Jamaica: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations

Abstract

Although Jamaica has a stable parliamentary democracy and is a middle-income developing country, the government of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson faces several significant challenges. These include a violent crime wave fueled by gangs and drug trafficking; high external debt, estimated at 135% of gross domestic product, that could constrain the government's social expenditures; and an adult HIV/AIDS infection rate of over 1%. U.S. relations with Jamaica are close and characterized by significant economic linkages and cooperation on such bilateral issues as anti-drug trafficking measures, hurricane reconstruction support, and efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic. Overall U.S. foreign aid to Jamaica amounted to about $41 million in FY2005 (with $18 million for hurricane assistance) and an estimated $19 million in overall aid for FY2006. This report will not be updated. For further information, see CRS Report RL32160, Caribbean Region: Issues in U.S. Relations, and CRS Report RL32001, AIDS in the Caribbean and Central America, both by Mark P. Sullivan.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 03, 2006
Accession Number
ADA461395

Entities

People

  • Mark P. Sullivan

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Congress
  • Department Of State
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Education
  • Foreign Aid
  • Governments
  • Homeland Security
  • Intellectual Property
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Negotiations
  • Political Systems
  • Port Security
  • Security
  • Standards
  • United States

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.