Jamaica
Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

People Jamaica

Population: 2,680,029 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 399,249; female 380,864) 15-64
years: 64.1% (male 858,433; female 859,174) 65 years and over: 6.8%
(male 81,321; female 100,988) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.56% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 17.74 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 5.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 13.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 77.73 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.71% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 9,900 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 650 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican

Ethnic groups: black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%,
mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%

Religions: Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican
5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United
Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%),
Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7%

Languages: English, patois English

Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population:
Government Jamaica

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
Jamaica

Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy

Capital: Kingston

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

Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, first Monday in 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 Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1
August 1991) head of government: Pri