Jamaica Passport

[Country Name] Jamaica.

【 Area 】 10991 square kilometers.

Population: 2.899 million (2023). Black and mixed race people account for over 90%, with the rest being Indians, whites, and Chinese. Most residents believe in Christianity, while a few believe in Hinduism and Judaism.

The official language is English.

The capital is Kingston, with a population of approximately 662000.

[Head of State] King Charles III of England appointed the Governor General as his representative. The current Governor Patrick Linton Allen took office on February 26, 2009.

[Important holiday] August 6th, Independence Day.

【 Overview 】 Located in the northwest of the Caribbean Sea. It faces Haiti across the Jamaica Strait to the east and is about 145 kilometers north of Cuba. It belongs to the tropical rainforest climate, with an average annual temperature of 27 ℃.

Originally inhabited by the Arawak indigenous people. Columbus arrived here in 1494 and became a Spanish colony in 1509. It was occupied by Britain in 1655. Became a British colony in 1866. On August 6, 1962, it declared independence and became a member state of the Commonwealth.

Since independence, the Labour Party and the People's National Party have alternated in power for a long time, resulting in a stable political situation. However, social problems such as unemployment, poverty, drug trafficking, and violent crime have become prominent. In February 2016, the Labour Party won the general election and party leader Andrew HOLNESS became Prime Minister. On September 3, 2020, Jamaica held a general election, with the Labour Party retaining power and Holness re elected as Prime Minister. At present, the dental government is stable.

The current Constitution came into effect on August 6, 1962. The Constitution stipulates that the Governor General appoints the majority leader of the House of Representatives as the Prime Minister of the government and appoints ministers based on the Prime Minister's nomination. The Cabinet is composed of the Prime Minister and no less than 11 ministers, and is accountable to the Parliament.

The parliament is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives, with a term of five years. There are 21 senators appointed by the Governor General, with 13 recommended by the Prime Minister and 8 recommended by the opposition leader. 63 members of the House of Representatives are elected by universal suffrage. Senate President Thomas TAVARES-FINSON took office in September 2020. Speaker of the House Juliet Holmes will take office in September 2023.

The current government was formed on September 7, 2020, reorganized in January 2022, and adjusted in May 2023. The main cabinet members include: Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Economic Growth and Employment Andrew Hollis, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Horace CHANG, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Justice Delroy CHUCK, Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo FORTE, Minister of Health and Health Christopher TUFTON, Minister of Tourism Edmund BARTLETT, Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel CHARLES JR. Sports Minister Olivia GRANGE, Science, Energy, Communications and Transport Minister Daryl VAZ, Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Fayval WILLIAMS, Minister of Education and Youth, Floyd GREEN, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mines, and Aubyn HILL, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce. Attorney General Derrick McKOY is not a member of the Cabinet, but can attend Cabinet meetings.

The country is divided into 3 counties and 14 dioceses.

The judicial system includes the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, the Court of First Instance, and various specialized courts, with the Privy Council of the United Kingdom as the final judicial body. The presidents of each court are nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the Governor General with the consent of the opposition party, with an unlimited term of office. Marva McDonald BISHOP, the President of the Court of Appeal, will take office in July 2024. Supreme Court President Bryan SYKES took office in March 2018.

Main political parties:

(1) Jamaica Labour Party (JLP): The ruling party. Established in July 1943. He was in power from 1962 to 1972, 1980 to 1989, and 2007 to 2011. He won the election in 2016 and was re elected in September 2020. Party leader Andrew Hollis.

(2) The People's National Party (PNP): The opposition party. Established in September 1938, member of the Socialist International. He was in power from 1972 to 1980, 1989 to 2007, and 2011 to February 2016. Party leader Mark GOLDING.

Patrick Linton Allen: Governor, born on February 7, 1951 in the Portland area of Jamaica. I studied at Yamonig Normal College and obtained a Bachelor's degree in History and Religion, a Master's degree in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Administration from Andrews University in the United States. Since 1986, he has been engaged in clerical work and has successively served as a pastor of the Spanish City Adventist Church (referred to as the "Seventh day Adventist Church"), the head of education and liaison affairs of the Central Indian Seventh day Adventist Union, the head of education and family life affairs of the West Indian Seventh day Adventist Union, the president of the Central Indian Seventh day Adventist Union, and the president of the West Indian Seventh day Adventist Union. In 2006, he was awarded the "Outstanding Medal" by the dental government. On February 26, 2009, he became the sixth Governor General of Jamaica after independence.

Andrew Hollis: Prime Minister, born on July 22, 1972 in Spain, graduated from the University of the West Indies. I have worked for the dental non-governmental organization 'Encouraging Children's Volunteer Agency'. Joined the Labour Party in 1995 and became Minister of Education in 2007. In October 2011, he succeeded former Prime Minister Golding who resigned, becoming the youngest Prime Minister in the history of Jamaica. In December of the same year, he was defeated in the election and left the field. In February 2016, he led the Labour Party to win the general election and was re elected as Prime Minister in September 2020.

The tourism industry, mining, agriculture, and emerging information technology service industry are the pillars of the Jamaican national economy. The service industry, with tourism as its core, accounts for over 30% of the country's GDP. After the outbreak of the COVID-19, the dental economy suffered a heavy blow. After 2022, there will be a slow recovery, with GDP reaching 14.67 billion US dollars, an increase of 4.2%, and per capita GDP of 5187.1 US dollars. Maintain sustained growth in 2023, with GDP increasing by 2.7%, 2.2%, and 2.1% respectively in the first three quarters, and an inflation rate of about 6.5%. The World Bank predicts that it will grow by 2% for the whole year. As of November 2023, the debt to GDP ratio has decreased from 110% during the pandemic to 78%, the lowest level in 25 years.

Currency: Jamaican dollar

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 159 Jamaican dollars

(Source: International Monetary Fund)

The main resource is bauxite, with a reserve of about 2.5 billion tons, ranking among the top in the world. Other mineral deposits include cobalt, copper, iron, lead, zinc, and gypsum. The forest area is 5968.9 square kilometers.

The mining and smelting of bauxite is the most important industrial sector, in addition to food processing, beverages, cigarettes, metal products, electronic equipment, building materials, chemical products, and textile and clothing industries.

Agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries have a long-standing agricultural tradition. The total cultivated land area in China is approximately 4440 square kilometers, with a forest coverage rate of 55.1%. The main crops are sugarcane and bananas, as well as cocoa, coffee, and red pepper.

Tourism is an important economic sector and a major source of foreign exchange. In recent years, the tourism industry has developed rapidly. Tourists mainly come from the United States, Europe, and Canada.

Transportation mainly relies on highways.

Highway: The total length of the highway is 21000 kilometers, of which approximately 15000 kilometers are paved with asphalt.

Railway: The total length is 272 kilometers. Since 1992, passenger transportation has been suspended, with only about 57 kilometers used for transporting bauxite and alumina.

Water transportation: There are 14 ports along the coast. Kingston is an important natural port in the world and a major transit hub in the Caribbean region. It has modern container terminals and warehouses, with an annual container throughput capacity of 1.5 million TEUs.

Air freight: There are three international airports, Norman Manly in the capital city of Kingston, Donald Sangster in Montego Bay, and Ian Fleming in Ochorios, with routes to North America, Europe, and Caribbean countries.

In the fiscal year 2023/2024, the government's budget revenue was 1052 billion dental dollars, and the budget expenditure was 1021 billion dental dollars. (Source: Ministry of Finance)

The main exports of foreign trade include bauxite, alumina, sucrose, and bananas, while imports include petroleum, food, and machinery products. The main trading partners are the United States, China, Brazil, etc. In 2023, Jamaica's foreign trade volume was 9.594 billion US dollars, of which imports amounted to 7.592 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 1.8%. The export value was 2.002 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%. The trade deficit decreased by 4.1% year-on-year. The five major trading partners of Jamaica in 2023 are the United States, China, Brazil, Japan, and Colombia. The five major export destinations are the United States, Puerto Rico, Latvia, Russia, and Iceland. (Source: Dental Statistics Bureau)

The main economic groups include:

(1) Jamaica Promotions Corporation, abbreviated as: JAMPRO）， Address: 35 Trafalgar Rd, Kingston 10。 Phone: 001-876-929-7190; Fax: 001-876-924-9650.

(2) Jamaica Chamber of Commerce; Address: 7-8 East Parade, POB 172，Kingston。 Phone: 001-876-922-0150.

Government officials and enterprise employees enjoy pension benefits after retirement. There are government funded medical services nationwide, with 30 public hospitals, 7648 beds, and 759 doctors. The average life expectancy in 2022 is 74.77 years, with a population growth rate of 0.3%.

The Jamaican Defense Force was established on July 31, 1962, formerly known as the British Army West India Infantry Regiment. It consists of active and reserve personnel, with a total of approximately 5000 people, including 3 infantry battalions, 1 combat support battalion, 1 flight squadron, 1 coast guard, 1 engineering regiment, 1 logistics support battalion, and 1 headquarters intelligence department.

Public primary and secondary schools implement free education, with funding mainly borne by the government, while also absorbing loans and donations from educational organizations, private enterprises, and non-governmental organizations. There are a total of 18 public higher education institutions in the country, among which the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies is a well-known comprehensive higher education institution in the Caribbean region, with more than 30 disciplines including humanities and education, ethics and applied sciences, sociology, medicine, and graduate schools. It currently has about 19000 students.

Jamaica News Agency: Established in 1962, it is a government news agency.

Jamaica News Agency: Established in 1979. It is an official news agency under the News Department.

Radio and television stations mainly include:

The Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation was established with government funding in 1959 and is led by a board of directors appointed by the government. There are radio and television stations. Radio stations one and two broadcast throughout the day. The television station is commercial and broadcasts 140 hours per week. Jamaica Radio, established in 1950, is a joint venture of 21 groups and broadcasts all day.

Television Jamaica (TVJ) is the highest rated television station in Jamaica, a holding subsidiary of the Jamaican Broadcasting Media Group, with a market share of approximately 60% and an average daily audience of around 1 million people.

CVM Television Station, the second largest television station in Jamaica, has a market share of about 35%, mainly focusing on current affairs, sports, and entertainment programs.

LOVE TV station is a religious service television station.

We adhere to an independent and non aligned foreign policy, advocating for the principles of national sovereignty equality, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, peaceful resolution of disputes, upholding multilateralism, and promoting international cooperation. The main goals of its diplomatic work are to safeguard national sovereignty, engage in foreign trade, explore international markets, and maximize international influence to promote its own development. Vigorously promote the process of regional integration, actively develop solidarity and cooperation with Caribbean countries, prioritize the development of relations with major developed Western countries such as the United States, and strive to develop friendly cooperation with developing countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and other regions. Active in international and multilateral affairs, he has been elected twice as a non permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and as the Chairman of the Group of 77. Actively utilizing international and regional platforms such as the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Organization of American States, Commonwealth Summit, and Alliance of Small Island States to articulate political positions and seek external support. Currently, Jamaica has established diplomatic relations with over 173 countries.

The relationship with the United States is that the United States is Jamaica's largest trading partner. The United States has made significant investments in industries such as aluminum mining, tourism, finance, and insurance. There are a large number of immigrants living in the United States. The two countries have signed agreements on investment protection and intellectual property protection.

We maintain a traditional friendly relationship with the United Kingdom. British investment in dentistry has a significant impact on the dental economy.

The relationship with Canada is close, and Canada provides assistance to Canada every year. Every year, many Canadian tourists visit Jamaica for tourism. Yaxiangjia dispatched a large number of laborers to work in agriculture, service industry and other fields. In recent years, the cooperation between the two countries in drug control, judicial assistance, and immigration has been continuously strengthened.

The relationship with Japan was established in 1964, and the development of bilateral relations was smooth. There is a foreign ministerial level consultation mechanism between the two countries. Japan mainly provides assistance to dental care through donations, loans, debt relief, in kind donations, and investments, and sends young volunteers to serve in dental care. Cultural, artistic, and educational exchange programs between the two countries continue to develop.

The relationship with Caribbean countries values unity and cooperation in the Caribbean region, and strives to promote regional integration. It is one of the founding members of the Caribbean Community. Teeth play an active role in promoting political unity and economic cooperation among members of the Caribbean Community. In early 2006, Jamaica became one of the first members of the Caribbean Community Single Market. In January 2009, Jamaica began issuing Caribbean Community passports nationwide. In April 2011, Jamaica passed the Law on Employment of Foreigners and Commonwealth Citizens, which allows CARICOM citizens to work in dentistry as nurses, teachers and other professions without applying for work permits.

The relationship with Cuba was established in December 1972. In 1981, diplomatic relations with Cuba were severed. On July 27, 1990, Jamaica resumed diplomatic relations. The relationship between the two parties has developed rapidly in recent years, with an increasing number of interactions between them.