|
Jamaica
Physical.
Jamaica is an island located in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba. It covers an
area slightly smaller than Connecticut. The climate is tropical, hot and humid
along the coast with a temperate interior. The terrain is mostly mountainous
with a narrow, discontinuous coastal plain. Some natural resources include
bauxite, gypsum and limestone.
People.
Over 2.7 million people live in Jamaica. English is the primary language; Creole
is commonly spoken as well. Ethnic make-up on the island is: black (90.9%) and
mixed (7.3%). The religious practices are: Protestant (56%), Roman Catholic
(5%) and others.
Government. In 1962, Jamaica
along with Trinidad and Tobago, were the first of the English-speaking Caribbean
islands to gain their independence. However, with the division along race and
class lines, gaining a sense of nation is a central problem. The first Manley
government attempted to include the majority population (a great deal of it
living below the poverty line) into the political process. The elite voted his
government out in 1980 in part because the fragile economy could not support his
health and education policies. Manley was later elected in 1989 with a more
moderate government. When he retired in 1992, he was replaced with Prime
Minister Percival Patterson who tried to transition to a free-market
economy. Reelected to a fourth term in 2002, he addressed inflation through
tight monetary and fiscal policies, and privatized state enterprises. He
stepped down from office in 2006 and was replaced by Portia Simpson Miller,
Jamaica's first woman leader.
Challenges remain with crime and violence as
the main problems along with the drug trade with numerous police/drug gang
clashes. Drug control is a difficult issue because as many as 8,000 families
depend on ganja (marijuana) production to supplement their incomes.
Economy.
Jamaica’s strong labor unions are well organized and contribute leaders to
political life. Along with agriculture, the tourist industry is one of the
lucrative industries of the economy. A stagnant economy,
growing internal debt and high un- and under-employment
will continue to plague efforts to improve the economic situation for Jamaica.
Areas of Concern.
Reducing drug-related violence, managing debt from government bailouts, and a
sudden upsurge to double-digit inflation. Environmental concerns include
damage to the coral reefs, a lynchpin in the Jamaican tourist trade.
Jamaica statistics
Geography
Area: 4,244 square miles
Capital: Kingston (pop 104,000)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; damage to coral reefs; water and air
pollution
Geographical features: mostly mountains; narrow discontinuous plain
Climate: tropical; temperate interior
People
2,713,130 people; black (90.9%);
mixed (7.3%)
Annual growth rate: 0.66%
Major language: English; Jamaican; Creole
Religions: Protestant (56%); Roman Catholic (5%); others including
spiritualist groups (39%)
Health and social
issues
Life expectancy: Men, 73 years;
women, 77 years
Infant mortality: 14 deaths per 1000 live births
19.7% of the population lives in poverty
1 physician per 6,043 people
HIV/AIDS rate in adults: 1.2%
85% of adults are literate
Compulsory education (ages): 6-12; free
Communication and
transportation
444,400 main telephone lines
600,000 Internet users (2002)
11,613 miles of highway
230 miles of railroad
36 airfields
59,000 motor vehicles
Government
Jamaica is a constitutional
parliamentary democracy that gained its independence from the United Kingdom
on August 6, 1962.
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and Prime Minister Portia Simpson
Miller is the head of the government
3 major political parties
Suffrage: universal at 18
Military
Military expenditures are 0.4% of
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Current disputes: none
Economy
Currency: Jamaican dollars
Per capita income: $3,800
GDP: $ 10.21 billion
GDP growth rate: 1.9%
Inflation rate: 14.1%
Labor force: agriculture (21%); industry (19%); services (60%)
Resources and industry
Natural resources: bauxite; gypsum;
limestone
Agriculture: sugarcane; bananas; coffee; citrus fruits; potatoes; vegetables;
poultry; goats; milk
Industry: tourism; bauxite; textiles; food processing; light manufactures;
rum; cement; metal
Exports: $1.7 billion
Imports: $3 billion
Suggested web sites
www.top5jamaica.com
|
