Central America and the Caribbean > Jamaica > Government

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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 note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	18 00 N, 76 48 W
Constitution	6 August 1962
Corruption	3.6		[64th of 160]
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address	P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5
Executive branch > Cabinet Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Executive branch > Chief of state Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February 2006)
Flag description diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
Government type constitutional parliamentary democracy
Independence	6 August 1962 (from UK)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal
Legal system based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 8 seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Parliamentary seats > Female	13%		[44th of 143]
Political parties and leaders Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS]
Status democracy
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Time required to start a business > days	8 days		[162nd of 171]
Trademarks, residents	663		[45th of 98]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International	none

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