Jamaica

Jamaica Background

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.

Jamaica Information

• Population: 2,713,130 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican
• Location:: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
• 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 cu
• Ethnic Groups:: black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%
• Land Boundaries:: 0 km
• Area: total: 10,991 sq km land: 10,831 sq km water: 160 sq km
• Coast Line: 1,022 km
• Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
• Terrain: mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
• Maritime Claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 16.07% permanent crops: 10.16% other: 73.77% (2001)
• Environmental 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
• Natural Resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
• Highways: total: 18,700 km paved: 13,109 km unpaved: 5,591 km (1999 est.)
• 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
• Ports & Harbours: Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf)
• Airports: 35 (2003 est.)