Jamaica
Capital: Kingston
History
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
Metric Units
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$1.72 billion |
| Export Items |
alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels |
| Export Partners |
US 36.8%, Canada 18.1%, Netherlands 7.3%, UK 5.4%, Norway 4.3% (2011) |
| Imports |
$6.02 billion |
| Import Items |
food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials |
| Import Partners |
US 32.8%, Venezuela 15%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.2%, China 6.3%, Mexico 4.1% (2011) |
People
| Population |
2,909,714 |
| Population Growth |
0.7% |
| Ethnic Groups |
black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census) |
| Religion |
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic |
| Life Expectancy |
73.44 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.98 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
0.6 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
