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Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica |
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Government type: |
constitutional parliamentary democracy |
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Capital: |
Kingston |
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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 |
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Independence: |
6 August 1962 (from UK) |
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, first Monday in August (1962) |
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Constitution: |
6 August 1962 |
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Legal system: |
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
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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)
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; 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 |
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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 16 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%; seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26 |
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal |
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Seymour MULLINGS
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Sue McCourt COBB
embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5
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Flag description: |
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side) |
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/jm.html#Govt
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