Jamaica
 Key facts
POPULATION (Census 2000): 2,607,632
AREA: 10,991 sq km
CAPITAL: Kingston
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION TO GDP: -
CURRENCY: Jamaican dollar (JMD)
HEAD OF STATE: HM Queen Elizabeth II
GOVERNOR-GENERAL: Sir Patrick Allen
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: Prime Minister Bruce Golding
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: bicameral
STATE STRUCTURE: unitary
LANGUAGES: English (official), Jamaican patois (recognised).
NATIONAL ELECTIONS: last: 2007; turnout: 61.5%; next: 2012
LOCAL ELECTIONS: last: 2007; turnout: - next: 2011
Summary
Jamaica is a constitutional monarchy with two spheres of government, national and local. There is no constitutional provision for local government and the main governing legislation for local authorities is the Parish Councils Act 1887, the Kingston City Corporation Act 1923 and the Municipalities Act 2003. The Department of Local Government in the Office of the Prime Minister provides oversight for the 14 local authorities 12 parish councils, of which 11 are single-tier, the single-tier Kingston and St Andrew Corporation and the second-tier Portmore Municipal Council within the parish of St Catherine. Local authorities are empowered to raise revenue via user fees, by-law penalties,trade licences and property taxes; they also benefit from ad hoc, conditional transfers from central government. Local government is responsible for parochial infrastructure and poor relief and shares responsibility with central government for a range of services including water supply, environmental health and development control.
Download full profile of Jamaica (  84K PDF)
|
