| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Geographical Location |
18° 15' North Latitude
77° 30' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
10,991 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior |
| Natural Resources |
Bauxite, gypsum, limestone |
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| Political Information |
 |
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| Country Name |
Jamaica |
| Capital City |
Kingston |
| Government Type |
Constitutional parliamentary democracy |
| 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 |
| Independence Day |
6 August 1962 (from UK) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
2,731,832 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Jamaican |
| Ethnic Groups |
Black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1% |
| Religion |
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% |
| Languages |
English, patois English |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.71% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Jamaican dollar (JMD) |
| Industries |
Tourism, bauxite/alumina, textiles, agro processing, wearing apparel, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications |
| Labor Force |
1.14 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 20.1%, industry 16.6%, services 63.4% (2003) |
| Agriculture Products |
Sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, vegetables, poultry, goats, milk, crustaceans, and mollusks |
| Export Commodities |
Alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels |
| Export Partners |
US 17.2%, Canada 14.3%, France 12.6%, China 11.4%, UK 8.6%, Netherlands 7%, Norway 5.8%, Germany 5.6% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials |
| Import Partners |
US 38.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.3%, Venezuela 5.6%, France 5.5%, Japan 4.6% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
272 km |
| Highways |
18,700 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
35 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf) |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+1876 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.jm |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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. |
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