Country Gees

Jamaica in 2006 was an island country located in the Caribbean Sea with a population of over 2.7 million people. It was bordered by Haiti to the west and Cuba to the east and was surrounded by the Caribbean Sea to the south. Politically, it had been divided into 14 parishes since 1867 with Kingston as its capital city.

Jamaica in 2006 had a GDP of approximately $9 billion USD and per capita GDP of around $3,300 USD. The economy of Jamaica relied heavily on services which accounted for around 60% of GDP in 2006 while industry accounted for around 32%. Other important industries included agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.

According to constructmaterials, Jamaica had made significant progress in terms of human development since its transition from British rule to an independent state in 1962 when its Human Development Index (HDI) score improved from 0.619 in 1989 to 0.732 in 2006 – making it one of the most developed countries in the Caribbean during that period. Poverty remained an issue with almost 17% living below national poverty line in 2006 and access to basic services such as education, healthcare and clean water still lagging behind other countries in the region.

Yearbook 2006

Jamaica. After Percival Patterson – Jamaica’s prime minister for 14 years – announced his resignation, his ruling party, PNP (National People’s Party), in February elected the popular Portia Simpson Miller as new party leader – and thus automatically also new prime minister. She took up both positions at the end of March/April and became Jamaica’s first female head of government. Simpson Miller then formed a government consisting of 14 people. She took care of the defense, sport and gender issues herself.

According to CountryAAH, major public holidays in Jamaica include Independence Day (August 6) and New Year (January 1). Simpson Miller, at the age of 60, had made a quick career from local politicians in Kingston’s poorest neighborhood, where she grew up, to top politicians, with 30 years of experience as a member of parliament and with several ministerial posts on the track record. Simpson Miller has a strong support among Jamaica’s many poor people who usually call her “Last P” or in short “Mama”. Within the PNP, however, she faced opposition from a faction who considered that her simple background from Kingston’s slum was the government’s fault. They also said that she had failed to achieve any improvements as local politicians in the poor neighborhood. “Last P” herself considered that she has become a symbol of new hope among the poor: “I am now on top and want to take the rest of Jamaica with me”… “For years I have been the face of the faceless and the voiceless in the corridors of power”,

Jamaicans love for Bob Marley seems eternal. In August, the country’s national bank minted a thousand gold and silver coins with the portrait of the reggae legend. The coins, which were sold for 100 Jamaica dollars each, would have been out of trade in 2005 – until the 60th anniversary of the deceased Marley’s birth – but were delayed.

Jamaica Overview

Come and explore authentic Jamaica – captivating people with a wide smile and a supple rhythm of reggae. In addition to Reggae, Jamaica offers white sand beaches, turquoise shimmering sea and idyllic seaside villages. Jamaica has a reputation for being a safer travel destination. Especially the beaches of Negril and the surroundings of Montego Bay have good services for the tourist.

• According to abbreviationfinder, JA is the abbreviation code for Jamaica.

Jamaica is the third largest of the Caribbean islands and the largest of the English-speaking islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea 145 km south of Cuba and 160 km west of Haiti. The island is mountainous and its highest peak, Blue Mountain Peak, always reaches 2,221 meters. This peak is located in the eastern part of the island in the Blue Mountains. The north coast is narrow and broken, while the south coast is wide and flat. The vegetation is lush on the north coast and savannah-like on the south coast.

Area: 4,411 km²

Population: 2,808,570 (estimate 7/2020)

Capital: Kingston

Population: 76% of African descent, 15% of African European descent

Language: English and Patois

Religion: 80% of Christians, Jamaicans are also very superstitious

Main products: Tourism, banana, sugar

Between the 1982 and 1991 census, the Jamaican population increased by 119 %, from 1. 079. 640 to 2. 366. 067 residents; in 1998, according to an estimate, it reached 2,538,000 residents. The components of this growth are many and if the contribution of natural factors is predominant (despite the birth rate being among the lowest in the Caribbean area) the balances of migratory flows are gradually gaining importance. This results in growing demographic pressure; the average density is 231 residents/km², distributed rather irregularly, with maximum concentrations in the southern areas and in the northwestern coastal strip. Although the urban population is now equal to 55 %, there is a lack of cities with a good equipment of services, with the exception of the capital, Kingston, which in its agglomeration is home to almost 700,000 residents, equal to more than half of the total urban population.