Jamaica

Introduction

Background

The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino, 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 increased its independence from Britain. In 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica withdrew from the Federation in 1961 and gained full independence 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.

Geography

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km
country comparison to the world: 167

Area - comparative

about half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

1,022 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm
exclusive economic zone: 200nm
contiguous zone: 24nm
continental shelf: 200nm or to edge of the continental margin
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain

mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation

mean elevation: 18 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Natural resources

bauxite, alumina, gypsum, limestone

Land use

agricultural land: 41.4% (2011 est.)
arable land: 11.1% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 9.2% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 21.1% (2011 est.)
forest: 31.1% (2011 est.)
other: 27.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

250 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel

Natural hazards

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Environment - current issues

heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston from vehicle emissions; land erosion

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

third largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola); strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

People and Society

Population

2,812,090 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139

Nationality

noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican

Ethnic groups

black 92.1%, mixed 6.1%, East Indian 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.7% (2011 est.)

Languages

English, English patois

Religions

Protestant 64.8% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 12.0%, Pentecostal 11.0%, Other Church of God 9.2%, New Testament Church of God 7.2%, Baptist 6.7%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.5%, Anglican 2.8%, United Church 2.1%, Methodist 1.6%, Revived 1.4%, Brethren 0.9%, and Moravian 0.7%), Roman Catholic 2.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.9%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 6.5%, none 21.3%, unspecified 2.3% (2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.01%(male 372,158 /female 359,388)
15-24 years: 18.36%(male 261,012 /female 255,223)
25-54 years: 38.03%(male 518,984 /female 550,412)
55-64 years: 8.89%(male 123,769 /female 126,350)
65 years and over: 8.71%(male 115,573 /female 129,221) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 48.7 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 34.9 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 13.8 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 7.2 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 28.6 years (2018 est.)
male: 27.8 years
female: 29.3 years
country comparison to the world: 133

Population growth rate

-0.05% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201

Birth rate

16.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110

Death rate

7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104

Net migration rate

-9.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216

Population distribution

population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel

Urbanization

urban population: 56% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 0.82% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

590,000 KINGSTON (capital) (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.2 years (2008 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality rate

80 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 108

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.5 years (2018 est.)
male: 72.7 years
female: 76.5 years
country comparison to the world: 123

Total fertility rate

2.09 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102

Contraceptive prevalence rate

72.5% (2008/09)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97.5% of population
rural: 89.4% of population
total: 93.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population
rural: 10.6% of population
total: 6.2% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

6.1% (2016)

Physicians density

1.32 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 79.9% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 84.1% of population (2015 est.)
total: 81.8% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 20.1% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 15.9% of population (2015 est.)
total: 18.2% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.9% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

40,000 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,500 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52

Major infectious diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.7% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 55

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.2% (2014)
country comparison to the world: 110

Education expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2018)
country comparison to the world: 43

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 88.7%
male: 84%
female: 93.1% (2015)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 24.1%
male: 20.1%
female: 29.2% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica
etymology: from the native Taino word "haymaca" meaning "Land of Wood and Water" or possibly "Land of Springs"

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital

name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name is a blending of the words "king's" and "town"; the English king at the time of the city's founding in 1692 was William III

Administrative divisions

14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation

Independence

6 August 1962 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1962)

Constitution

history: several previous (preindependence); latest drafted 1961-62, submitted to British Parliament 24 July 1962, entered into force 6 August 1962 (at independence)
amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments to "non-entrenched" constitutional sections, such as lowering the voting age, requires majority vote by the Parliament membership; passage of amendments to "entrenched" sections, such as fundamental rights and freedoms, requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament; passage of amendments to "specially entrenched" sections such as the dissolution of Parliament or the executive authority of the monarch requires two-thirds approval by Parliament and approval in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2017 (2018)

Legal system

common law system based on the English model

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 4 out of the previous 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Andrew HOLNESS (since 3 March 2016)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections/appointments: the monarchy 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 majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister and the opposition leader, 13 seats allocated to the ruling party, and 8 seats allocated to the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms or until Parliament is dissolved)
House of Representatives (63 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms or until Parliament is dissolved)
elections: Senate - last full slate of appointments on 10 March 2016 (next no later than February 2021)
House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2016; by-election for 5 seats held on 30 October 2017 (3 seats), 5 March 2018, and 4 April 2019 (next to be held no later than February 2021)
election results: Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 16, women 5, percent of women 23.8%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.7%, other 0.2%; seats by party - JLP 32, PNP 31; note - as of June 2019, by-elections have changed House seats to JLP 34, PNP 29; composition - men 51, women 12, percent of women 19%; note - total Parliament percent of women 20%

Judicial branch

highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of president of the court and a minimum of 4 judges); Supreme Court (40 judges organized in specialized divisions); note - appeals beyond Jamaica's highest courts are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court for member states of the Caribbean Community)
judge selection and term of office: chief justice of the Supreme Court and president of the Court of Appeal appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister; other judges of both courts appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; judges of both courts serve till age 70
subordinate courts: resident magistrate courts, district courts, and petty sessions courts

Political parties and leaders

Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew Michael HOLNESS]
People's National Party or PNP [Dr. Peter David PHILLIPS]
National Democratic Movement or NDM [Peter TOWNSEND]

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Audrey Patrice MARKS (since 18 January 2017)
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0036
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
consulate(s): Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Concord (MA), Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Richmond (VA), San Francisco, Seattle

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Designate Donald R. TAPIA (confirmed by US Senate on 18 July 2019)
telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000 (2018)
embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5
FAX: [1] (876) 702-6001 (2018)

Flag description

diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side); green represents hope, vegetation, and agriculture, black reflects hardships overcome and to be faced, and yellow recalls golden sunshine and the island's natural resources

National symbol(s)

green-and-black streamertail (bird), Guaiacum officinale (Guaiacwood); national colors: green, yellow, black

National anthem

name: Jamaica, Land We Love
lyrics/music: Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE
note: adopted 1962

Economy

Economy - overview

The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which accounts for more than 70% of GDP. The country derives most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Earnings from remittances and tourism each account for 14% and 20% of GDP, while bauxite/alumina exports have declined to less than 5% of GDP.Jamaica's economy has grown on average less than 1% a year for the last three decades and many impediments remain to growth: a bloated public sector which crowds out spending on important projects; high crime and corruption; red-tape; and a high debt-to-GDP ratio. Jamaica, however, has made steady progress in reducing its debt-to-GDP ratio from a high of almost 150% in 2012 to less than 110% in 2017, in close collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The current IMF Stand-By Agreement requires Jamaica to produce an annual primary surplus of 7%, in an attempt to reduce its debt burden below 60% by 2025.Economic growth reached 1.6% in 2016, but declined to 0.9% in 2017 after intense rainfall, demonstrating the vulnerability of the economy to weather-related events. The HOLNESS administration therefore faces the difficult prospect of maintaining fiscal discipline to reduce the debt load while simultaneously implementing growth inducing policies and attacking a serious crime problem. High unemployment exacerbates the crime problem, including gang violence fueled by advanced fee fraud (lottery scamming) and the drug trade.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$26.06 billion (2017 est.)
$25.89 billion (2016 est.)
$25.51 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 140

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.77 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.7% (2017 est.)
1.5% (2016 est.)
0.9% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$9,200 (2017 est.)
$9,200 (2016 est.)
$9,100 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 143

Gross national saving

18.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
20.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
18% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 81.9% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 13.7% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.3% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 30.1% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -47.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 7% (2017 est.)
industry: 21.1% (2017 est.)
services: 71.9% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

sugar cane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; shellfish

Industries

agriculture, mining, manufacture, construction, financial and insurance services, tourism, telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate

0.9% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Labor force

1.348 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 16.1%
industry: 16%
services: 67.9% (2017)

Unemployment rate

12.2% (2017 est.)
12.8% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Population below poverty line

17.1% (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 29.3% (2015)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

35 (2016)
38 (2015)
country comparison to the world: 97

Budget

revenues: 4.382 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 4.314 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37

Public debt

101% of GDP (2017 est.)
113.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.4% (2017 est.)
2.3% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Central bank discount rate

3.25% (31 December 2017)
3% (31 December 2016)
country comparison to the world: 105

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.91% (31 December 2017 est.)
16.49% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41

Stock of narrow money

$3.55 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$3.427 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Stock of broad money

$3.55 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$3.427 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121

Stock of domestic credit

$7.326 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$7.382 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118

Market value of publicly traded shares

$8.393 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.715 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$5.38 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76

Current account balance

-$679 million (2017 est.)
-$381 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

Exports

$1.296 billion (2017 est.)
$1.195 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

Exports - partners

US 39.1%, Netherlands 12.3%, Canada 8.4% (2017)

Exports - commodities

alumina, bauxite, chemicals, coffee, mineral fuels, waste and scrap metals, sugar, yams

Imports

$5.151 billion (2017 est.)
$4.169 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

Imports - commodities

food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials

Imports - partners

US 40.6%, Colombia 6.8%, Japan 5.8%, China 5.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.781 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.719 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100

Debt - external

$14.94 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$10.24 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$15.03 billion (2016)
$10.86 billion (2010)
country comparison to the world: 90

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$604 million (2016)
$176 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 96

Exchange rates

Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -
128.36 (2017 est.)
125.14 (2016 est.)
125.126 (2015 est.)
116.898 (2014 est.)
110.935 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 98.2% (2016)
electrification - urban areas: 100% (2016)
electrification - rural areas: 96% (2016)

Electricity - production

4.007 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128

Electricity - consumption

2.847 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.078 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

Electricity - from fossil fuels

83% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134

Electricity - from other renewable sources

15% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142

Crude oil - imports

24,360 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149

Refined petroleum products - production

24,250 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87

Refined petroleum products - consumption

55,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99

Refined petroleum products - exports

823 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

Refined petroleum products - imports

30,580 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149

Natural gas - consumption

198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127

Natural gas - imports

198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

8.9 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 297,027
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 3,091,222
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 103 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140

Telephone system

general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network; LTE networks providing coverage to 90% of the island population (2018)
domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage, 103 per 100 subscriptions, while the number of fixed-lines, 10 per 100, subscriptions has declined (2018)
international: country code - 1-876 and 1-658; landing points for the ALBA-1, CFX-1, Fibralink, East-West, and Cayman-Jamaican Fiber System submarine cables providing connections to South America, parts of the Caribbean, Central America and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Broadcast media

3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.jm

Internet users

total: 1,336,653
percent of population: 45% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 239,120
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103

Military and Security

Military expenditures

1.35% of GDP (2018)
0.98% of GDP (2017)
0.96% of GDP (2016)
0.87% of GDP (2015)
0.87% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 89

Military and security forces

Jamaica Defense Force (JDF): Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2019)

Military service age and obligation

17 1/2 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 92,836 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6Y (2016)

Airports

28 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 122

Airports - with paved runways

total: 11 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2017)
under 914 m: 5 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 17 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
under 914 m: 16 (2013)

Roadways

total: 22,121 km(includes 44 km of expressways) (2011)
paved: 16,148 km (2011)
unpaved: 5,973 km (2011)
country comparison to the world: 108

Merchant marine

total: 43
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 8, general cargo 10, oil tanker 1, other 23 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 118

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Discovery Bay (Port Rhoades), Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rocky Point
container port(s) (TEUs): Kingston (1,681,706) (2017)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

none

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Jamaica is a source and destination country for children and adults subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; sex trafficking of children and adults occurs on the street, in night clubs, bars, massage parlors, and private homes; child sex tourism is a problem in resort areas; Jamaicans have been subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor in the Caribbean, Canada, the US, and the UK, while foreigners have endured conditions of forced labor in Jamaica or aboard foreign-flagged fishing vessels operating in Jamaican waters; a high number of Jamaican children are reported missing
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Jamaica does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the government made significant efforts to raise public awareness of human trafficking, and named a national trafficking-in-persons rapporteur – the first in the region; authorities initiated more new trafficking investigations than in 2013 and concluded a trafficking case in the Supreme Court, but chronic delays impeded prosecutions and no offenders were convicted for the sixth consecutive year; more adult trafficking victims were identified than in previous years, but only one child victim was identified, which was exceptionally low relative to the number of vulnerable children (2015)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions

Flag of Jamaica