In 2003, Jamaica was an island nation located in the Caribbean Sea. It had a population of around 2.6 million people and was one of the most populous countries in the region. According to computergees, the capital city was Kingston and the official language was English. Jamaica’s economy had grown steadily since the late 1980s, due to reforms that encouraged foreign investment and reduced taxation on businesses. This had resulted in a high standard of living for many Jamaican citizens, although there were still pockets of poverty in some areas. Education levels were high compared to other countries in the Caribbean, with a literacy rate close to 90%. Healthcare access was also good due to government efforts to provide universal health care coverage. Crime rates were relatively low compared to other countries in the region, and there were no reports of political violence in 2003. The government at the time was led by Prime Minister P.J Patterson who had been elected in 2002 and had implemented several economic reforms such as reducing tariffs on imports and introducing labor reforms. Despite its small size, Jamaica maintained strong cultural ties to its neighbors including its unique cuisine as well as its rich history of literature, music and art forms such as reggae which have been passed down for centuries.
Yearbook 2003
Jamaica. At the beginning of the year, the government presented a comprehensive plan to reduce the “homeless crime” in the country. Among other things, all illegal arms trafficking would result in life imprisonment and more joint police and military actions in high crime areas. In 2002, more than 1,000 Jamaicans were murdered, often in street battles between various criminal gangs or between police and street gangs. In October, thousands of people demonstrated when two elderly men were killed in the crossfire between police and a street gang.
According to Countryaah.com, Jamaica Independence Day is August 6. Parliament approved in May the Government’s proposal to replace the British Privy Council as the highest court of appeal in criminal cases with a Caribbean court. A conflict had been going on for a long time between the Privy Council and the Jamaican authorities, who wanted to see a harder grip on the crime than the Privy Council was prepared to agree to. On several occasions, the Privy Council had opposed the application of the death penalty. The political opposition boycotted the ceremony in connection with the signing in June because they felt that the decision should have been preceded by a referendum.
In June, the notorious elite force within the police was dissolved, which had the task of combating arms and drug smuggling. The police unit had been severely criticized for violating its powers, e.g. by mistreating and arbitrarily executing suspected criminals.
Jamaica Brief Guide
According to AbbreviationFinder, Jamaica is known for its rhythms, reggae music, rum and most of all its long white sand beaches. As early as the 1950s, Jamaica became one of the most coveted beach resorts in the world, where both royal and Hollywood stars relaxed.
Jamaica provides a great setting for a vacation; the island’s dozens of golf courses and hundreds of beaches, the warm and clear sea, numerous music festivals and tropical nature with its rainforests, as well as a very high-quality hotel selection guarantee a good setting for both those looking for an active holiday and a complete relaxation experience.
Starlight Tours ’hotel range covers almost the entire Jamaican offer, from beach bungalows to luxury resorts, thanks to a good local theme – especially the extensive and high-quality all-inclusive services at many resorts have been praised by our customers.
Note! We also organize private 4-8 day tours for Jamaica for single travelers, couples and groups – the trip includes its own guide / driver, its own air-conditioned minivan and accommodation in hotels of the desired standard and after the tour you can continue your vacation relaxing on the beach.
| Language | English |
| Population | 2,900,000 |
| Area | 11,525 km 2 |
| Currency | Jamaican dollars |
| How to fly | Via London, Miami or New York |
| Stop-over recommendation |
New York |
| Ship connections | No |
| Combine | Cayman Islands |
| Inauguration at | Succeed |
| Golf | Yes, a wide range of high quality fields |
| The best time to travel | Between January-April or October-December |
At the 1982 census the population amounted to 2,205,507 units, 491,798 more than in the previous census (1970). The average annual increase, which in the inter-census interval exceeded 2.3%, fell to 1.4% during the first half of the 1980s; in 1990, according to population estimates, the population exceeded 2,400,000 residents (218 residents / km 2). The population of the capital city, Kingston, in 1982 was 104,041; but the agglomeration complex now hosts about 600,000.
Economic conditions. – Although for thirty years Jamaica has been a mining town rather than a rural one, agriculture still plays a considerable role, especially following the decline in bauxite production, and absorbs 28% of the active population (1989). Bananas (1.3 million q in 1990), sugar (1.9 million q) and rum still fuel exports to a significant extent, mainly to the United States, Great Britain and Canada. The extraction of bauxite, after the dizzying increase of Jamaica the first world producer with over 15 million t (1974), has progressively decreased: only 9.4 million t in 1989, a little ‘more than 40% exported and the rest refined, with alumina production (1.6 million t). The causes of the decline in bauxite mining and the manufacture of alumina are many: the heavy tax burdens imposed by the government on multinational companies; the not particularly good quality of the raw material; the numerous strikes by miners; but above all scarcity, on site, advantageous energy sources are all factors that have contributed to removing the interests of companies from Jamaica Therefore, first the revenues from the agricultural sector and then those from the mining and industrial sector decreased, today Jamaica has tourism as its main source of income (in 1990 visitors were about 1,250,000, a figure far higher than that of any other country in the Caribbean area, apart from the exceptional cases of the Bahamas and the US Virgin Islands). However, the economic situation remains worrying due to the growing deficit of the trade balance and the low value of the gross national product per resident (1500 US dollars in 1990).