Country	Jamaica
Capital	Kingston
Continent	North America(Central America)
Currency	Jamaican dollar(JMD)
Languages	English(Jamaican English) & Jamaican Patois

Locaion

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Geographic Co ordinates

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Land Boundries

0 km

Geography - note

strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Population

2,847,232 (July 2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world: 138

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

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 is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:the monarchy 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 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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 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, AOSIS, 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, PetroCaribe, RG, 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
FAX:[1] (202) 452-0081
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
FAX:[1] (876) 702-6001

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

Video

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Government - Government - Jamaica Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Education
Newspapers -  Caribbean Net News: Jamaica Caribseek Jamaica News The Jamaica Star
                              Jamaica Gleaner Jamaica News Bulletin Sunday Herald
                              The Jamaica Observer
Tourism -         Ministry of Tourism

Google News

This RSS feed URL is deprecatedThis RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news Jamaica Receives US$36 Million from China to Build Western Children's Hospital - Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service Jamaica Receives US$36 Million from China to Build Western Children's Hospital Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service The 220-bed facility, which will be the first such in Jamaica and the Caribbean, will be built on the compound of the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in Montego Bay, with work expected to commence by the end of the current fiscal year, in March 2019. How Cedella Marley Helped Jamaica's Reggae Girlz Advance to ... - The Root The Root How Cedella Marley Helped Jamaica's Reggae Girlz Advance to ... The Root Twenty years ago, the Jamaican mens' soccer team made history by qualifying for its first World Cup. Now, Jamaica's women's team—known affectionately as ... How Bob Marley's daughter helped Jamaica to be the first Caribbean nation to qualify for Women's World CupFace2Face Africa Jamaica Makes History As First Caribbean Country To Qualify For The Women's World CupBlavity Jamaica qualifies for FIFA Women World CupCaribbean Life Okayafrica -Jamaica Star Online -BusinessGhana all 22 news articles » VIDEO: Jamaica's Reggae Marathon a world beater - Loop News Jamaica Loop News Jamaica VIDEO: Jamaica's Reggae Marathon a world beater Loop News Jamaica "It not just works for the health of it, but also for the economics of it in terms of driving the tourism product and ensuring that we continue to put the best part of Jamaica in front of the public," Donovan White, director of tourism at the Jamaica ... Jamaica to Review Education System - Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service Magnetic Media (press release) Jamaica to Review Education System Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service The Government will be spending $116.8 million over four years to undertake a comprehensive review of the education system. This follows Cabinet's approval for Jamaica to participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2021. Jamaica to sign new Air-Service AgreementsMagnetic Media (press release) Jamaica Signing Air Services Agreements With Morocco, South AfricaCaribbean Journal all 31 news articles » JAMAICA: Motorists may soon be required to clear traffic tickets before renewing driver's licence - Magnetic Media (press release) (blog) Magnetic Media (press release) (blog) JAMAICA: Motorists may soon be required to clear traffic tickets before renewing driver's licence Magnetic Media (press release) (blog) #Kingston, October 19, 2018 – Jamaica – Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, has warned that delinquent drivers may soon be required to clear outstanding traffic tickets before they are able to renew their driver's licence. “The system is not ... and more » Pick your Parliament | Parliament must be a symbol of Jamaica's bold and inclusive development - GSA Architects - Jamaica Gleaner Jamaica Gleaner Pick your Parliament | Parliament must be a symbol of Jamaica's bold and inclusive development - GSA Architects Jamaica Gleaner Guenet Sissaye Anderson, the lead designer for the firm GSA Architects, hopes that their concept drawings of what could become Jamaica's new Parliament building, to be constructed at the National Heroes Park in Kingston, not only meets the requirements ... Holness wants Spanish to be Jamaica's second language - Jamaica Observer Jamaica Observer Holness wants Spanish to be Jamaica's second language Jamaica Observer ST JAMES, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness says it is of strategic importance that the appropriate programmes be put in place, making Spanish a ... Prime Minister Says Jamaica Could Attract Six Million Visitors in a Single YearGovernment of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service Jamaica: PM optimistic that Jamaica can attract six million visitors annuallySt. Lucia News Online JAMAICA: PM says Municipalities Must Enforce Town and Country Regulations for Planned HousingMagnetic Media (press release) (blog) Jamaica Gleaner -South Florida Caribbean News -Prensa Latina all 15 news articles » Cops partner with stakeholders to clean up Half-Way Tree - Jamaica Gleaner Jamaica Gleaner Cops partner with stakeholders to clean up Half-Way Tree Jamaica Gleaner This man urinates on a wall in the vicinity of St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston last year. On Friday, the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and other stakeholders embarked on a clean-up exercise in ... and more » Jamaica: Former Premier League star charged with murder - St. Lucia News Online St. Lucia News Online Jamaica: Former Premier League star charged with murder St. Lucia News Online (JAMAICA STAR) – Former local Premier League footballer Roberto Fletcher has been charged with the 2017 murder of Ashley Thompson, and wounding with intent of another man. Fletcher, who is known more popularly as 'Haitian', was described by a ... Jamaica Could Be The Next Country to Overturn Laws Banning Gay Sex - INTO INTO Jamaica Could Be The Next Country to Overturn Laws Banning Gay Sex INTO Jamaica is poised to be the next country to revisit its colonial laws banning gay sex. Earlier this week, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it will hear a challenge to Jamaica's 1864 Offenses Against the Person Act ...