Yoolfest.org

Originally christened Xaymaca, meaning either the "Land of Springs," or the "Land of Wood and Water by its indigenous Arawakan-speaking Taíno inhabitants she would later become known as Santiago, then Jamaica.

Today, she is the third most populous anglophone (English-speaking) country in the Americas, after Canada and the United States.

Jamaica was established as a plantation economy - based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee after she was seized by England 1655. She later gained full independence when, in 1962, she withdrew from the Federation. During the 1970s, she would be challenged by various negative issues such as cyclical violence, drugs, and poverty, which would serve to impoverish large sectors of the island nation.

Today, many areas enjoy safety devoid of levels of crime and violence found in other areas around the nation. These areas contribute positively to the economy.

National Bird - Doctor Bird (Green-and-black Streamertail, Trochilus)

National Dish - Ackee and Saltfish (dried salted Cod)

National Flower - Lignum Vitae

National Motto - "Out of Many, One People."

National Tree - Blue Mahoe

Economy

The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for more than 60% of GDP.

The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. The economy faces serious long-term problems.

These problems include increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a high debt burden - the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Today, inflation has declined to 5.8% at the end of 2006. Following a strategy begun in 2004, Jamaica has reduced its public debt to 133.3% of GDP.

Labor force: 1.1 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 18.1%

Industry: 17.3%

Services: 64.6% (2004)

Unemployment rate: 11.3% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: 14.8% (2003 est.)

Inflation rate: 5.8% (2006 est.)

Budget: revenues: $2.85 billion

Expenditures: $3.174 billion; including capital expenditures of $180.4 million (2006 est.)

Public debt: 133.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Electricity - production: 6.913 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - by source: fossil fuel: 96.8%

Hydro: 1.8%

Other: 1.4% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 6.429 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - consumption: 72,080 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $-970 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $2.087 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - partners: US 25.8%, Canada 19.3%, UK 10.7%, Netherlands 8.6%, China 7%, Norway 6.4%, Germany 5.6% (2005)

Imports: $4.682 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - partners: US 41.4%, T and T 14%, Venezuela 5.5%, Japan 4.6% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.317 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external: $7.384 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $254.7 million (2004)

Currency (code): Jamaican dollar (JMD)

Currency code: JMD

Exchange rates: JMD/US dollar - 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003), 48.416 (2002)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Geography

Location: island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Area: total: 10,991 sq km, land: 10,831 sq km, water: 160 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain: mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use: arable land: 15.83%

permanent crops: 10.01%

other: 74.16% (2005)

Irrigated land: 250 sq km (2002)

Natural hazards: hurricanes (especially July to November)

Government

Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy

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

Capital: Kingston

Independence: 6 August 1962

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1962)

Constitution: 6 August 1962

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February 2006)

Head of government: Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 30 March 2006)

Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch: 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 8 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 no later than October 2007)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING];

People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS]

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon SHIRLEY

Chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660

FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081

Consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON

Embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6

Mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5

Telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000

FAX: [1] (876) 702-6348

People

Population: 2,780,132 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure:

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.)

Median age: 23.2 years -- male: 22.6 years -- female: 23.7 years (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 20.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio: 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.)

Net migration rate: -6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 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.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.12 years

Male: 71.43 years

Female: 74.9 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.36 children born/woman (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 22,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 900 (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups: blk 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, wht 0.2%, Chn 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, oth 0.1%

Languages: English, English patois

Literacy: Age 15 and over who has ever attended school

Total population: 87.9%

Male: 84.1%

Female: 91.6% (2003 est.)

Religions

Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Baptist 8.8%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 5.5%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Brethren 1.1%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other including some spiritual cults 34.7%