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[General Information]
Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea and its total area
is 10,991 sq km (slightly smaller than Conneticut). Because of the tropical
climate, the annual average temperature is 27 degree Celsius. The hottest
and the most humid months are in the summer but winter months, from December
to March, are cooler and drier.
The population is about 2,615,000 and over 90% is of African
descent and other ethnic groups of East Indian, European, Chinese and others.
The island is divided into 14 Parishes and the capital city is Kingston.
Jamaica's official language is English but the majority of population speak
Patois (Jamaican Creole).
The major industries are bauxite, agriculture (sugar
and coffee) and tourism. The world famous Blue Mountain Coffee was named
after the mountain, the place of production, which is located in the east
of this island.
Jamaica is the home of Reggae and the legendary Bob Marley
- received Lifetime Achievement Awards of the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards
(21th February 2001) - was from this island.
All through the year, many people from all over the world continually
visit this island for its hot weather, beautiful coastline, music and so
on.
[History]
"The original inhabitants of Jamaica, the peaceful Arawak
Indians welcomed Christopher Columbus to the island's shores in 1494 but
were soon eliminated by disease and the Spaniards' abuse. Their extinction
necessitated the importation of slaves from Africa to work the plantations
that supplied the ships plying between Spain, Europe and North & South
America. The Spaniards' accumulated wealth attracted plundering by British
pirates, who eventually made the town of Port Royal their base, to which
they brought their loot -- mainly stolen gold. Port Royal, once regarded
as the richest and wickedest city in the world, was destroyed by a massive
earthquake in 1692 which swallowed up two-thirds of the city and over 2,000
people. Plans are currently in the making to create an underwater museum
which would allow visitors to view the only "sunken city" in
the western hemisphere. The pirates soon left and a more respectable bunch
of plantation owners emerged, concentrating on sugar, banana, cocoa and
other crops as a means of creating wealth for the British Crown, For many
years the slave trade continued, but several fierce rebellions by the slaves
hastened the abolition of slavery in Jamaica in 1834, preceding the U.
S. by almost 30 years. The country remained under independence in 1962."
citation from: Let's speak Jamaican! : Patois handbook compiled by Yvonne Goldson published 1998 Copyright: Uplink Co. 1998
[Government & Economy]
Jamaica is the country of constitutional parliamentary democracy
(chief of state is Queen Elizabeth II) and 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 eight
seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected
by the popular vote to serve five-year terms). The main political parties
are Jamaica Labour Party or JLP [Edward Seaga] and People's National Party
of PNP [P. J. Patterson]. Since 1989 PNP has been in the power.
Since assuming office in 1992 Prime Minister Patterson has eliminated most
price controls, streamlined tax schedules, and privatized government enterprises.
Continued tight monetary and fiscal policies have helped slow inflation
- although inflationary pressures are mounting - and stabilize the exchange
rate, but have resulted in the slowdown of economic growth (moving from
1.5% in 1992 to 0.5% in 1995). In 1996, GDP showed negative growth (-1.4%)
and remained negative through 1999.
reference from: The World Factbook 2000 -- Jamaica
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/jm.html
