Chapter 53
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (male 430,609; female 411,966) 15-64 years: 61% (male 781,626; female 795,808) 65 years and over: 7% (male 77,725; female 97,541) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.8% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 22.19 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 5.57 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female all ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.88 years male: 72.6 years female: 77.29 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican
Ethnic divisions: African 76.3%, Afro-European 15.1%, East Indian and Afro-East Indian 3%, white 3.2%, Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other 1.2%
Religions: Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other, including some spiritual cults 39.1% (1982)
Languages: English, Creole
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1995 est.) total population: 85% male: 80.8% female: 89.1%
Government ----------
Name of country: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica
Data code: JM
Type of government: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Kingston
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
Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August) (1962)
Constitution: 6 August 1962
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), a hereditary monarch, is represented by Governor General Sir Howard COOKE (since 1 August 1991) who was appointed by the queen on recommendation of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992) and the Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA 1993) were appointed by the governor general cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general House of Representatives: elections last held 30 March 1993 (next to be held by March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) PNP 52, JLP 8
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister
Political parties and leaders: People's National Party (PNP), P. J. PATTERSON; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward SEAGA; National Democratic Movement (NDM), Bruce GOLDING
Other political or pressure groups: Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New Beginnings Movement (NBM)
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNAL chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660 FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador J. Gary COOPER embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [1] (809) 929-4850 through 4859 FAX: [1] (809) 926-6743
Flag: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
Economy -------
Economic overview: Key sectors in this island economy are bauxite (alumina and bauxite account for more than half of exports) and tourism. Since assuming office in 1992, Prime Minister PATTERSON has consolidated the market-oriented reforms initiated by his predecessor, Michael MANLEY, to make Jamaica a regional leader in economic reform. PATTERSON has eliminated most price controls, streamlined tax schedules, and privatized government enterprises. Tight monetary and fiscal policies under an IMF program have helped slow inflation and stabilize the exchange rate, but, as a result, economic growth has slowed down and unemployment remains high. Jamaica's medium-term prospects depend largely on its ability to continue to attract foreign capital and limit speculation against the Jamaican dollar.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.2 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 0.8% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $3,200 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 7.9% industry: 28.1% services: 64% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25.5% (1995)
Labor force: 1,062,100 by occupation: services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%, unemployed 17.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 15.4% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.45 billion expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $732 million (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: bauxite, tourism, textiles, food processing, light manufactures
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity: capacity: 730,000 kW production: 2.6 billion kWh consumption per capita: 988 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an active cannabis eradication program
Exports: $2 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum partners: US 47%, UK 11%, Canada 9%, Norway 7%, France 4% (1993)
Imports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals partners: US 54%, Japan 4.0%, Mexico 6%, UK 4%, Venezuela 3% (1993)
External debt: $3.6 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $239 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 - 39.86 (December 1995), 33.086 (1994), 24.949 (1993), 22.960 (1992), 12.116 (1991)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Transportation --------------
Railways: total: 272 km standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge; note - 207 km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation which were in common carrier service are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite
Highways: total: 18,094 km paved: 12,528 km unpaved: 5,566 km (1988 est.)
Pipelines: petroleum products 10 km
Ports: Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Longs Wharf, Rocky Point
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,435 GRT/6,105 DWT ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1995 est.)
Airports: total: 27 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 21 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Communications --------------
Telephones: 212,257 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: fully automatic domestic telephone network domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios: 1.04 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 8
Televisions: 330,000 (1992 est.)
Defense -------
Branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 680,965 males fit for military service: 481,616 males reach military age (18) annually: 25,810 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $30 million, NA% of GDP (FY95/96)
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@Jan Mayen ---------
(territory of Norway)
Map ---
Location: 71 00 N, 8 00 W -- Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland
Flag ----
Description: the flag of Norway is used
Geography ---------
Location: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland
Geographic coordinates: 71 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references: Arctic Region
Area: total area: 373 sq km land area: 373 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 124.1 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 10 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 4 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain: volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Haakon VII Toppen (Beerenberg) 2,277 m
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: dominated by the volcano Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970 international agreements: NA
Geographic note: barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
People ------
Population: no permanent inhabitants; note - there are personnel who man the Long Range Navigation (LORAN) C base and the weather and coastal services radio station
Government ----------
Name of country: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jan Mayen
Data code: JN
Type of government: territory of Norway
Capital: none
Independence: none (territory of Norway)
Executive branch: administered from Oslo, Norway, through a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard); however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service
Flag: the flag of Norway is used
Economy -------
Economic overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
Electricity: capacity: 15,000 kW production: 40 million kWh consumption per capita: NA kWh (1992)
Transportation --------------
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: total: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Communications --------------
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA note: radio and meteorological station
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: NA
Defense -------
Defense note: defense is the responsibility of Norway
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@Japan -----
Map ---
Location: 36 00 N, 138 00 E -- Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Flag ----
Description: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
Geography ---------
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates: 36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total area: 377,835 sq km land area: 374,744 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than California note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 29,751 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
International disputes: islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Fujiyama 3,776 m
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use: arable land: 13% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 67% other: 18%
Irrigated land: 28,680 sq km (1989)
Environment: current issues: air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan's appetite for fish and tropical timber is contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94
Geographic note: strategic location in northeast Asia
People ------
Population: 125,449,703 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16% (male 10,121,414; female 9,644,243) 15-64 years: 69% (male 43,624,464; female 43,359,249) 65 years and over: 15% (male 7,737,781; female 10,962,552) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.21% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 10.19 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 7.71 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.55 years male: 76.57 years female: 82.68 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Japanese (singular and plural) adjective: Japanese
Ethnic divisions: Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)
Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Languages: Japanese
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA%
Government ----------
Name of country: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Japan
Data code: JA
Type of government: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Tokyo
Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence: 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)
National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Constitution: 3 May 1947
Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989) is a constitutional monarch head of government: Prime Minister Ryutaro HASHIMOTO (since 11 January 1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Wataru KUBO (since 11 January 1996) were designated by the Diet and appointed by the emperor cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai) House of Councillors (Sangi-in): half of the members elected every three years to six-year terms; elections last held 23 July 1995 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (252 total, with 126 up for election) LDP 110 (49 newly won), Shinshinto 56 (40 newly won), SDP 38 (16 newly won), JCP 14 (8 newly won), Sakigate 3 (3 newly won), others 19 (4 newly won), independents 12 (6 newly won); note - the distribution of seats as of 1 March 1996 is as follows - LDP 111, Heisei-kai 69, SDP 35, JCP 14, Sakigake 3, others and independents 19, vacancies 1 House of Representatives (Shugi-in): all members elected every four years to four-year terms; elections last held 18 July 1993 (next to be held by July 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (511 total) LDP 223, SDP 70, Shinseito 55, Komeito 51, JNP 35, JCP 15, DSP 15, Sakigake 13, others 4, independents 30; note - the distribution of seats as of 1 March 1996 is as follows - LDP 207, Shinshinto 170, SDP 63, Sakigake 22, JCP 15, others and independents 19, vacant 15
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the emperor after designation by the cabinet, all other justices are appointed by the cabinet
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Ryutaro HASHIMOTO, president and Koichi KATO, secretary general; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Tomiichi MURAYAMA, president and Kanju SATO, secretary general; Sakigake (Harbinger), Masayoshi TAKEMURA, chairman and Yukio HATOYAMA, secretary general; Shinshinto (New Frontier Party, NFP), Ichiro OZAWA, chairman and Takashi YONEZAWA, secretary general; Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, presidium chairman note: Shinshinto was formed in December 1994 by the merger of Shinseito (Japan Renewal Party, JRP), Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Japan New Party (JNP), Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), and several minor groups; Heisei-kai is a joint bloc of Shinshinto and Komei members; Komei is a group formed from what remains of Komeito in the upper house
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kunihiko SAITO chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6700 FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187 consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Walter F. MONDALE embassy: 10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-0001 telephone: [81] (3) 3224-5000 FAX: [81] (3) 3505-1862 consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
Flag: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
Economy -------
Economic overview: Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (roughly 1% of GDP) have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most powerful economy in the world. One notable characteristic of the economy is the working together of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely knit groups called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force; this guarantee is slowly eroding. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades overall economic growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. Growth came to a halt in 1992-95 largely because of the aftereffects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. At yearend 1995, the financial structure is shaky with banks holding hundreds of billions of dollars of suspect assets. At the same time, the continued basic strength of the economy has been reflected in substantial trade surpluses, sizable foreign investments, and remarkably low rates of unemployment, inflation, and social disorder. The crowding of the habitable land area and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.6792 trillion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 0.3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $21,300 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 2.1% industry: 40.2% services: 57.7% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.1% (1995)
Labor force: 65.87 million (December 1994) by occupation: trade and services 54%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government 3%, other 3% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 3.1% (1995)
Budget: revenues: $595 billion expenditures: $829 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $122 billion (1995 est.)
Industries: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of steel and non-ferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment, construction and mining equipment, motor vehicles and parts, electronic and telecommunication equipment, machine tools, automated production systems, locomotives and railroad rolling stock, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods
Industrial production growth rate: 3.3% (1995)
Electricity: capacity: 205,140,000 kW (1993) production: 915 billion kWh (1995) consumption per capita: 7,293 kWh (1995)
Agriculture: rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; world's largest fish catch of 10 million metric tons in 1991
Exports: $442.84 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: manufactures 97% (including machinery 46%, motor vehicles 20%, consumer electronics 10%) partners: Southeast Asia 38%, US 27%, Western Europe 17%, China 5%