Jamaica Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 26, 2020

Jamaica, State of the Caribbean; 10,990 km², 2.9 million residents (2019).Jamaica, the third largest island in the Caribbean, is located 150 km south of Cuba. The capital is Kingston (584,600 residents, 2012).

Country facts

Jamaica / Jamaica
Country abbreviation: JM
Area: 10 990 km²
Population (2019): 2.9 million residents
Capital: Kingston
Main language: English
State: Monarchy
Head of State: Elizabeth II (Queen)
Head of Government: Andrew Holness
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 5,356
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 4,990
Currency unit: 1 Jamaican dollar = 100 cents
Currency code: JMD
Country number (telephony): 1
Internet domain name: jm
Time difference compared to Sweden: −6
National Day: 1st Monday in August (Independence Day, 1962)

Nature

Land use: forest (20%), agricultural land (17%), other (63%)
Highest mountain: Blue Mountain Peak (2,256 m asl)

Population

Population density (2019): 264 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): 0.9%; birth rate 17 ‰, death rate 8 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (27%), 15-64 (64%), 65- (9%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 72 years, women 76 years
Infant mortality (2019): 13 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 2 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.732 (place 97 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 56%
Most populous cities (2012): Kingston (584,600 residents), Portmore (182,200), Spanish Town (147,200),

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (7%), industry (21%), service (72%)
Exports (2016): US $ 1,296 million
Main export products: aluminum, bauxite, sugar, rum
Main exporting countries: USA, Netherlands, Canada
Imports (2017): US $ 5 151 million
Main import products: food, oil
Main importing countries: USA, Colombia, Japan
Railway network: nothing in use

Jamaica is part of the Antilles mountain range arc, and mountain ranges dominate the eastern and central parts of the island. Below the mountain region, a heavily broken limestone plateau is spreading, while the coastal areas in the south and west are plains. In the eastern parts (Blue Mountains) there are preserved mountain rainforests, but otherwise the cultivated landscape dominates. The average temperature in the lower parts is 25–28 °C throughout the year, but decreases with increasing altitude.

Since independence in 1962, the country has been a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth. The head of state is the British monarch, represented by a general governor. The government, which consists of the prime minister and at least eleven other ministers, has the executive power. The legislative power is exercised by a parliament with two chambers: a Senate with 21 members and a House of Representatives with 63 members elected in general elections every five years.

The country’s economy is based on agriculture, mining and tourism. Jamaica’s main export products are bauxite and sugar; the country is one of the world’s largest bauxite producers. Despite the large bauxite exports, the tourism industry is the most important source of income.