rtland, Saint
Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint
Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Independence:
6 August 1962 (from UK)
Constitution:
6 August 1962
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day (first Monday in August)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Howard COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister P. J. Patterson (since 30 March 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
People's National Party (PNP) P. J. Patterson; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP),
Edward SEAGA
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 9 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results - PNP
57%, JLP 43%; seats - (60 total) PNP 45, JLP 15
Other political or pressure groups:
Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Member of:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, GATT, G-15, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Richard BERNAL; Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW,
Washington, DC 20006; telephone (202) 452-0660; there are Jamaican
Consulates General in Miami and New York
US:
Ambassador Glen A. HOLDEN; Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica Mutual Life Center,
2 Oxford Road, Kingston; telephone (809) 929-4850 through 4859, FAX (809)
926-6743
Flag:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and
bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)

:Jamaica Economy

Overview:
The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985 it suffered a
setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina
industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic
recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the
bauxite and al