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Compare West Bank (2005) - Jamaica (2006)

Compare West Bank (2005) z Jamaica (2006)

 West Bank (2005)Jamaica (2006)
 West BankJamaica
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: 43.4% (male 530,197/female 504,794)


15-64 years: 53.2% (male 649,610/female 619,335)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 34,803/female 46,876) (2005 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks
Airports 3 (2004 est.) 35 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 11


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 5 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 24


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 22 (2006)
Area total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
total: 10,991 sq km


land: 10,831 sq km


water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Delaware slightly smaller than Connecticut
Background The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external and internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank that began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement. Following the death of longtime Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT in November 2004, the election of his successor Mahmud ABBAS in January 2005 could bring a turning point in the conflict. 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.
Birth rate 32.37 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 20.82 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $676.6 million


expenditures: $1.155 billion, including capital expenditures of NA; note - these budget data include Gaza Strip (2003)
revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $3.21 billion; including capital expenditures of $180.4 million (2005 est.)
Capital - name: Kingston


geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W


time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 1,022 km
Constitution - 6 August 1962
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: West Bank
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Jamaica
Death rate 3.99 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 6.52 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 est.) $7.162 billion (2005 est.)
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
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
Disputes - international West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel announced its intention to pull out settlers and withdraw from four settlements in the northern West Bank in 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region none
Economic aid - recipient $2 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2004 est.) $18.5 million; note - US aid only (2004)
Economy - overview The West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the Palestine Authority - has experienced a general decline in economic growth and a degradation in economic conditions made worse since the second intifadah began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely the result of the Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in Palestine Authority areas resulted in the destruction of much capital plant, the disruption of administrative structure, and widespread business closures. Including the Gaza Strip, the UN estimates that more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israeli settlements, or in joint industrial zones, have lost their jobs. International aid of $2 billion to the West Bank and Gaza strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. Meanwhile, unemployment has continued at more than half the labor force. ARAFAT's death in 2004 leaves open more political options that could affect the economy. 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.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 2.974 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports NA kWh 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants 3.717 billion kWh (2004)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Environment - current issues adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment 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 Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%
Exchange rates new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000) Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003), 48.416 (2002), 45.996 (2001)
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
Exports $205 million f.o.b., includes Gaza Strip (2002) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels
Exports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000) US 25.8%, Canada 19.3%, UK 10.7%, Netherlands 8.6%, China 7%, Norway 6.4%, Germany 5.6% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year (since 1 January 1992) 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 - composition by sector agriculture: 9%


industry: 28%


services: 63%


note: includes Gaza Strip (2002 est.)
agriculture: 4.9%


industry: 33.7%


services: 61.5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 6% (2003 est.) 1.8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 35 15 E 18 15 N, 77 30 W
Geography - note landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 244 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2003 est.) strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
Highways total: 4,500 km


paved: 2,700 km


unpaved: 1,800 km


note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements (1997 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 2.7%


highest 10%: 30.3% (2000)
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
Imports $1.5 billion c.i.f., includes Gaza Strip (2002) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities food, consumer goods, construction materials food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000) US 41.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 14%, Venezuela 5.5%, Japan 4.6% (2005)
Independence - 6 August 1962 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA -2% (2000 est.)
Industries generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
Infant mortality rate total: 19.62 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.66 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.2% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.) 15.3% (2005 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
Irrigated land NA sq km 250 sq km (2002)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal
Labor force 364,000 (2004) 1.2 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2004 est.) agriculture: 19.3%


industry: 16.6%


services: 64.1% (2004)
Land boundaries total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
arable land: 15.83%


permanent crops: 10.01%


other: 74.16% (2005)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) 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 no later than 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: 73.08 years


male: 71.33 years


female: 74.95 years (2005 est.)
total population: 73.24 years


male: 71.54 years


female: 75.03 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 91.9%


male: 96.3%


female: 87.4% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 87.9%


male: 84.1%


female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, west of Jordan Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Map references Middle East Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims none (landlocked) 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: 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 branches - Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA $31.17 million (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 0.4% (2003 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 6 August (1962)
Nationality noun: NA


adjective: NA
noun: Jamaican(s)


adjective: Jamaican
Natural hazards droughts hurricanes (especially July to November)
Natural resources arable land bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Net migration rate 2.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -6.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders - New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Population 2,385,615


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
2,758,124 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 59% (2004 est.) 19.1% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate 3.13% (2005 est.) 0.8% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0


note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are reported to be in operation (2000)
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 Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% 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%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: NA


note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank
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 301,600 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2002) 342,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 480,000 (cellular subscribers in both West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2003) 2.7 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations NA 7 (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Total fertility rate 4.4 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 27.2% (includes Gaza Strip) (2004 est.) 11.5% (2005 est.)
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