bassador Richard Leighton BERNAL
chancery:
Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
(202) 452-0660
FAX:
(202) 452-0081
consulate(s) general:
Miami and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lacy A. WRIGHT, Jr.
embassy:
Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston
mailing address:
use Embassy street address
telephone:
(809) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX:
(809) 926-6743
Flag:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green
(top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)

@Jamaica, Economy

Overview:
The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In September
1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the
electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy.
By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely
complete, and real growth was up to about 3% for 1989. In 1991,
however, growth dropped to 0.2% as a result of the US recession, lower
world bauxite prices, and monetary instability. In 1992, growth was
1.2%, supported by a recovery in tourism and stabilization of the
Jamaican dollar in the second half of 1992.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
1.2% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$3,200 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
30% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.4% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
$600 million
expenditures:
$736 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum
partners:
US 40%, UK 14%, Germany 10%, Canada 10%, Norway 7%
Imports:
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
fuel, other raw materials, construction materials, food, transport
equipment, other machinery and equipment
partners:
US 53%, UK 5%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 5%, Japan 4.0%
External debt:
$4.5 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2% (1990); accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
1,127,000 kW
production:
2.736 trillion kWh
consumption per capita:
1,090 kWh (1992)
Industries:
tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures
Agriculture:
accounts for about 7% of GDP, 23% of work force, and 17% of exports;
commercial crops - su