Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
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Geographic coordinates:
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18 15 N, 77 30 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Connecticut
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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1,022 km
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Maritime claims:
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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
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
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Natural resources:
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bauxite, gypsum, limestone
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Land use:
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arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 9.23%
other: 74.7% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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250 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes (especially July to November)
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
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Population:
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2,695,867 (July 2003 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 28.6% (male 395,074; female 376,870)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 870,486; female 869,431)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 82,022; female 101,984) (2003 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 26.5 years
male: 25.8 years
female: 27.2 years (2002)
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Population growth rate:
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0.61% (2003 est.)
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Birth rate:
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17.35 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Death rate:
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5.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-5.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 13.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 14.3 deaths/1,000 live births
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 75.85 years
male: 73.84 years
female: 77.97 years (2003 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.01 children born/woman (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.2% (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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20,000 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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980 (2001 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican
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Ethnic groups:
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black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%
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Religions:
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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%
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Languages:
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English, patois English
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87.9%
male: 84.1%
female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica
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Government type:
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constitutional parliamentary democracy
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Capital:
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Kingston
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Administrative divisions:
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14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
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Independence:
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6 August 1962 (from UK)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, first Monday in August (1962)
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Constitution:
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6 August 1962
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Legal system:
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based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime minister
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated eight seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%; seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal
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Political parties and leaders:
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Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Edward SEAGA]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP [Percival James PATTERSON]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
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International organization participation:
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ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Seymour MULLINGS
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Sue McCourt COBB
embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX: [1] (876) 935-6001
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Flag description:
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diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
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Economy - overview:
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The economy, which depends heavily on tourism and bauxite, has been stagnant since 1995. After five years of recession, the economy inched ahead, by 0.8% in 2000, 1.7% in 2001, and 0.8% in 2002; the global economic slowdown, particularly in the United States after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, has stunted the economic recovery. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased foreign competition; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt, the result of government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the economy, particularly the financial sector. Depressed economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including serious violent crime. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon encouraging investment and tourism, maintaining a competitive exchange rate, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper fiscal and monetary policies.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $10.08 billion (2002 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1% (2002 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2002 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 6%
industry: 31%
services: 63% (2002 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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34.2% (1992 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 30.3% (2000)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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37.9 (2000)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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7% (2002 est.)
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Labor force:
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1.13 million (1998)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 60%, agriculture 21%, industry 19% (1998)
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Unemployment rate:
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15.4% (2002 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $2.23 billion
expenditures: $2.56 billion, including capital expenditures of $232.5 million (FY 99/00 est.)
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Industries:
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tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-2% (2000 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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6.272 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 96.8%
hydro: 1.8%
other: 1.5% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
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Electricity - consumption:
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5.833 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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66,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Agriculture - products:
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sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk
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Exports:
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$1.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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alumina, bauxite; sugar, bananas, rum
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Exports - partners:
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US 28.1%, Canada 12.2%, Norway 10.7%, UK 10.5%, Germany 7%, Netherlands 5.6% (2002)
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Imports:
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$3.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals, fertilizers
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Imports - partners:
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US 45%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 4.7% (2002)
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Debt - external:
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$5.3 billion (2002 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA
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Currency:
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Jamaican dollar (JMD)
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Currency code:
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JMD
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Exchange rates:
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Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 48.42 (2002), 46 (2001), 42.7 (2000), 39.04 (1999), 36.55 (1998)
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
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Railways:
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total: 272 km
standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge; note - 207 km, belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation, were in common carrier service but are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite (2002)
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Highways:
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total: 18,700 km
paved: 13,109 km
unpaved: 5,591 km (1999 est.)
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Waterways:
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none
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Pipelines:
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petroleum products 10 km
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Ports and harbors:
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Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf)
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Merchant marine:
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total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 50,536 GRT/62,868 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Latvia 2, US 2 (2002 est.)
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Airports:
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35 (2002)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2002)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 22 (2002)
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This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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