NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Jamaica
INTRODUCTION
|
Background:
|
Jamaica gained full independence within the British Commonwealth in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence and a dropoff in tourism. Elections in 1980 saw the democratic socialists voted out of office. Subsequent governments have been open market oriented. Political violence marred elections during the 1990s. |
GEOGRAPHY
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
18 15 N, 77 30 W |
|
Map references:
|
Central America and the Caribbean |
|
Area:
|
total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km water: 160 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than Connecticut |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
1,022 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 NM |
|
Climate:
|
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
bauxite, gypsum, limestone |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 9.23% other: 74.7% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
250 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
hurricanes (especially July to November) |
|
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 |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal |
PEOPLE
|
Population:
|
2,680,029 (July 2002 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 29.1% (male 399,249; female 380,864)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 858,433; female 859,174) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 81,321; female 100,988) (2002 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.56% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
17.74 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
5.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-6.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
13.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 75.64 years
female: 77.73 years (2002 est.) male: 73.65 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
2.05 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.71% (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
9,900 (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
650 (1999 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1% |
|
Religions:
|
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 |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 85% male: 80.8% female: 89.1% (1995 est.) |