Jamaica

 

Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs                                          
June 2007                                                                     
                                                                       
  Background Note: Jamaica                                                    
                                                                       
  The Jamaica flag is a diagonal yellow cross that divides the flag into four 
  triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side).   
                                                                       
  PROFILE                                                                     
                                                                       
  OFFICIAL NAME:                                                              
  Jamaica                                                                     
                                                                       
  Geography                                                                   
  Area: 10,991 sq. km. (4,244 sq. mi.).                                       
  Cities: Capital--Kingston metro area and St. Andrew (pop. 650,000). Other   
  cities--Montego Bay (96,000), Spanish Town (131,515).                       
  Terrain: Mountainous, coastal plains.                                       
  Climate: Tropical.                                                          
                                                                       
  People                                                                      
  Nationality: Noun and adjective--Jamaican(s).                               
  Population (2006 est.): 2,673,800.                                          
  Annual growth rate (2006): 1.5%.                                            
  Ethnic groups: African 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, Chinese 0.2%, White 0.2%,   
  mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%.                                                     
  Religious affiliation: Anglican, Baptist and other Protestant, Roman        
  Catholic, Rastafarian, Jewish.                                              
  Languages: English, Patois.                                                 
  Education: Years compulsory--to age 14. Literacy (age 15 and over)--79.9%.  
  Health (2005): Infant mortality rate--19.2/1,000. Life expectancy--female 75
  yrs., male 73 yrs.                                                          
  Work force (2006, 1.25 million): Industry--17.1%; agriculture--17.9%;       
  services--64.9%.                                                            
                                                                       
  Government                                                                  
  Type: Constitutional parliamentary democracy.                               
  Independence: August 6, 1962.                                               
  Constitution: August 6, 1962.                                               
  Branches: Executive--Governor General (chief of state, representing British 
  monarch), prime minister, cabinet. Legislative--bicameral Parliament (21    
  appointed senators, 60 elected representatives). Judicial--Court of Appeal  
  and courts of original jurisdiction.                                        
  Subdivisions: 14 parishes, 60 electoral constituencies.                     
  Political parties: People's National Party (PNP), Jamaica Labour Party (JLP),
  National Democratic Movement (NDM), United Peoples Party (UPP).             
  Suffrage: Universal at 18.                                                  
                                                                       
  Economy                                                                     
  GDP (2005): $9.7 billion.                                                   
  Real growth rate (2006): 2.5%.                                              
  Per capita GDP (2005): $3,640.                                              
  Natural resources: Bauxite, gypsum, limestone, marble, sand, silica.        
  Agriculture: Products--sugar, bananas, coffee, citrus fruits, condiments and
  spices.                                                                     
  Industry: Types--tourism, bauxite and alumina, processed foods, sugar, rum, 
  cement, metal, chemical products.                                           
  Trade (2005): Exports--$1.5 billion: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas,      
  chemicals, citrus fruits and products, rum, coffee. Major markets (2005)    
  --U.S. 26.3%, U.K. 10.8%, Canada 19.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 0.6%, Japan 1.0%.
  Imports (2005)--$4.7 billion: machinery, transportation and electrical      
  equipment, food, fuels, fertilizer. Major suppliers (2000)--U.S. 40.1%,     
  Trinidad and Tobago 9.0%, Japan 4.5%, U.K. 2.4%, Canada 2.3%.               
                                                                       
  PEOPLE AND HISTORY                                                          
  Arawaks from South America had settled in Jamaica prior to Christopher      
  Columbus' first arrival at the island in 1494. During Spain's occupation of 
  the island, starting in 1510, the Arawaks were exterminated by disease,     
  slavery, and war. Spain brought the first African slaves to Jamaica in 1517.
  In 1655, British forces seized the island, and in 1670, Great Britain gained
  formal possession.                                                          
  Sugar made Jamaica one of the most valuable possessions in the world for more
  than 150 years. The British Parliament abolished slavery as of August 1,    
  1834. After a long period of direct British colonial rule, Jamaica gained a 
  degree of local political control in the late 1930s, and held its first     
  election under full universal adult suffrage in 1944. Jamaica joined nine   
  other U.K. territories in the West Indies Federation in 1958 but withdrew   
  after Jamaican voters rejected membership in 1961. Jamaica gained           
  independence in 1962, remaining a member of the Commonwealth.               
                                                                       
  Historically, Jamaican emigration has been heavy. Since the United Kingdom  
  restricted emigration in 1967, the major flow has been to the United States 
  and Canada. About 20,000 Jamaicans emigrate to the United States each year; 
  another 200,000 visit annually. New York, Miami, Chicago, and Hartford are  
  among the U.S. cities with a significant Jamaican population. Remittances   
  from the expatriate communities in the United States, United Kingdom, and   
  Canada, estimated at up to $1.6 billion per year, make increasingly         
  significant contributions to Jamaica's economy.                             
                                                                       
  GOVERNMENT                                                                  
  The 1962 constitution established a parliamentary system based on the U.K.  
  model. As chief of state, Queen Elizabeth II appoints a governor general, on
  the advice of the prime minister, as her representative in Jamaica. The     
  governor general's role is largely ceremonial. Executive power is vested in 
  the cabinet, led by the prime minister.                                     
  Parliament is composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of       
  Representatives. Thirteen Senators are nominated on the advice of the prime 
  minister and eight on the advice of the leader of the opposition. General   
  elections must be held within 5 years of the forming of a new government. The
  prime minister may ask the governor general to call elections sooner,       
  however. The Senate may submit bills, and it also reviews legislation       
  submitted by the House.                                                     
                                                                       
  It may not delay budget bills for more than 1 month or other bills for more 
  than 7 months. The prime minister and the cabinet are selected from the     
  Parliament. No fewer than two or more than four members of the cabinet must 
  be selected from the Senate.                                                
                                                                       
  The judiciary also is modeled on the U.K. system. The Court of Appeals is the
  highest appellate court in Jamaica. Under certain circumstances, cases may be
  appealed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. Jamaica's parishes have
  elected councils that exercise limited powers of local government.          
                                                                       
  Principal Government Officials                                              
  Governor General--Kenneth O. Hall                                           
  Prime Minister and Minister of Defense--Portia Simpson Miller               
  Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade--G. Anthony Hylton            
  Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS)
  --Gordon Shirley                                                            
  Ambassador to the United Nations--Raymond Wolfe                             
                                                                       
  Jamaica maintains an embassy in the United States at 1520 New Hampshire     
  Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 (tel. 202-452-0660). It also has consulates 
  in New York at 767 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 212-935-9000); and in
  Miami in the Ingraham Building, Suite 842, 25 SE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33131
  (tel. 305-374-8431/2).                                                      
                                                                       
  POLITICAL CONDITIONS                                                        
  Jamaica's political system is stable. However, the country's serious economic
  problems have exacerbated social problems and have become the subject of    
  political debate. High unemployment--averaging 12.5%--rampant               
  underemployment, growing debt, and high interest rates are the most serious 
  economic problems. Violent crime is a serious problem, particularly in      
  Kingston.                                                                   
                                                                       
  The two major political parties have historical links with the two largest  
  trade unions--the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) with the Bustamante Industrial 
  Trade Union (BITU), and the People's National Party (PNP) with the National 
  Workers Union (NWU). The center-right National Democratic Movement (NDM) was
  established in 1995, and the populist United Peoples Party (UPP) in 2001;   
  neither has links with any particular trade union, and both are marginal    
  movements.                                                                  
  For health reasons, Michael Manley stepped down as Prime Minister in March  
  1992 and was replaced by P.J. Patterson. Patterson subsequently led the PNP 
  to victory in general elections in 1993, 1997, and in October of 2002. The  
  2002 victory marked the first time any Jamaican political party has won four
  consecutive general elections since the introduction of universal suffrage in
  1944.                                                                       
                                                                       
  Upon Patterson's retirement on March 30, 2006, Portia Simpson Miller became 
  the first female prime minister in Jamaica's history. The current composition
  of the lower house of Jamaica's Parliament is 36 PNP and 24 JLP.            
                                                                       
  Since the 1993 elections, the Jamaican Government, political parties, and   
  Electoral Advisory Committee have worked to enact electoral reform. In the  
  2002 general elections, grassroots Jamaican efforts from groups like CAFFE  
  (Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections), supplemented by international
  observers and organizations such as The Carter Center, helped reduce the    
  violence that has tended to mar Jamaican elections. Former President Carter 
  also observed the 2002 elections and declared them free and fair.           
                                                                       
  ECONOMY                                                                     
  Jamaica has natural resources, primarily bauxite, adequate water supplies,  
  and climate conducive to agriculture and tourism. The discovery of bauxite in
  the 1940s and the subsequent establishment of the bauxite-alumina industry  
  shifted Jamaica's economy from sugar and bananas. By the 1970s, Jamaica had 
  emerged as a world leader in export of these minerals as foreign investment 
  increased.                                                                  
  The country faces some serious problems but has the potential for growth and
  modernization. Currency reserves, remittances, tourism, agriculture, mining,
  construction, and shipping all remain strong, and Jamaica has attracted over
  U.S. $4.4 billion in foreign direct investment over the past decade. However,
  high unemployment, burdensome debt, an alarming crime rate, and anemic growth
  continue to darken the country's prospects. After 4 years of negative       
  economic growth, Jamaica's GDP grew by 0.8% in 2000, and has grown in the   
  0.5% to 2.5% range, year-on-year, since then. Inflation fell from 25% in 1995
  to 6.1% in 2000 and has mostly registered single digits since then, including
  calendar year 2006, which saw the lowest rate in 18 years, at 5.8%.         
                                                                       
  Through periodic intervention in the market, the central bank prevents any  
  abrupt drop in the exchange rate. Nevertheless, the Jamaican dollar continues
  to slip despite intervention, resulting in an average exchange rate of      
  J$68.15 to the U.S. $1.00 by May 2007.                                      
                                                                       
  Weakness in the financial sector, speculation, and low levels of government 
  investment erode confidence in the production sector. The government is     
  unable to channel funds into social and physical infrastructure because of an
  overwhelming debt-to-GDP ratio, which currently stands at approximately 135%.
  Almost 60 cents on every dollar earned by the Jamaican Government goes to   
  debt servicing and recurrent expenditure. Tax compliance rates also         
  contribute to the problem, hovering at approximately 45%. On the other hand,
  net internal reserves remain healthy, at $2.3 billion at the end of 2006.   
                                                                       
  Jamaican Government economic policies encourage foreign investment in areas 
  that earn or save foreign exchange, generate employment, and use local raw  
  materials. The government provides a wide range of incentives to investors, 
  including remittance facilities to assist them in repatriating funds to the 
  country of origin; tax holidays which defer taxes for a period of years; and
  duty-free access for machinery and raw materials imported for approved      
  enterprises.                                                                
                                                                       
  Free trade zones have stimulated investment in garment assembly, light      
  manufacturing, and data entry by foreign firms. However, over the last 5    
  years, the garment industry has suffered from reduced export earnings,      
  continued factory closures, and rising unemployment. This can be attributed 
  to intense international and regional competition, exacerbated by the high  
  costs of operations in Jamaica, including security costs to deter drug      
  activity, as well as the relatively high cost of labor. The Government of   
  Jamaica hopes to encourage economic activity through a combination of       
  privatization, financial sector restructuring, falling interest rates, and by
  boosting tourism and related production activities.                         
                                                                       
  FOREIGN RELATIONS                                                           
  Jamaica has diplomatic relations with most nations and is a member of the   
  United Nations and the Organization of American States. It was an active    
  participant in the April 2001 Quebec Summit of the Americas. Jamaica is an  
  active member of the British Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, the    
  G-15, and the G-77. Jamaica is a beneficiary of the Cotonou Conventions,    
  through which the European Union (EU) grants trade preferences to selected  
  states in Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.                             
  Historically, Jamaica has had close ties with the U.K., but trade, financial,
  and cultural relations with the United States are now predominant. Jamaica is
  linked with the other countries of the English-speaking Caribbean through the
  Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and more broadly through the Association of  
  Caribbean States (ACS). In December 2001, Jamaica completed its 2-year term 
  on the United Nations Security Council.                                     
                                                                       
  U.S.-JAMAICAN RELATIONS                                                     
  The United States maintains close and productive relations with the         
  Government of Jamaica. Former Prime Minister Patterson visited Washington,  
  DC, several times after assuming office in 1992. In April 2001, Prime       
  Minister Patterson and other Caribbean leaders met with President Bush during
  the Summit of the Americas in Quebec, Canada, at which a "Third Border      
  Initiative" was launched to deepen U.S. cooperation with Caribbean nations  
  and enhance economic development and integration of the Caribbean nations.  
  The current Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, is expected to attend the
  Conference on the Caribbean -- A 20/20 Vision in Washington in mid-June 2007.
                                                                       
  The United States is Jamaica's most important trading partner: bilateral    
  trade in goods in 2005 was over $2 billion. Jamaica is a popular destination
  for American tourists; more than 1.2 million Americans visited in 2006. In  
  addition, some 10,000 American citizens, including many dual-nationals born 
  on the island, permanently reside in Jamaica.                               
  The Government of Jamaica also seeks to attract U.S. investment and supports
  efforts to create a Free Trade Area of the Americans (FTAA). More than 80   
  U.S. firms have operations in Jamaica, and total U.S. investment is estimated
  at more than $3 billion. An office of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial       
  Service, located in the embassy, actively assists American businesses seeking
  trade opportunities in Jamaica. The country is a beneficiary of the Caribbean
  Basin Trade Partner Act (CBTPA). The American Chamber of Commerce, which also
  is available to assist U.S. business in Jamaica, has offices in Kingston.   
                                                                       
  U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) assistance to Jamaica since
  its independence in 1962 has contributed to reducing the population growth  
  rate, the attainment of higher standards in a number of critical health     
  indicators, and the diversification and expansion of Jamaica's export base. 
  USAID's primary objective is promoting sustainable economic growth. Other key
  objectives are improved environmental quality and natural resource          
  protection, strengthening democratic institutions and respect for the rule of
  law, as well as family planning. In fiscal year 2006, the USAID mission in  
  Jamaica operated a program totaling more than $21 million in development    
  assistance.                                                                 
                                                                       
  The Peace Corps has been in Jamaica continuously since 1962. Since then, more
  than 3,300 volunteers have served in the country. Today, the Peace Corps    
  works in the following projects: Youth-at-Risk, which includes adolescent   
  reproductive health, HIV/AIDS education, and the needs of marginalized males;
  water sanitation, which includes rural waste water solutions and municipal  
  waste water treatment; and environmental education, which helps address low 
  levels of awareness and strengthens environmental nongovernmental           
  organizations. The Peace Corps in Jamaica fields about 70 volunteers who work
  in every parish on the island, including some inner-city communities in     
  Kingston.                                                                   
                                                                       
  Jamaica is a major transit point for cocaine en route to the United States  
  and is also a key source of marijuana and marijuana derivative products for 
  the Americas. During 2006, the Government of Jamaica seized narcotics       
  destined for the United States, arrested key traffickers and criminal gang  
  leaders, and dismantled their organizations. Jamaica remains the Caribbean's
  largest producer and exporter of marijuana. The efforts of the Jamaica      
  Constabulary Force (JCF) and Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) enabled cannabis   
  seizures to increase by over 200% in 2006. In 2006, the JCF arrested 5,409  
  persons on drug related charges, including 269 foreigners. Additionally, more
  than 20,000 kilograms of marijuana were seized, and 6,300,000 marijuana     
  plants eradicated in 2006. In August 2006, two priority targets associated  
  with major cocaine trafficking organizations were arrested in Jamaica and   
  await extradition to the United States where they are charged with conspiracy
  to import illegal drugs. Jeffrey and Gareth Lewis (father and son) allegedly
  transported cocaine shipments from Colombia to the United States. Operation 
  Kingfish is a multinational task force (Jamaica, U.S., United Kingdom, and  
  Canada) for coordinating investigations leading to the arrest of major      
  criminals. From its October 2004 inception through December 2006, Operation 
  Kingfish launched 1,378 operations resulting in the seizure of 56 vehicles, 
  57 boats, one aircraft, 206 firearms, and two containers conveying drugs.   
  Kingfish was also responsible for the seizure of over 13 metric tons of     
  cocaine (mostly outside of Jamaica) and over 27,390 pounds of compressed    
  marijuana. In 2006 Operation Kingfish mounted 870 operations, compared to 607
  in 2005. In 2006, through cargo scanning, the Jamaican Customs Contraband   
  Enforcement Team seized over 3,000 pounds of marijuana, ten kg of cocaine,  
  and approximately $500,000 at Jamaican air and seaports.                    
                                                                       
  Principal U.S. Officials                                                    
  Ambassador--Brenda La Grange Johnson                                        
  Deputy Chief of Mission--James T. Heg                                       
  Economic/Political Section Chief--Lloyd W. Moss                             
  USAID Mission Director--Karen Turner                                        
  Defense Attaché--CDR Randall Ramel                                          
  Chief, Military Liaison Office--LTC Matthew Faddis                          
  Consul General--Edward Wehrli                                               
  Public Affairs Officer--Pat Attkisson                                       
  Peace Corps Director--Howard Anderson                                       
                                                                       
  The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica is at 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6; tel: (876) 
  702-6000; fax: (876) 702-6001.                                              
                                                                       
  The USAID Mission is at 2 Haining Road, Kingston (tel. 876-926-3645). The   
  Peace Corps is at 8 Worthington Avenue, Kingston 5 (tel. 876-929-0495). Log 
  onto the Internet at http://kingston.usembassy.gov/ for more information    
  about Jamaica, the U.S. Embassy and its activities, and current contact     
  information.                                                                
                                                                       
  Other Contact Information                                                   
                                                                       
  U.S. Department of Commerce                                                 
  International Trade Administration                                          
  Trade Information Center                                                    
  14th and Constitution Avenue, NW                                            
  Washington, DC 20230                                                        
  Tel: 800-USA-TRADE or 800-872-8723                                          
  Web site: http://trade.gov/                                                 
                                                                       
  American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica                                     
  The Jamaica Pegasus                                                         
  81 Knutsford Blvd                                                           
  Kingston 5, Jamaica                                                         
  Tel: (876) 929-7866/67                                                      
  Fax: (876) 929-8597                                                         
  Web site: http://www.amchamjamaica.org/                                     
  E-mail: amcham@cwjamaica.com                                                
                                                                       
  Caribbean-Central American Action                                           
  1818 N Street, NW                                                           
  Suite 500                                                                   
  Washington, DC 20036                                                        
  Tel: (202) 466-7464                                                         
  Fax: (202) 822-0075                                                         
  Web site: http://www.c-caa.org                                              
                                                                       
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  booklet entitled "Health Information for International Travel" (HHS         
  publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government       
  Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.                 
                                                                       
  Further Electronic Information                                              
  Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://          
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