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Background:
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The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and in 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.
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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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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 straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
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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: 15.83%
permanent crops: 10.01%
other: 74.16% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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250 sq km (2002)
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Total renewable water resources:
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9.4 cu km (2000)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 0.41 cu km/yr (34%/17%/49%)
Per capita: 155 cu m/yr (2000)
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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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, 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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2,780,132 (July 2007 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 32.5% (male 459,968/female 444,963)
15-64 years: 60.1% (male 822,486/female 848,310)
65 years and over: 7.4% (male 91,856/female 112,549) (2007 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 23.2 years
male: 22.6 years
female: 23.7 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.777% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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20.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Death rate:
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6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.816 male(s)/female
total population: 0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 15.73 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 73.12 years
male: 71.43 years
female: 74.9 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.36 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.2% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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22,000 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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900 (2003 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 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)
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Religions:
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Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
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Languages:
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English, English patois
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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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This page was last updated on 24 January, 2008
- The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook - |
