Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
total: 1,899.2 km
border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 199 km, Switzerland 740 km
Coastline:
7,600 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)
Natural resources:
coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 26.41%
permanent crops: 9.09%
other: 64.5% (2005)
Irrigated land:
27,500 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
175 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 41.98 cu km/yr (18%/37%/45%)
per capita: 723 cu m/yr (1998)
Natural hazards:
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, MarineDumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
People ::Italy
Population:
58,126,212 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 4,056,156/female 3,814,070)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 19,530,696/female 18,981,084)
65 years and over: 20.2% (male 4,903,762/female 6,840,444) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 43.3 years
male: 41.8 years
female: 44.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.047% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Birth rate:
8.18 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 221
Death rate:
10.72 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Net migration rate:
2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.51 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 183 male: 6.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.2 years country comparison to the world: 19 male: 77.26 years
female: 83.33 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.31 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
150,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Nationality:
noun: Italian(s)
adjective: Italian
Ethnic groups:
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, andSlovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians andGreek-Italians in the south)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Languages:
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 98.8%
female: 98% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 88
Government ::Italy
Country name:
conventional long form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
local short form: Italia
former: Kingdom of Italy
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Rome
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma)
regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna,Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte(Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto(Venetia)
autonomous regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Sardegna (Sardinia); Sicilia (Sicily); Trentino-South Tyrol, also known as Trentino-Alto Adige (Italian), Trentino-Suedtirol (German); Aosta Valley, also known as Valle d'Aosta (Italian), Vallee d'Aoste (French)
Independence:
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 2 June (1946)
Constitution:
passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many times
Legal system:
based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 8 May 2008) note - in Italy the prime minister is referred to as the president of the Council of Ministers
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 10 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2013); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament
election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president on the fourth round of voting; electoral college vote - 543
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; members elected by proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats; to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held April 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held April 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - S. BERLUSCONI coalition 174 (PdL 147, LN 25, MpA 2), W. VELTRONI coalition 132 (PD 118, IdV 3), UdC 3, other 6; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - S. BERLUSCONI coalition 344 (PdL 276, LN 60, MpA 8), W. VELTRONI coalition 246 (PD 217, IdV 29), UdC 36, other 4
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts)
Political parties and leaders:
Silvio BERLUSCONI coalition: People of Freedom or PdL [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Lega Nord or LN [Umberto BOSSI]; Movement for Autonomy or MpA [Raffaele LOMBARDO]
Walter VELTRONI coalition: Democratic Party or PD [Walter VELTRONI];Italy of Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]
other non-allied parties: Union of the Center or UdC [Savino PEZZOTTA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio;Confindustria; organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori;Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church; three major trade unionconfederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL[Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana deiSindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNO], which is RomanCatholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [LuigiANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council(observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer),CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-20, G-7,G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO,NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA,Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO,UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Giulio TERZI di Sant'Agata
chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
consulate(s): Detroit
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Elizabeth DIBBLE
embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (06) 46741
consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797
Economy ::Italy
Economy - overview:
Italy has a diversified industrial economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with high unemployment. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises. Italy also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 15% of GDP. These activities are most common within the agriculture, construction, and service sectors. Italy has moved slowly on implementing needed structural reforms, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor market and over-generous pension system and these conditions will be exacerbated by the recent global financial crisis. The Italian government is seeking to rein in government spending, but the leadership faces a severe economic constraint: Italy's official debt remains above 100% of GDP, and the fiscal deficit - 1.5% of GDP in 2007 - could approach 3% in 2009 as political pressure to stimulate the economy and the costs of servicing Italy's debt rise. The economy will continue to contract through 2009 as the global demand for exports drop.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.827 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $1.845 trillion (2007 est.)
$1.818 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.314 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 207 1.5% (2007 est.)
2.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$31,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $31,700 (2007 est.)
$31,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 27%
services: 71% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
25.11 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 30.7%
services: 65.1% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
6.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 6.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 26.8% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32 (2006) country comparison to the world: 104 27.3 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Budget:
revenues: $1.068 trillion
expenditures: $1.132 trillion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
105.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 105.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 1.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 108 5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.34% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 75 10.93% (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$3.046 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 8 $2.932 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 17 $1.073 trillion (31 December 2007)
$1.027 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish
Industries:
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Electricity - production:
289.7 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Electricity - consumption:
315 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Electricity - exports:
3.431 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
43 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
162,200 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Oil - consumption:
1.639 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Oil - exports:
667,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Oil - imports:
2.205 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Oil - proved reserves:
406.5 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Natural gas - production:
9.255 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Natural gas - consumption:
84.88 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Natural gas - exports:
210 million cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 40
Natural gas - imports:
76.86 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Natural gas - proved reserves:
94.15 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Current account balance:
-$78.03 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 -$51.03 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$546.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $502.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
Exports - partners:
Germany 12.8%, France 11.2%, Spain 6.6%, US 6.3%, UK 5.3% (2008)
Imports:
$546.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $498.1 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco
Imports - partners:
Germany 16%, France 8.6%, China 6.2%, Netherlands 5.3%, Libya 4.6%,Russia 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$105.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 $94.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.328 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 7 $2.5 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$376.6 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 $364.8 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$565.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $520.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Italy
Telephones - main lines in use:
20.031 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 16
Telephones - mobile cellular:
88.58 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 10
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international: country code - 39; a series of submarine cables provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.it
Internet hosts:
22.152 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 4
Internet users:
24.992 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 14
Transportation ::Italy
Airports:
132 (2009) country comparison to the world: 43
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 101
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 13 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 19 (2009)
Heliports:
6 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 17,544 km; oil 1,241 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 19,729 km country comparison to the world: 15 standard gauge: 18,317 km 1.435-m gauge (12,458 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,058 km 0.950-m gauge (151 km electrified); 231 km 0.850-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 487,700 km country comparison to the world: 12 paved: 487,700 km (includes 6,700 km of expressways) (2005)
Waterways:
2,400 km country comparison to the world: 38 note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 609 country comparison to the world: 20 by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 47, carrier 2, chemical tanker 159, combination ore/oil 1, container 25, liquefied gas 27, passenger 22, passenger/cargo 154, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 27
foreign-owned: 64 (Denmark 3, France 2, Greece 6, Japan 1, Lebanon 1, Nigeria 1, Norway 2, Portugal 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 8, Taiwan 13, Turkey 1, UK 7, US 17)
registered in other countries: 208 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 4, Belize 3, Cayman Islands 4, Cyprus 7, France 2, Liberia 41, Malta 50, Marshall Islands 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 4, Panama 28, Portugal 12, Russia 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Singapore 5, Slovakia 2, Spain 2, Sweden 9, Turkey 3, UK 5) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Sarroch, Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Military ::Italy
Military branches:
Italian Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Italian Navy (Marina MilitareItaliana, MMI), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana,AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 year of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2005; women may serve in any military branch; 10-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 45 (Army and Air Force) or 39 (Navy) (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 13,884,079
females age 16-49: 13,158,378 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 11,197,487
females age 16-49: 10,574,250 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 287,845
female: 270,384 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.8% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Transnational Issues ::Italy
Disputes - international:
Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa
Illicit drugs:
important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Jamaica (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Jamaica
Background:
The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, 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 obtained increasing 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:
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 10,991 sq km country comparison to the world: 167 land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km
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:
arable land: 15.83%
permanent crops: 10.01%
other: 74.16% (2005)
Irrigated land:
250 sq km (2002)
Total renewable water resources:
9.4 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.41 cu km/yr (34%/17%/49%)
per capita: 155 cu m/yr (2000)
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 results 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 ::Jamaica
Population:
2,825,928 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.4% (male 451,310/female 436,466)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 851,372/female 875,132)
65 years and over: 7.5% (male 94,833/female 116,815) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.7 years
male: 23.1 years
female: 24.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.755% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Birth rate:
19.68 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Death rate:
6.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Net migration rate:
-5.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Urbanization:
urban population: 53% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.22 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 126 male: 15.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.53 years country comparison to the world: 104 male: 71.83 years
female: 75.3 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.25 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
27,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Nationality:
noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican
Ethnic groups:
black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)
Religions:
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 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
Languages:
English, English patois
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87.9%
male: 84.1%
female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 56
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:
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); represented by Governor General Dr. Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Bruce GOLDING (since 11 September 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: the monarch 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 the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by 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 3 September 2007 (next to be held no later than October 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.8%; seats by party - JLP 33, PNP 27
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt(signatory), ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony JOHNSON
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON
embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6
mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5
telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000
Flag description:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer 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
Economy ::Jamaica
Economy - overview:
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. Remittances account for nearly 20% of GDP and are equivalent to tourism revenues. Jamaica's economy, already saddled with the lowest economic growth in Latin America, will face increasing difficulties as the global economy slows. The economy faces serious long-term problems: a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of almost 130%. Jamaica's onerous debt burden - the fourth highest per capita - is the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s. It hinders government spending on infrastructure and social programs as debt servicing accounts for nearly half of government expenditures. Inflation rose sharply in 2008 as a result of high prices for imported food and oil and should fall in 2009 with the decline in international oil prices. High unemployment exacerbates the serious crime problem, including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade. The GOLDING administration faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime problem that is hampering economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$24.04 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 $24.19 billion (2007 est.)
$23.85 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.03 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203 1.4% (2007 est.)
2.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 $8,700 (2007 est.)
$8,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.2%
industry: 32.6%
services: 62.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.304 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 19%
services: 64% (2006)
Unemployment rate:
11% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 9.9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14.8% (2003 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) country comparison to the world: 42 37.9 (2000)
Investment (gross fixed):
26.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Budget:
revenues: $3.794 billion
expenditures: $4.829 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
116.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 146.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 207 9.5% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.83% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 28 17.2% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.253 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 83 $1.369 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.244 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 74 $4.54 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$7.175 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 78 $6.609 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$7.513 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 72 $12.33 billion (31 December 2007)
$12.28 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks
Industries:
tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate:
-0.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Electricity - production:
7.324 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Electricity - consumption:
6.345 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Oil - consumption:
78,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Oil - imports:
77,720 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Oil - proved reserves: