Language: English
Currency: Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Calling Code: +1-876
Jamaica is one of the thirteen countries that form the Insular America, Antilles or Islands of the Caribbean Sea, one of the thirty-five of the American continent. Its capital and most populated city is Kingston. It has 240 km long and a maximum of 80 km wide, located in the Caribbean Sea. It is 630 km from the Central American subcontinent, 150 km south of Cuba and 180 km west of the island of Hispaniola, which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It was a Spanish possession known as "Santiago", between 1494 and 1655 when it was invaded by English troops. Then it became an English possession, and later a British colony, known as "Jamaica." The island achieved its independence on August 6, 1962. With 2.8 million people, it is the third most populous English-speaking country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. It is part of the Commonwealth of Nations; in accordance with the system of constitutional monarchy. The executive power is held by Queen Elizabeth II who, in turn, is constituted as the current head of state and queen of Jamaica.
Picturesque Blue Mountains is the largest mountain range in Jamaica that stretches for 28 miles.
Coyaba River Garden is contains many beautiful plants and numerous species of birds. A network of trails goes through this small piece of paradise.
Cranbrook Flower Forest covers an area of 130 acres of pristine forests, beautiful flowers and numerous species of birds.
Dunn's River Falls is one of the most remarkable and popular tourist destinations in Jamaica.
Green Grotto Caves in the heart of the Jamaican jungle were used by natives as a place of worship.
Jamaican capital of Kingston despite its modest size is one of the most interesting places in Jamaica. It encompasses all that Jamaica has to offer.
Negril's numerous resorts provides with gentler sea and shallow bays that break the ways. It is particularly helpful if you want to travel with kids or just prefer calmer seas.
Port Antonio is a quiet small town in Jamaica with several colonial buildings and beautiful beaches.
Port Royal is an old fort that was intended to stop piracy in the region. Due to its strategic location Port Royal was a hot bed for privateer action not only in Jamaica, but the whole Caribbean basin.
Rose Hall is a colonial mansion famous for its interesting history and paranormal activity that some claim is present here.
Royal Palm Reserve is a protected biosphere along Sheffield Road East of Negril in Jamaica. Royal Palm Reserve protects second largest wetland in Jamaica.
Shaw Park Botanical Gardens is a small piece of paradise overlooking a town of Murphy Hill.
Tips:
Jamaicans are rightfully proud of their many achievements: Bob Marley, Rastafarians, good rolling techniques. Safe driving is not one them. Make sure your driver is not getting stoned while driving.
The name of the country comes from the distorted Indian word "Haymaka" (Arawak. Xaymaca), which literally means "island of springs" or "land of springs."
Geographical position
Jamaica is the third largest island in the
Greater Antilles group. The main island is located between 17° and 19°
north latitude and 76° and 79° west longitude, 145 km south of Cuba,
160-190 km west of Haiti, 290 km southeast of the Cayman Islands. The
nearest point of the continent - Cape Gracias a Dios (Nicaragua) - is
located 630 km to the south-west. With the length of the island from
west to east for 225 km, from north to south - from 35 to 82 km, it has
an area of 10,991 km². The length of the coastline is 1022 km.
Climate
Jamaica is located in a tropical climate zone with the
dominance of the northeast trade winds, which noticeably affect, along
with the absolute height of the area, the climate of the country.
In the metropolitan area, the average temperature for the year
varies from 24 to 27 ° C, and in the town of Gordon Hill in the Blue
Mountains - from 4 to 7 ° C.
The temperature during the year
varies slightly, the average values in January are 24-25 °C, in July -
26-27 °C.
Precipitation is seasonal and is especially intense in
May and October, although thunderstorms with heavy rain also occur
during the summer months. The average annual rainfall is 2100 mm, but it
also depends on the region. The southern coast receives 635 mm of
rainfall, while the John Crow Mountains in the northeast of the island
receive up to 7600 mm. The rainy season lasts from May to October, and
in the winter months (December to March), cold northern winds from the
North American continent reach the island.
Jamaica is located in
the Atlantic belt of hurricanes, which cause great damage to the
population and economy. Among the particularly strong hurricanes that
swept right across the island are hurricanes Charlie (1951), Allen
(1980) and Gilbert in 1988. Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Dean (2007)
caused extensive damage and several deaths on the island.
Relief
and geology
Most of the territory (approximately 2/3) of Jamaica is a
limestone plateau with a height of 500 m to 1 km, in some places higher.
The Blue Mountains are located in the eastern part of the island, where
the highest point of the country is located - Mount Blue Mountain
(altitude 2256 m). To the southwest is Mount Malvern (725 m) and to the
west is Dolphin Head (545 m). In the western part of the island, karst
landforms are common, represented in the mountains of John Crow, Dry
Harbor and in the Cockpit Country karst basin with an area of about
1300 km². The hollow is a complex of low hills separated by narrow
valleys. This area is characterized by karst funnels and underground
watercourses.
Alluvial lowlands are located along the southern
and western coasts. The south coast of the island is heavily indented,
with reef-fringed harbours, such as the harbor town of Kingston. On the
west coast near the city of Negril, a coral sand beach stretches for 11
km. The northern coast is poorly dissected and has a rocky character. In
its center is the Jamaican Riviera, popular with tourists, a narrow
strip of beaches of fine-grained white sand.
The position of
Jamaica in the seismically active Antilles-Caribbean tectonic region was
expressed in the catastrophic earthquakes of 1692 and 1907. The most
important mineral is bauxite, the reserves of which Jamaica occupies a
leading position in the world.
Water resources
There are many
small rivers and streams in Jamaica, originating in the central
highlands and often disappearing into karst cavities. The total volume
of renewable water resources is 9.4 km³ (2000). The longest river in
length is the Minho (93 km) flowing from the mountains of Dry Harbor to
Carlisle Bay. Two more rivers - the Black River in the western part and
the Rio Cobre near Kingston, have a length of more than 50 km. Of all
the rivers of the island, the Black River is navigable for a
considerable distance - small ships can rise 48 km from the mouth. The
only river that does not flow in a northerly or southerly direction is
Plantaine Garden in the east of the island.
Major cities
Kingston (Jamaica)
Spanish Town
Portmore
Montego Bay
The island is known for its diverse ecosystems, including low-growing
forests high in the mountains, selva on the northeastern slopes of the
mountains and in the valleys, savannahs in the south and west, as well
as sandy areas where only cacti and other xerophytic plants grow. Since
the 15th century, when the island was completely covered with forest
except for small agricultural areas, the vegetation has changed a lot.
The colonists cut down trees for building needs and cleared plains,
savannahs, and mountain slopes for soil cultivation. Many species have
been introduced including sugarcane, bananas and citrus fruits.
The forest area on the island is about 194 thousand hectares (1/5 of the
entire territory). The cotton tree is the most common, in hard-to-reach
places virgin stands of large-leaved, ebony and dalbergia are preserved,
in some places there are thickets of bamboo and logwood, as well as
plantings of Caribbean pine and eucalyptus. The southern coast is
overgrown with mangroves in many places. In the western and southwestern
parts of the island, in places where the land is not used for
plantations, savanna-type vegetation (cereals and isolated trees) is
common. There are more than 3,000 species of flowering plants growing on
the island, including 200 species of orchids and hibiscus sabdariffa
(which is used to make hibiscus).
The fauna of Jamaica is
relatively poor: birds, rodents (rats, mice), rabbits, mongooses,
reptiles (turtles, snakes, crocodiles and iguanas) and 20 species of
bats. There are few local animals in Jamaica; in the course of human
development, the fauna of the island was badly damaged. In pre-Columbian
times, numerous members of the Huti family lived on the island, but
later their numbers declined due to hunting and habitat destruction.
Local crocodiles may also be at risk of extinction. Mongooses, brought
in 1872 from India to fight poisonous snakes, spread widely.
The
waters of the island and coastal areas are rich in fish. Freshwater fish
are represented mainly by mullet, there are 4 types of freshwater
crayfish. Manatees live in coastal waters.
More than 250 species
of birds, including migratory ones, have been recorded, with 25 species
and 21 subspecies being endemic, including the national symbol, the
pennant-tailed hummingbird. Among the introduced species are mynas.
The island's protected areas include the Cockpit Country, Hellshire
Hills and Litchfield forest reserves. In 1992, the first marine park was
organized in Montego Bay and has an area of 15 km². In 1993, the Blue
Mountains and John Crow National Park were created.
In ancient times, Jamaica was inhabited by Indians. The island was
discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494. Columbus named it in honor
of the royal couple the island of Ferdinand and Isabella. This name did
not take root, the island retained the local name - Jamaica. The
Spaniards founded their first settlement on the island in 1509.
By the arrival of the Spaniards, Jamaica was inhabited by the Arawak
Indians, their number may have reached about 60 thousand people. During
the period of Spanish domination, the Indians in Jamaica disappeared
almost completely. By 1611, there were only 74 Indians on the island.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Spaniards began to import
dark-skinned slaves from Africa to Jamaica as a labor force. However,
the Spaniards did not colonize the island very actively for a century
and a half, and in 1655 the British captured it (Jamaica was officially
declared an English colony in 1670).
On the shores of a vast
natural harbor, not far from present-day Kingston, the British built a
fort. Near the fort, the city of Port Royal began to grow. Soon he
gained fame as "the most sinful city in the entire Christian world",
since the "capital" of sea robbers moved there from the island of
Tortuga. At the end of the 17th century, the city of Port Royal had
8,000 inhabitants, of which 1,500 were pirates.
Pirates robbed
Spanish ships, brought booty to Port Royal, which led to the prosperity
of the city. However, on June 7, 1692, most of this "perverse Babylon"
as a result of an earthquake disappeared into the depths of the sea. The
Church of Catholic Spain reported that "God punished the wicked city for
its sins."
However, by that time the British had already firmly
established themselves in Jamaica, turning the island into a large
"sugar" colony - sugar cane plantations were intensively developed in
Jamaica. Most of the plantations were located on the plains of the south
of the island. The hinterland of Jamaica was used for grazing. The
Jamaican industry produced raw sugar, molasses and the famous Jamaican
rum.
The British were greatly disturbed by the uprisings of Negro
slaves. For about 150 years, until the beginning of the 19th century,
there were at least 30 such uprisings. Already in the second half of the
17th century, Maroons settled in the most remote mountainous and wooded
regions of Jamaica - runaway Negro slaves and their descendants, who
created something like their own state. They raided to seize cattle and
other robberies, and as a result, the British at the end of the 18th
century deported the Maroons to Africa (in Sierra Leone, where they
founded the city of Freetown).
In 1831, there was a major
uprising in Jamaica in which some 60,000 slaves went on strike, and is
believed to have hastened the decision to abolish slavery in the British
colonies. Thus, Henry Taylor, head of the West Indies department of the
British Colonial Office, later commented: "Indirectly, this terrible
event [rebellion] ... dealt slavery a mortal blow." In the 19th century,
after the abolition of slavery in 1833, "bad times" came for the English
planters in Jamaica. The emancipation of Negro slaves significantly
undermined the plantation economy of Jamaica. The importation of
contract workers from India and China did not improve the situation.
Sugar production in Jamaica has declined sharply. In addition,
competition has increased due to the increase in the production of beet
sugar in Europe and the increase in sugar production in Cuba and Java.
In the 20th century, the economic situation in Jamaica changed
significantly as a result of investments from the United States.
American companies organized large-scale export production of bananas in
Jamaica, as well as cocoa, coffee and coconuts. The Americans also took
up the development of Jamaica's infrastructure (railway network, etc.).
In 1943, universal suffrage was introduced in Jamaica, and in 1944,
partial self-government. In 1959, Jamaica received internal
self-government, in August 1962, Britain granted independence to
Jamaica.
Until 1962, Jamaica was a possession of Great Britain, on August 6,
1962 it became an independent state. The 1962 constitution is in force
(subject to the 1997 reforms and subsequent amendments). The country is
a kingdom, royal power is exercised in the form of a constitutional
monarchy. The head of state is the British monarch (Queen of Great
Britain Elizabeth II), represented by the Governor General, who is
appointed by him on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Jamaica.
The Governor-General exercises on behalf of the Queen the royal power in
the country, having all her powers granted to her by the Constitution,
during her absence in Jamaica.
In 2012, the year of the 50th
anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom, Jamaica expressed
its desire to leave the Commonwealth and become a "full" republic.
Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller announced this at her
inaugural speech. Buckingham Palace replied that the decision on the
state system of Jamaica is for the population of the state, and not for
someone else.
The Governor-General signs all bills and appoints
the Prime Minister (from the winning party). Under the Governor-General,
there is an advisory body of 6 members - the Privy Council, which is
formed by him on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. On his
recommendation, the governor-general appoints members of the government.
The legislature is a bicameral parliament, consisting of two
chambers: the Senate (21 members, appointed by the governor general, 13
of them - on the recommendation of the prime minister, 8 - from the
opposition); House of Representatives - 63 deputies elected by the
population for a 5-year term.
The main two political parties
(based on the results of the elections in February 2016):
Jamaica
Labor Party (Liberal Conservative) - 33 seats in Parliament
People's
National Party (Social Democratic) - 30 seats in parliament.
Foreign policy
Jamaica is a member of the British Commonwealth, a
member of the UN and its specialized organizations, the Organization of
American States, the Caribbean Community, the Non-Aligned Movement, the
ACP countries, etc.
The country's foreign policy course
fluctuated significantly depending on which party was in power. Thus,
the LPJ government in 1962-1972 was oriented towards the USA and Great
Britain. In 1972-1980, the PNP cabinet emphasized the slogans of
non-alignment and solidarity with the Third World countries and
strengthened relations with Cuba. The LPJ, having returned to power in
1980, broke off relations with Cuba and again reoriented itself towards
the United States. Since 1989, the Jamaican government has been pursuing
a more balanced foreign policy.
The country has diplomatic
relations with Russia (established with the USSR in 1975).
Armed
forces
ground forces - 1 infantry regiment (three battalions, of
which one is reserve); sapper regiment (in fact, a battalion of 4
companies); support and maintenance battalion (training center, supply,
repair, transport, military police units);
aviation wing - several
light aircraft and helicopters;
coast guard - 3 patrol ships, 2
patrol boats, as well as small boats.
Population
Population -
2.8 million (July 2010 est.)
Birth rate - 19.5 per 1000
Mortality
- 6.5 per 1000
Emigration - 5.5 per 1000
Annual population growth
- 0.7%
Fertility - 2.2 births per woman
Average life expectancy -
71.8 years for men, 75.3 years for women
Infection with the
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - 1.6% (2007 estimate)
Literacy - 84% of
men, 92% of women
Urban population - 53%
Ethno-racial
composition: Africans 91.2%, mulattoes 6.2%, other 2.6% (according to
the 2001 census).
Languages: The main spoken language is Jamaican
Creole ("Patois") based on English and Spanish, with Standard English
being the official language.
Religions: Protestant of various
persuasions 62.5%, Catholics 2.6%, Rastafari 10%, atheists 20.9%, other
and undecided 4% (according to the 2001 census). Protestants are
represented by Baptists, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals from the
Church of God and the Assemblies of God, etc.
Largest cities:
Kingston (660 thousand people), Montego Bay (83 thousand).
Economy
The main sector of the Jamaican economy is the service sector
(more than 60% of GDP and employees). The main sources of income in
convertible currency are tourist services (20% of GDP), cash receipts
from workers abroad (20% of GDP) and the export of bauxite and aluminum.
GDP per capita (in 2018) - 5.3 thousand dollars (97th place in the
world). Unemployment rate (in 2018) - 9.4% (140th place in the World)
Agriculture (6% of GDP, 17% of employees) - sugarcane, bananas,
coffee, citrus fruits, yams, vegetables; chickens and goats are bred;
shellfish fishing.
Industry - bauxite mining, agricultural
processing, rum and clothing production.
International trade
Export in 2017 - $1.34 billion. Main export
commodities: aluminum, including ore and its compounds (up to 50% of the
value), alcoholic beverages (mainly rum), petroleum products, coffee,
sugar, fruits and vegetables
The main buyers are the USA 30%,
Germany 11%, Canada 9.4%, the Netherlands 6.1%, Russia 4.2%.
Imports in 2017 - $5.82 billion: fuel, including petroleum products (up
to 20%), machinery, equipment and vehicles (up to 28%), finished
medicines and other chemical products, including plastic, paper and food
products.
The main suppliers are the USA 41%, China 7.1%, Japan
5.9%.
Music
In the music world, Jamaica is best known for its reggae
style, represented by hundreds of talented artists and bands such as Bob
Marley, The Congos, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Max Romeo, The Abyssinians, The
Heptones, Kiddus I, John Holt, Eek-A-Mouse and more etc. Since the
1970s, reggae and its derivative styles have spread to all continents.
Jamaica also owes its origin to the styles of ska, dub, dancehall, soul,
calypso. Boney M soloists (Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett), model,
actress and singer Grace Jones, Bad Boys Blue lead singer Trevor Taylor,
Grammy winner Sean Paul, as well as the Jamaican reggae group Inner
Circle, Andrew Donalds, are widely known. thanks to such hits as
"Mishale" (#38 on the Billboard Hot 100), "(I'm Not Your) One Night
Lover" and collaboration with the famous ambient music band Enigma.
Sport
Among the sports in Jamaica, sprinting is the most
developed. Jamaican sprinters made themselves known back in 1948, when
Jamaica first took part in the Summer Olympics. In total, in the years
1948-2012, Jamaican athletes won 67 Olympic medals (including 17 gold),
of which 66 were won in athletics and one more in cycling. In the 100
and 200 meters, Jamaican athletes in the 21st century are among the
world leaders along with US athletes.
Among women sprinters,
Merlin Otti, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and others
have achieved world-class success. At the end of the 2000s, the star of
the most successful athlete in the history of the country rose: Usain
Bolt managed to win three gold medals at three Olympics in a row (2008
and 2012, 2016), winning at distances of 100 meters, 200 meters and in
the relay race 4 × 100 meters . Having set world records in the 100 and
200 meters, Bolt has become a true symbol of Jamaica and one of the most
recognizable athletes in the history of the sport.
The Jamaican
bobsleigh team competed in four Winter Olympics, finishing 14th among
quads in 1994.
Holidays
Jonkonnu parades is a traditional
celebration dedicated to Christmas, during which the celebrants parade
through the streets in fancy dress. This holiday comes from the
traditions of the secret societies of West Africa.
January 6 is
Maroon Day. This holiday is celebrated on the birthday of Captain Cujo
(English) Russian, Maroon, who defeated the English army in the 1730s.
On January 6, in honor of this day, festivals are held, the integral
attributes of which are traditional dances, singing and rituals.
August 6 is Jamaica's Independence Day.
In culture
Pirates of
the Caribbean (film series)
The Maroons is a novel by Mine Reed.
The Man with the Golden Gun - novel by Ian Fleming
"Cool turns" - the
story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team
The famous song "Giamaica" was
written in the middle of the 20th century by Tonino Antonio Valli and
performed by Robertino Loretti.
The Comedoz group makes numerous
references to Jamaica in their songs. They also have the song "Jamaica".
Natives of Jamaica are the characters in the works of Charlotte
Bronte "Jane Eyre" and Ethel Lilian Voynich "Take off your shoes."