Short facts about the government of Jamaica
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: none
conventional short form:
Jamaica |
| Government
type: |
constitutional parliamentary
democracy |
| 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 |
| Independence: |
6 August 1962 (from
UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, first Monday in
August (1962) |
| Constitution: |
6 August
1962 |
| Legal
system: |
based on English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| 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)
and Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA
1993)
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; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the
governor general |
| 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 18 December 1997
(next to be held by March 2002)
election results: percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - PNP 50, JLP 10 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the
governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of
Appeal |
| 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] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
New Beginnings Movement or NBM;
Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists,
pan-Africanists) |
| International organization participation: |
ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO,
G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO
(pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNAL
chancery: 1520
New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1]
(202) 452-0660
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
consulate(s)
general: Miami and New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Stanley Louis MCLELLAND
embassy: Jamaica
Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5
mailing
address: use embassy street address
telephone: [1] (876)
929-4850 through 4859
FAX: [1] (876)
926-6743 |
| Flag
description: |
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag
into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer
side) | Source: World Factbook |
