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Central America and Caribbean :: Jamaica

- ## Introduction :: JAMAICA

- 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 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.

- ## Geography :: JAMAICA

- 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: 168
  Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Connecticut
  Land boundaries:
  0 km
  Coastline:
  1,022 km
  Maritime claims:
  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
  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:
  agricultural land: 41.4%
  arable land 11.1%; permanent crops 9.2%; permanent pasture 21.1%
  forest: 31.1%
  other: 27.5% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  252.2 sq km (2003)
  Total renewable water resources:
  9.4 cu km (2011)
  Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
  total: 0.93 cu km/yr (32%/16%/52%)
  per capita: 369.9 cu m/yr (2009)
  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
  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:
  strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

- ## People and Society :: JAMAICA

- 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 .9%, and Moravian .7%), Roman Catholic 2.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.9%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 6.5%, none 21.3%, unspecified 2.3% (2011 est.)
  Population:
  2,950,210 (July 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 140
  Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27.97% (male 419,725/female 405,573)
  15-24 years: 21.46% (male 317,873/female 315,163)
  25-54 years: 37% (male 538,173/female 553,486)
  55-64 years: 5.69% (male 81,281/female 86,713)
  65 years and over: 7.87% (male 103,958/female 128,265) (2015 est.)
  population pyramid:
  Dependency ratios:
  total dependency ratio: 48.6%
  youth dependency ratio: 35%
  elderly dependency ratio: 13.6%
  potential support ratio: 7.4% (2015 est.)
  Median age:
  total: 25.3 years
  male: 24.8 years
  female: 25.8 years (2015 est.)
  Population growth rate:
  0.68% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 148
  Birth rate:
  18.16 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 102
  Death rate:
  6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 140
  Net migration rate:
  -4.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 191
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 54.8% of total population (2015)
  rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
  Major urban areas - population:
  KINGSTON (capital) 588,000 (2015)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
  Infant mortality rate:
  total: 13.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 112
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.55 years
  male: 71.93 years
  female: 75.24 years (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Total fertility rate:
  2.01 children born/woman (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 121
  Contraceptive prevalence rate:
  72.5% (2008/09)
  Health expenditures:
  5.9% of GDP (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 114
  Physicians density:
  0.41 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
  Hospital bed density:
  1.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)
  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.)
  Sanitation facility access:
  improved:
  urban: 79.9% of population
  rural: 84.1% of population
  total: 81.8% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 20.1% of population
  rural: 15.9% of population
  total: 18.2% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  1.62% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 31
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  29,400 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 71
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  1,300 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 62
  Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
  26.8% (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 67
  Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
  3.2% (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 112
  Education expenditures:
  6.3% of GDP (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 40
  Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 88.7%
  male: 84%
  female: 93.1% (2015 est.)
  School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
  total: 12 years
  male: 12 years
  female: 13 years (2013)
  Child labor - children ages 5-14:
  total number: 38,516
  percentage: 6% (2005 est.)
  Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
  total: 34%
  male: 27.1%
  female: 42.6% (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 20

- ## Government :: JAMAICA

- Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Jamaica
  Government type:
  constitutional parliamentary democracy and 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)
  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:
  several previous (preindependence); latest drafted 1961-62, submitted to British Parliament 24 July 1962, entered into force 6 August 1962 (at independence); amended many times, last in 2011 (2011)
  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
  Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
  Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 5 January 2015)
  head of government: Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 5 January 2012)
  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 the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister and the minority party leader, 13 seats allocated to the ruling party, and 8 seats allocated to the minority party; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives (63 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
  elections: last held on 29 December 2011 (next to be held no later than December 2016)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 53.3%, JLP 46.6%; seats by party - PNP 41, JLP 22
  Judicial branch:
  highest resident court(s): 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 submitted to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court implemented 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 HOLNESS]
  People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]
  National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS]
  Political pressure groups and leaders:
  New Beginnings Movement or NBM
  Rastafarians
  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:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph THOMAS (since 17 September 2015)
  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 (PA), Richmond (VA), San Francisco, Seattle
  Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Luis G. MORENO (since 13 January 2015)
  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
  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 :: JAMAICA

- Economy - overview:
  The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which accounts for more than 70% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Remittances and tourism each account for 30% of GDP, while bauxite/alumina exports make up roughly 5% of GDP. The bauxite/alumina sector was most affected by the global downturn while the tourism industry and remittance flow remained resilient. Jamaica's economy faces many challenges to growth: high crime and corruption, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 130%. The attendant debt servicing cost consumes a large portion of the government's budget, limiting its ability to fund the critical infrastructure and social programs required to drive growth. Jamaica's economic growth rate in the recent past has been stagnant, averaging less than 1% per year for over 20 years. Jamaica's onerous public debt burden is largely the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably to the financial sector. In early 2010, the Jamaican Government initiated the Jamaica Debt Exchange to retire high-priced domestic bonds and reduce annual debt servicing. Despite these efforts, debt continued to be a serious concern, forcing the government to negotiate and sign a new IMF agreement in May 2013 to gain access to approximately $1 billion additional funds. As a precursor, the government instigated a second National Debt Exchange in 2012. The IMF deal requires the government to reform its tax system, eliminate discretionary tax exemptions and waivers, and achieve an annual surplus of 7.5%, excluding debt payments, to reduce its debt below 100% of GDP by 2020. The SIMPSON-MILLER administration now faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious crime problem that is hampering economic growth. High unemployment exacerbates the crime problem, including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade.
  GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $24.1 billion (2014 est.)
  $23.97 billion (2013 est.)
  $23.92 billion (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 135
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $13.79 billion (2014 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  0.5% (2014 est.)
  0.2% (2013 est.)
  -0.5% (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 180
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $8,600 (2014 est.)
  $8,600 (2013 est.)
  $8,500 (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 136
  Gross national saving:
  13% of GDP (2014 est.)
  12% of GDP (2013 est.)
  10.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 144
  GDP - composition, by end use:
  household consumption: 85.6%
  government consumption: 15.3%
  investment in fixed capital: 20.9%
  investment in inventories: 0.3%
  exports of goods and services: 29.2%
  imports of goods and services: -51.4%
  (2014 est.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 6.9%
  industry: 21.1%
  services: 72% (2014 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; shellfish
  Industries:
  tourism, bauxite/alumina, agricultural-processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
  Industrial production growth rate:
  1.2% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 149
  Labor force:
  1.311 million (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 135
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 17%
  industry: 19%
  services: 64% (2006)
  Unemployment rate:
  15.3% (2014 est.)
  15.2% (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 139
  Population below poverty line:
  16.5% (2009 est.)
  Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.1%
  highest 10%: 35.8% (2004)
  Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  45.5 (2004)
  37.9 (2000)
  country comparison to the world: 37
  Budget:
  revenues: $3.834 billion
  expenditures: $3.956 billion (2014 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues:
  27.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 103
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  -0.9% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 56
  Public debt:
  132% of GDP (2014 est.)
  132.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 6
  Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  7.1% (2014 est.)
  9.3% (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 196
  Central bank discount rate:
  2% (31 December 2010)
  country comparison to the world: 119
  Commercial bank prime lending rate:
  17.3% (31 December 2014 est.)
  17.72% (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 26
  Stock of narrow money:
  $1.994 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $1.905 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 129
  Stock of broad money:
  $6.646 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $6.432 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  Stock of domestic credit:
  $7.113 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $6.984 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 113
  Market value of publicly traded shares:
  $6.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
  $7.223 billion (31 December 2011)
  $6.626 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 84
  Current account balance:
  -$879 million (2014 est.)
  -$1.551 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 116
  Exports:
  $1.497 billion (2014 est.)
  $1.597 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Exports - commodities:
  alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, apparel, mineral fuels
  Exports - partners:
  US 39.5%, Canada 15.3%, Netherlands 5.7%, UK 5.2%, Russia 5.1%, Iceland 4.4% (2014)
  Imports:
  $5.153 billion (2014 est.)
  $5.573 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 128
  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 39.3%, Venezuela 11.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.2%, China 6.8% (2014)
  Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $2.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $1.818 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 120
  Debt - external:
  $15.99 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $15.24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 92
  Exchange rates:
  Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -
  111 (2014 est.)
  100.241 (2013 est.)
  88.75 (2012 est.)
  85.893 (2011 est.)
  87.196 (2010 est.)

- ## Energy :: JAMAICA

- Electricity - production:
  4.745 billion kWh (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 123
  Electricity - consumption:
  3.797 billion kWh (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 156
  Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 162
  Electricity - installed generating capacity:
  922,700 kW (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 125
  Electricity - from fossil fuels:
  91.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 69
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
  0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 115
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
  2.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 136
  Electricity - from other renewable sources:
  5.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 49
  Crude oil - production:
  3,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 93
  Crude oil - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 134
  Crude oil - imports:
  22,940 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 68
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 148
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  23,120 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 90
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  69,310 bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 90
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 187
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  32,920 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 88
  Natural gas - production:
  0 cu m (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 147
  Natural gas - consumption:
  0 cu m (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 157
  Natural gas - exports:
  0 cu m (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 121
  Natural gas - imports:
  0 cu m (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 211
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
  12.75 million Mt (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 96

- ## Communications :: JAMAICA

- Telephones - fixed lines:
  total subscriptions: 250,000
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 122
  Telephones - mobile cellular:
  total: 2.9 million
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 140
  Telephone system:
  general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
  domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed lines in use has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity exceeded 110 per 100 persons in 2011
  international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Jamaica, Cuba, and Venezuela; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)
  Broadcast media:
  3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2013)
  Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 4, FM 24, shortwave 0 (2008)
  Television broadcast stations:
  7 (1997)
  Internet country code:
  .jm
  Internet users:
  total: 1.5 million
  percent of population: 49.8% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 109

- ## Transportation :: JAMAICA

- Airports:
  28 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 123
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 11
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 5 (2013)
  Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 17
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m:
  16 (2013)
  Roadways:
  total: 22,121 km (includes 44 km of expressways)
  paved: 16,148 km
  unpaved: 5,973 km (2011)
  country comparison to the world: 104
  Merchant marine:
  total: 14
  by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 5, container 4, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 14 (Denmark 1, Germany 10, Greece 3) (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 103
  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 (1,724,928)

- ## Military :: JAMAICA

- Military branches:
  Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2010)
  Military service age and obligation:
  17 1/2 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
  Manpower available for military service:
  males age 16-49: 726,263
  females age 16-49: 742,958 (2010 est.)
  Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 16-49: 590,673
  females age 16-49: 596,414 (2010 est.)
  Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
  male: 33,369
  female: 32,702 (2010 est.)
  Military expenditures:
  0.86% of GDP (2012)
  0.92% of GDP (2011)
  0.86% of GDP (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 111

- ## Transnational Issues :: JAMAICA

- Disputes - international:
  none
  Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Jamaica is a source, transit, and destination country for children and adults subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; the exploitation of local children in the sex trade is a serious problem; sex trafficking of children and adults occurs on the street, in night clubs, bars, and private homes; 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; an alarmingly 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 2013, the government implemented amendments to strengthen the anti-trafficking law; for the fifth consecutive year, no trafficking offenders or officials complicit in human trafficking were convicted; the lack of victims identified raised concerns that the government did not employ standard operating procedures to guide front-line responders; a government-operated hotline continued to provide specialized assistance to human trafficking victims (2014)
  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

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