| Geography | Jamaica |
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Location:
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Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba |
Geographic coordinates:
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18 15 N, 77 30 W |
Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
Area:
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total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Connecticut |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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1,022 km |
Maritime claims:
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measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin |
Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior |
Terrain:
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mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m |
Natural resources:
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bauxite, gypsum, limestone |
Land use:
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arable land: 15.83%
permanent crops: 10.01%
other: 74.16% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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250 sq km (2002) |
Total renewable water resources:
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9.4 cu km (2000) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 0.41 cu km/yr (34%/17%/49%)
Per capita: 155 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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hurricanes (especially July to November) |
Environment - current issues:
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heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
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strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal |
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