Jamaica

The island of Jamaica is situated in the Caribbean Sea to the southwest of Cuba and has a population of approximately 2.5 million. A former British colony, the country gained its independence in 1962 and is now an independent parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth. The Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II who is represented in Jamaica by the Governor-General. The branches of government are: the Legislature, (consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives); the Executive, (Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister); and the Judiciary, which is independent of both the Legislature and the Executive. 

Kingston is the capital of Jamaica and the legal tender is the Jamaican Dollar (J$). The principal port is Kingston; however the Port of Registry is Montego Bay. 

Registration of ships in Jamaica is governed by the Jamaica Shipping Act 1998 which established the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), the body that administers the Registry and is responsible for the development of shipping generally. The Act came into force in January 1999 and is closely modeled on current English legislation. Unless otherwise stated, references to sections in this chapter are references to sections in the Act.