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General Information
Area: 10,991 sq km (4244 sq miles).
Population: 2,576,000 (1997).
Population Density: 234.4 per sq km (1998).
Capital: Kingston. Population: 697,000 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY: Jamaica is the third largest island in the West Indies and is a narrow outcrop of a submerged mountain range. The island is crossed by a range of mountains reaching 2256m (7402ft) at the Blue Mountain Peak in the east and descending towards the west with a series of spurs and forested gullies running north and south. Most of the best beaches are on the north and west coasts. The island’s luxuriant tropical and subtropical vegetation is probably unsurpassed anywhere in the Caribbean.
Government: Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence from the UK in 1962. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor General Sir Howard Cooke since 1991. Head of Government: Prime Minister P J Patterson since 1992.
Language: The official language is English. Local patois is also spoken.
Religion: Protestant majority (Church of God, Anglican, Baptist and Methodist) with Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Bahai communities. Rastafarianism, a religion based on belief in the divinity of the late Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie (Ras Tafari), is also widely practised.
Time: GMT - 5.
Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60Hz, single phase. American two-pin plugs are standard, but many hotels offer, in addition, 220 volts AC, 50Hz, single phase, from three-pin sockets.
Communications:
Telephone
Full IDD is available. Country code: 1 876. There are no area codes. Outgoing international code: 011.
Mobile telephone
As of 2001, GSM 900 network. TDMA network, non-GSM compatible. The local network is Digicel (website: www.digiceljamaica.com). Handsets can be hired from Cable & Wireless (tel: (888) 344 4825 (toll free in Jamaica); website: www.cwjamaica.com). A deposit is payable (J$8000), as are an access charge (J$100 per day), a registration fee (J$740) and a hire charge (J$100 per day).
Fax
This service is available daily from 0700-1000 at the Cable & Wireless office in Kingston. Widely available in most hotels and offices.
Internet
There are several free Internet kiosks at shopping centres in Kingston. Internet cafes exist mainly in the Kingston area. ISPs include Cable & Wireless (website: www.cwjamaica.com), Jamaica Online (website: www.jol.com.jm) and Infochannel Ltd (website: www.infochan.com).
Telegram
Facilities are widely available.
Post
Airmail to Europe takes up to four days. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1630.
Press
Daily papers are The Daily Gleaner, The Daily Star and The Jamaica Observer.
BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.
BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice):
Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov):
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
Terms and Conditions apply.
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