Search Result for "jamaica": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (2)

1. a country on the island of Jamaica; became independent of England in 1962; much poverty; the major industry is tourism;

2. an island in the West Indies to the south of Cuba and to the west of Haiti;


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Jamaica \Ja*mai"ca\, n. One of the West Indian islands. [1913 Webster] Jamaica ginger, a variety of ginger, called also white ginger, prepared in Jamaica from the best roots, which are deprived of their epidermis and dried separately. Jamaica pepper, allspice. Jamaica rose (Bot.), a West Indian melastomaceous shrub (Blakea trinervis), with showy pink flowers. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Jamaica n 1: a country on the island of Jamaica; became independent of England in 1962; much poverty; the major industry is tourism 2: an island in the West Indies to the south of Cuba and to the west of Haiti
CIA World Factbook 2002:

Jamaica Introduction Jamaica -------------------- Background: Jamaica gained full independence within the British Commonwealth in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence and a dropoff in tourism. Elections in 1980 saw the democratic socialists voted out of office. Subsequent governments have been open market oriented. Political violence marred elections during the 1990s. Geography Jamaica ----------------- 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: 10,991 sq km land: 10,831 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 exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 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: 16.07% permanent crops: 9.23% other: 74.7% (1998 est.) Irrigated land: 250 sq km (1998 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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate agreements: 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 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: total population: 75.64 years female: 77.73 years (2002 est.) male: 73.65 years 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/ 9,900 (1999 est.) AIDS: 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: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 85% male: 80.8% female: 89.1% (1995 est.) 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: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA 1993) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general 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 eight seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 18 December 1997 (next to be held by March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PNP 50, JLP 10 Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal Political parties and leaders: Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Edward SEAGA]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP [Percival James PATTERSON] Political pressure groups and New Beginnings Movement or NBM; leaders: Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists) International organization ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, participation: FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Seymour MULLINGS consulate(s) general: Miami and New York FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660 chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Sue US: McCourt COBB embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859 FAX: [1] (876) 926-6743 Flag description: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side) Economy Jamaica --------------- Economy - overview: The economy, which depends heavily on tourism and bauxite, has been stagnant since 1995. After five years of recession, the economy grew 0.8% in 2000 and 1.1% in 2001, but the global economic slowdown, particularly in the United States after the 11 September terrorist attacks, has stunted the economic recovery. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased foreign competition; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate; a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt, the result of government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the economy, particularly the financial sector. Depressed economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including a mounting crime rate. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon encouraging investment, maintaining a competitive exchange rate, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper fiscal and monetary policies. GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.8 billion (2001 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 1.1% (2001 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 28% services: 65% (2000 est.) Population below poverty line: 34.2% (1992 est.) Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.9% percentage share: highest 10%: 28.9% (1996) Distribution of family income - Gini 36.4 (1996) index: Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.9% (2001 est.) Labor force: 1.13 million (1998) Labor force - by occupation: services 60%, agriculture 21%, industry 19% (1998) Unemployment rate: 16% (2000 est.) Budget: revenues: $2.23 billion expenditures: $2.56 billion, including capital expenditures of $232.5 million (FY99/00 est.) Industries: tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products Industrial production growth rate: -2% (2000 est.) Electricity - production: 6.74 billion kWh (2000) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 89.44% hydro: 3.22% other: 7.34% (2000) nuclear: 0% Electricity - consumption: 6.27 billion kWh (2000) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000) Agriculture - products: sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Exports - commodities: alumina, bauxite; sugar, bananas, rum Exports - partners: US 35.7%, EU (excluding UK) 15.9%, UK 13%, Canada 10.5% (1999) Imports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food, chemicals, fertilizers Imports - partners: US 47.8%, Caricom countries 12.4%, Latin America 7.2%, EU (excluding UK) 4.7% (1999) Debt - external: $5.2 billion (2001 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $102.7 million (1995) Currency: Jamaican dollar (JMD) Currency code: JMD Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 47.277 (December 2001), 45.996 (2001), 42.701 (2000), 39.044 (1999), 36.550 (1998), 35.404 (1997) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Jamaica ---------------------- Telephones - main lines in use: 353,000 (1996) Telephones - mobile cellular: 54,640 (1996) Telephone system: general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 1.215 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 7 (1997) Televisions: 460,000 (1997) Internet country code: .jm Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 21 (2000) Internet users: 60,000 (2000) Transportation Jamaica ---------------------- Railways: total: 272 km standard gauge: 272 km 1.435- m gauge; note - 207 km, belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation, were in common carrier service but are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used to transport bauxite (2000) Highways: total: 19,000 km paved: 13,433 km unpaved: 5,567 km (1997) Waterways: none Pipelines: petroleum products 10 km Ports and harbors: Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf) Merchant marine: total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,954 GRT/25,250 DWT ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Latvia 2, United States 2 (2002 est.) Airports: 35 (2001) Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2001) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 22 (2001) Military Jamaica ---------------- Military branches: Jamaica Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.) Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 747,043 (2002 est.) Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 523,550 (2002 est.) service: Military manpower - reaching males: 27,729 (2002 est.) military age annually: Military expenditures - dollar $30 million (FY95/96 est.) figure: Military expenditures - percent of NA% GDP: Transnational Issues Jamaica ---------------------------- Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Jamaica, IA -- U.S. city in Iowa Population (2000): 237 Housing Units (2000): 114 Land area (2000): 0.457414 sq. miles (1.184698 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.457414 sq. miles (1.184698 sq. km) FIPS code: 39225 Located within: Iowa (IA), FIPS 19 Location: 41.846494 N, 94.307442 W ZIP Codes (1990): 50128 Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs. Headwords: Jamaica, IA Jamaica