Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica

Capital City: Kingston

Population: 2,758,124 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $4,600 (2006 est.)

Currency: Jamaican dollar (JMD)

Languages: English, patois English

Total Area: total: 10,991 sq km land: 10,831 sq km water: 160 sq km slightly smaller than Connecticut

Region: North America

Industries: tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications

Agriculture: sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks

Resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Labor Force: 1.197 million (2006 est.)
agriculture: 19.3% industry: 16.6% services: 64.1% (2004)

Exports: $2.087 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels

Imports: $4.682 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials

Overview: The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from remittances, tourism, and bauxite/alumina. Jamaica's economy, already saddled with a record of relatively low growth, was hit hard by Hurricane Ivan in late 2004, and is making a gradual recovery. But the economy faces serious long-term problems: high interest rates, increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a high debt burden - the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-1990s. Following a strategy begun in 2004, Jamaica has reduced its public debt to 130% of GDP. Inflation has declined to 9%. Uncertain economic conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including gang violence fueled by the drug trade. The government faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime problem that is hampering economic growth.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $9,666,122 in goods to Jamaica. This ranks Jamaica 50^th among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Jamaica increased from the previous year by $4,235,010 a change of 77.98%. State exports to Jamaica have increased over the last 5 years by $7,550,840 a change of 356.97%. Missouri exports account for .07%. of all 2007 US exports to Jamaica.