Capital: Kingston
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 COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister P. J. PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992); Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
Senate: consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general
House of Representatives: elections last held 30 March 1993 (next to be held by February 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) PNP 52, JLP 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: People's National Party (PNP) P. J. PATTERSON; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward SEAGA
Other political or pressure groups: Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New Beginnings Movement (NBM)
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-19, G-77, GATT, G-15, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador 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)

NOTE: The information regarding Jamaica on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Jamaica Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Jamaica Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.