Jamaica

Jamaica

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

Area 10,957 sq km/4,230 sq mi Capital Kingston Language English (official), Jamaican Creole Religion Protestant 70%, Rastafarian Time difference GMT -5 Major holidays 1 January, 23 May, 5 August, 20 October, 25–26 December; variable: Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Montego Bay, Spanish Town, St Andrew, Portmore, May Pen Physical features mountainous tropical island; Blue Mountains (so called because of the haze over them) Airports two international airports and four domestic airports; total passengers carried: 1.8 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 339 km/211 mi Roads total road network: 18,700 km/11,620 mi, of which 70.1% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 84.6 per 1,000 people (1997)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Queen Elizabeth II from 1962, represented by Governor General Kenneth Hall from 2006 Head of government Portia Simpson Miller from 2006 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions 14 parishes within three counties Political parties Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), moderate, centrist; People's National Party (PNP), left of centre; National Democratic Union (NDM), centrist Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 2,800; plus 950 reservists (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 0.7 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.9 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 2.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Jamaican dollar GDP (US$) 9.7 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 2.8 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 9 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 4,110 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 9.6% (2006 est) Unemployment 11% (2005 est) Labour force 18% agriculture, 17.7% industry, 64.3% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 7.2 billion (2005est) Major trading partners USA, UK, EU, Canada, CARICOM, Latin America Resources bauxite (one of world's major producers), marble, gypsum, silica, clay Industries mining and quarrying, bauxite processing, food processing, petroleum refining, clothing, cement, glass, tourism Exports alumina, bauxite, gypsum, sugar, bananas, garments, rum. Principal market: USA 28.8% (2005) Imports mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, basic manufactures and consumer goods, chemicals, food and live animals, miscellaneous manufactured articles. Principal source: USA 44.4% (2004) Arable land 15.8% (2006 est) Agricultural products sugar cane, bananas, citrus fruit, coffee, cocoa, coconuts; livestock rearing (goats, cattle, and pigs)


POPULATION

Population 2,661,800 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.4% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 243 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 52 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 31%, 15–59 59%, 60+ 10% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 76% of African descent; about 15% of mixed African-European origin. There are also about 3% Indian, 3% European, and 1% Chinese minorities Life expectancy 69 (men); 73 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 20 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 6 Literacy rate 84% (men);91% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 8.5 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.4 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 1.5 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 1,300 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 98 (urban); 87 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 12.9 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 101.9 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 796 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 380 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 6.2 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 39.9 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

c. AD 900 Settled by Arawak Indians, who gave the island the name Jamaica (‘well watered’). 1494 Explorer Christopher Columbus reached Jamaica. 1509 Occupied by Spanish; much of Arawak community died from exposure to European diseases; black African slaves brought in to work sugar plantations. 1655 Captured by Britain and became its most valuable Caribbean colony. 1838 Slavery abolished. 1870 Banana plantations established as sugar cane industry declined in face of competition from European beet sugar. 1938 Serious riots during the economic depression and, as a sign of growing political awareness, the People's National Party (PNP) was formed by Norman Manley. 1944 First constitution adopted. 1958–62 Part of West Indies Federation. 1959 Internal self-government granted. 1962 Independence achieved within Commonwealth, with Alexander Bustamante of centre-right Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as prime minister. 1981 Diplomatic links with Cuba severed; free-market economic programme pursued. 1988 Badly damaged by Hurricane Gilbert. 1992 Percival Patterson of PNP became prime minister. 1998 Violent crime increased as economy declined. 1999 Fuel price increase of 30% led to violent protests; government ordered army patrols to deal with huge crime increase in Kingston. 2001 Army called in to restore order in capital after at least 27 people died during three days of unrest. 2002 PNP, led by Patterson, re-elected to serve fourth successive term in office. 2003 UK introduced visa requirements for Jamaicans, to reduce illegal immigration. 2004 Hurricane Ivan caused widespread destruction. 2006 Portia Simpson Miller succeeded Patterson as head of PNP, becoming Jamaica's first female prime minister. 2007 Centre-right JLP won general elections.


© RM 2009. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.