tical
violence marred elections during the 1990s.

Jamaica Geography

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: 10,990 sq km

land: 10,830 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 baselines

contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

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: 14%

permanent crops: 6%

permanent pastures: 24%

forests and woodland: 17%

other: 39% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 350 sq km (1993 est.)

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, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, 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 Panama Canal

Jamaica People

Population: 2,665,636 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.7% (male 405,189; female 386,555)

15-64 years: 63.52% (male 845,226; female 847,944)

65 years and over: 6.78% (male 80,667; female 100,055) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.51% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 18.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 5.48 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

total po