent to tourism revenues. Jamaica's economy, already saddled with a record of sluggish growth, will suffer an economic setback from damages caused by Hurricane Dean in August 2007. The economy faces serious long-term problems: high but declining interest rates, increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of 135%. Jamaica's onerous debt burden - the fourth highest per capita - is the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s. Inflation also has declined, standing at about 7% at the end of 2007. High unemployment exacerbates the serious crime problem, including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade. The GOLDING administration 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. Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004-2005.
Electricity - consumption 6.131 billion kWh (2005) 21.42 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 6.985 billion kWh (2005) 23.03 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


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


highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,339 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 erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
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 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census) white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%
Exchange rates Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 69.034 (2007), 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003) the US dollar is used
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 Bruce GOLDING (since 11 September 2007)


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: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)


head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature


elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)


election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4%
Exports 1,531 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
Exports - partners US 30.2%, Canada 15.6%, China 15.2%, UK 10.3%, Netherlands 7%, Norway 4.6% (2006) US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2004)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 July - 30 June
Flag description diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side) five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5%


industry: 34%


services: 61% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 45%


services: 54% (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.5% (2007 est.) 2.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 15 N, 77 30 W 18 15 N, 66 30 W
Geography - note strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.1%


highest 10%: 35.8% (2004)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption 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 71,420 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Imports - partners US 39.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.6%, Venezuela 9.5% (2006) US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2004)
Independence 6 August 1962 (from UK) none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2007 est.) NA%
Industries tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 15.73 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 9.14 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.32 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7.1% (2007 est.) 6.5% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate)
Irrigated land 250 sq km (2002) 400 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)
Labor force 1.255 million (2007 est.) 1.3 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 17%


industry: 19%


services: 64% (2006)
agriculture: 3%


industry: 20%


services: 77% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 15.83%


permanent crops: 10.01%


other: 74.16% (2005)
arable land: 3.69%


permanent crops: 5.59%


other: 90.72% (2005)
Languages English, English patois Spanish, English
Legal system based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
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 8 seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 3 September 2007 (next to be held no later than October 2012)


election results: percent of vote by party - JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.8%; seats by party - JLP 33, PNP 27
bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD 40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%, PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1


note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); Luis FORTUNO elected resident commissioner; results - percent of vote by party - PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.12 years


male: 71.43 years


female: 74.9 years (2007 est.)
total population: 78.4 years


male: 74.46 years


female: 82.54 years (2006 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 can read and write


total population: 94.1%


male: 93.9%


female: 94.4% (2002 est.)
Location Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
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: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 161,700 GRT/241,663 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 2, carrier 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 3


foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 1, Germany 1, Greece 8, Latvia 2)


registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)
total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 77,177 GRT/50,138 DWT


by type: roll on/roll off 3


foreign-owned: 3 (US 3)


registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2007) no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.6% (2006 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 6 August (1962) US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Nationality noun: Jamaican(s)


adjective: Jamaican
noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)


adjective: Puerto Rican
Natural hazards hurricanes (especially July to November) periodic droughts; hurricanes
Natural resources bauxite, gypsum, limestone some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
Net migration rate -6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS] National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]
Political pressure groups and leaders New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists) Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution
Population 2,780,132 (July 2007 est.) 3,927,188 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 14.8% (2003 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0.777% (2007 est.) 0.4% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 74, FM 53, shortwave 0 (2006)
Railways - total: 96 km


narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Religions Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census) Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.816 male(s)/female


total population: 0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female


total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Telephone system general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network


domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage; mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds 100 per 100 persons; the number of fixed-lines in use has been declining


international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability


domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service


international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US
Telephones - main lines in use 319,000 (2005) 1,111,900 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.804 million (2005) 2.682 million (2004)
Television broadcast stations 7 (1997) 32 (2006)
Terrain mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Total fertility rate 2.36 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.75 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 10.2% (2007 est.) 12% (2002)
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