9.4 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.41 cu km/yr (34%/17%/49%)
per capita: 155 cu m/yr (2000)
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 agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, 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:
2,804,332 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 455,871/female 440,928)
15-64 years: 60.6% (male 837,241/female 861,906)
65 years and over: 7.4% (male 93,415/female 114,971) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.4 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 24 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.779% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
20.04 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.37 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.59 years
male: 71.88 years
female: 75.38 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.3 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
22,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
900 (2003 est.)
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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87.9%
male: 84.1%
female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2005)
Government
Jamaica
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica
Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy
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 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 Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February
2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Bruce GOLDING (since 11 September
2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: the monarch 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 is 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 are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 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
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, 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, 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)
Economy
Jamaica
Economy - overview:
The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now
account for more than 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive
most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and
bauxite/alumina. Remittances account for nearly 20% of GDP and are
equivalent to tourism revenues. Jamaica's economy, already saddled
with a record of sluggish growth, will suffer an economic setback
from damages caused by Hurricane Dean in August 2007. The economy
faces serious long-term problems: high but declining interest rates,
increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable
merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and
underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of 135%. Jamaica's onerous
debt burden - the fourth highest per capita - is the result of
government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably
the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s. Inflation also has
declined, standing at about 7% at the end of 2007. High unemployment
exacerbates the serious crime problem, including gang violence that
is fueled by the drug trade. The GOLDING administration faces the
difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order
to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious
and growing crime problem that is hampering economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$20.48 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$11.21 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,400 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 32.7%
services: 62.2% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
1.255 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 19%
services: 64% (2006)
Unemployment rate:
9.9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14.8% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 35.8% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45.5 (2004)
Investment (gross fixed):
34.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3.716 billion
expenditures: $4.261 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Public debt:
126.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17.2% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.369 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.54 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$6.609 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables;
poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks
Industries:
tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum,
cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate:
1.2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
7.04 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
6.1 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 96.8%
hydro: 1.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.4% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
73,370 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
1,535 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
71,280 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$1.83 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$2.331 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages,
chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels
Exports - partners:
US 37.2%, Canada 15%, UK 9.7%, Netherlands 9.1% (2007)
Imports:
$5.784 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and
accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment,
construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 37.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.5%, Grenada 9.7%, Venezuela 8.3%,
Brazil 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$35.74 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.905 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$9.657 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$12.28 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Currency code:
JMD
Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - 69.034 (2007), 65.768 (2006),
62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003)
Communications
Jamaica
Telephones - main lines in use:
342,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.495 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for
telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in
mobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed-lines in
use has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds
100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable
network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic
and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1)
submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1
provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean,
Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2006)
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 hosts:
1,292 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
21 (2000)
Internet users:
1.5 million (2007)
Transportation
Jamaica
Airports:
34 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 5 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 21 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 21,552 km
paved: 15,937 km (includes 33 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,615 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 20
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 6, carrier 1, container 4, roll
on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 17 (Denmark 2, Germany 4, Greece 6, Hong Kong 1,
Latvia 1, Russia 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Kingston, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Port Rhoades, Rocky Point
Military
Jamaica
Military branches:
Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits may
be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 688,480
females age 16-49: 709,548 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 566,477
females age 16-49: 583,075 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 32,000
female: 31,428 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational Issues
Jamaica
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America
and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis;
government has an active manual cannabis eradication program;
corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering
activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit
financial transactions
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Jan Mayen
Introduction
Jan Mayen
Background:
This desolate, arctic, mountainous island was named after a Dutch
whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier
claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters
and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under
Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII
Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; the most recent
eruption occurred in 1985. It is the northernmost active volcano on
earth.
Geography
Jan Mayen
Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian
Sea, northeast of Iceland
Geographic coordinates:
71 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references:
Arctic Region
Area:
total: 377 sq km
land: 377 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
124.1 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm
contiguous zone: 10 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain:
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic
activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
People
Jan Mayen
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and
the weather and coastal services radio station
Government
Jan Mayen
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen
Dependency status:
territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo
through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however,
authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian
Defense Communication Service
Legal system:
the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used
Economy
Jan Mayen
Economy - overview:
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural
resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for
employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the
island.
Communications
Jan Mayen
Radio broadcast stations:
NA; note - there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (Jan Mayen and Svalbard) (2000)
Transportation
Jan Mayen
Airports:
1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military
Jan Mayen
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Norway
Transnational Issues
Jan Mayen
Disputes - international:
none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Japan
Introduction
Japan
Background:
In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a
long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure
its power. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to
enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following
the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports
and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the
late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power
that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It
occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In
1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a
full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 -
triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied
much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II,
Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of
the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national
unity, elected politicians - with heavy input from bureaucrats and
business executives - wield actual decisionmaking power. The economy
experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three
decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major
economic power, both in Asia and globally.
Geography
Japan
Location:
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates:
36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 377,835 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km
water: 3,091 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,
Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and
Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
29,751 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international
straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and
Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Natural resources:
negligible mineral resources, fish
note: with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the
world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas as well
as the second largest importer of oil
Land use:
arable land: 11.64%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 87.46% (2005)
Irrigated land:
25,920 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
430 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 88.43 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%)
per capita: 690 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and
threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of
fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these
resources in Asia and elsewhere
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
Geography - note:
strategic location in northeast Asia
People
Japan
Population:
127,288,416 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.7% (male 8,926,439/female 8,460,629)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 41,513,061/female 40,894,057)
65 years and over: 21.6% (male 11,643,845/female 15,850,388) (2008
est.)
Median age:
total: 43.8 years
male: 42.1 years
female: 45.7 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.139% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
7.87 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
9.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 82.07 years
male: 78.73 years
female: 85.59 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.22 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
500 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Japanese
Ethnic groups:
Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%
note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan
in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil
(2004)
Religions:
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian
0.7%)
Languages:
Japanese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2002)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 15 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.5% of GDP (2005)
Government
Japan
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan
local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
local short form: Nihon/Nippon
Government type:
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Capital:
name: Tokyo
geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,
Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto,
Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,
Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka,
Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,
Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence:
660 B.C. (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU)