Part 367

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,022 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use: arable land: 19% permanent crops: 6% meadows and pastures: 18% forest and woodland: 28% other: 29%

Irrigated land: 350 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions natural hazards: hurricanes (especially July to November) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

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

People ------

Population: 2,595,275 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (male 430,609; female 411,966) 15-64 years: 61% (male 781,626; female 795,808) 65 years and over: 7% (male 77,725; female 97,541) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.8% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 22.19 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.57 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female all ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.88 years male: 72.6 years female: 77.29 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Jamaican(s) adjective: Jamaican

Ethnic divisions: African 76.3%, Afro-European 15.1%, East Indian and Afro-East Indian 3%, white 3.2%, Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other 1.2%

Religions: Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other, including some spiritual cults 39.1% (1982)

Languages: English, Creole

Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1995 est.) total population: 85% male: 80.8% female: 89.1%

Government ----------