Jamaica
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Out of many, one people"
Anthem: "Jamaica, Land We Love" Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen"
Capital (and largest city)		Kingston 17°59′N, 76°48′W
Official languages		English
Recognised regional languages		Jamaican Patois
Ethnic groups		90. The flag of Jamaica was adopted on August 6, 1962 which was the original Jamaican Independence Day Considered as a legacy from the British with slight modifications the Jamaican Coat of Arms was granted to Jamaica in 1661 under Royal A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's " Jamaica Land We Love " is the National anthem of Jamaica. A royal anthem is a patriotic song much like a National anthem but specifically praising or praying for a Monarch or royal dynasty "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National Population: 2682100 (2007 est 2804332 (July 2008 est Age structure 0-14 years 33 Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A regional language is a Language spoken in an area of a Nation state, whether it be a small area a federal State or Province, or 0% Black, 1. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse 5% East Indian, 0. Indo-Jamaicans', or Indian Jamaicans are the descendents of migrants and immigrants from the Indian subcontinent who are citizens or nationals of 4% White, 7. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. 3% Multiracial
Demonym		Jamaican
Government		Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
-	Monarch	Elizabeth II
-	Governor-General	Kenneth Hall
-	Prime Minister	Bruce Golding
Independence
-	from the United Kingdom	6 August 1962
Area
-	Total	10,991 km² (166th) 4,244 ) sq mi
-	Water (%)	1. The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Governor-General of Jamaica represents the Jamaican monarch and Head of state, who holds the title of King or Queen of Jamaica (as of 2007 Elizabeth Sir Kenneth Octavius Hall, ON, GCMG, OJ (Born in Lucea, Jamaica, 24 April, 1941) is the current Governor-General The Prime Minister of Jamaica is Jamaica 's Head of government, currently Bruce Golding. Orette Bruce Golding MP (born 5 December 1947) is the Prime Minister of Jamaica and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 5
Population
-	July 2005 estimate	2,651,000 (138th)
-	Density	252/km² (49th) 653/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$11. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 69 billion (131st)
-	Per capita	$4,300 (114th)
GDP (nominal)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$9. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 730 billion (101st)
-	Per capita	$3,658 (79th)
Gini (2000)		37. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 9 (medium)
HDI (2005)		▲ 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 736 (medium) (101st)
Currency		Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Time zone		(UTC-5)
Internet TLD		.jm
Calling code		+1 876

Jamaica (pronounced /ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə/) is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 234 kilometres (146 mi) in length and as much as 80 kilometres (50 mi) in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The dollar ( sign: $; code: JMD) has been the Currency of Jamaica since 1969 ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on The Greater Antilles is one of three island groups in the Caribbean. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere It is about 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Cuba, 190 kilometres (120 mi) west of the island of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated, and 620 kilometres (385 mi) northeast of the Central America. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous Island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Its indigenous Arawakan-speaking Taíno inhabitants named the island Xaymaca, meaning the "Land of Wood and Water", or the "Land of Springs". The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical The Arawakan languages (also Arahuacan, Arawakanas, Arahuacano, Maipurean, Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúrean The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. ^[1] Formerly a Spanish possession known as Santiago, it later became the British West Indies Crown colony of Jamaica. Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries (1516-1700 when this country was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty (also associated to The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The term British West Indies refers to territories in and around the Caribbean which were at one time colonised by the United Kingdom. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom It is the third most populous anglophone country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. An Anglophone (or anglophone) is someone who speaks the English language. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

History

Main article: History of Jamaica

The original Arawak and possibly Taino people from South America first settled on the island between 4000 and 1000 BC. Jamaica, one of the largest Caribbean islands was inhabited by Arawak natives The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for Cassava flour was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Although some claim they became virtually extinct following contact with Europeans, others claim that some survived for a while. The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. There is very little trace of the Arawak culture, and the Jamaican National Heritage Trust is attempting to locate and document any evidence of the Arawaks. ^[2]

Jamaica was claimed for Spain after Christopher Columbus first landed there in 1494. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Columbus' probable landing point was Dry Harbour, now called Discovery Bay, where he took formal possession of the island. Discovery Bay is a town in Saint Ann Parish on the northern coast of Jamaica. St. Ann's Bay was the "Saint Gloria" of Columbus who first sighted Jamaica at this point. Brief history St Ann is one of the oldest populated areas in the island of Jamaica tracing back to 600 - 650 A One mile west of St. Ann's Bay is the site of the first settlement on the island -Sevilla. Sevilla was later abandoned in 1554 because of numerous pirate raids, and the capital was moved to Spanish Town, now located in the parish of St. Catherine, as early as 1534 being then St. Spanish Town is the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica. Geography and people St Catherine is located at. It is bordered by St Andrew in the east Clarendon in the west and by St Mary and St Jago de la Vega or Santiago de la Vega. Spanish Town has the oldest Cathedral in the British colonies. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral The Spanish were forcibly evicted by the English at Ocho Rios in St. Ann. However, it was not until 1655 that at Tower Isle [the site for the last Spanish fort in Jamaica] that the English took over Jamaica. The Spaniard Don Arnoldo de Yassi kept Tower Hill [the site for Tower Isle] from the English for five years, before escaping to Cuba. The site of his departure was fittingly "Runaway Bay" [also in St. Ann]. Names like Montego Bay, the capital of the parish of St. James, derived from the Spanish name manteca bahía (or Bay of Lard) for the large quantity of boar used for the lard-making industry. The boar or wild boar ( Sus scrofa) is an Omnivorous, gregarious Mammal of the biological family Suidae. ^[3]

The English Admiral William Penn (father of William Penn of Pennsylvania) and General Robert Venables seized the island in 1655. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Sir William Penn ( 23 April 1621 &ndash 16 September 1670) was an English Admiral, and the father of William Penn William Penn ( October 14, 1644 – July 30, 1718) was founder and "Absolute Proprietor" of the Province of Pennsylvania, Robert Venables, c1613-87 was a soldier during the English Civil War. During its first 200 years of English (then British) rule, post Spanish rule, Jamaica became one of the world's leading sugar exporting nations and produced over 77,000 tons of sugar annually between 1820 and 1824, which was achieved through the massive use of imported African slave labour. Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another After the abolition of the slave trade the British imported Indian and Chinese indentured servants in the early 1800s as more cheap labour. An indentured servant is a form of Debt bondage worker The Laborer is under Contract of an Employer for some period of time usually three to The descendants of the Chinese and Indian indentured servants continue to reside in Jamaica today.

By the beginning of the 19th century, the United Kingdom's heavy reliance on slavery resulted in blacks (Africans) outnumbering whites (Europeans) by a ratio of almost 20 to 1, leading to constant opportunities for revolt. Following a series of rebellions, slavery was formally abolished in 1834, with full emancipation from chattel slavery declared in 1838. Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies

During the 1800’s a number of botanical gardens were established. Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of Plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes These included the Castleton Garden in 1862 (set up to replace the Bath Garden which was established during the late 1770s and where breadfruit brought to Jamaica by Captain William Bligh was planted but which was subject to flooding), the Cinchona Plantation in 1868 and the Hope Garden during 1874. Breadfruit ( Artocarpus altilis) is a Tree and Fruit native to the Malay Peninsula and western Pacific islands Vice-Admiral William Bligh FRS RN (9 September 1754 – 7 December 1817 was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator Cinchona is a Genus of about 25 Species in the family Rubiaceae, native to tropical South America. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco

In 1945, Sir Horace Hector Hearne became Chief Justice and Keeper of the Records in Jamaica and sat in the Supreme Court, Kingston between 1945 and 1950/1951 before going on to become Chief Justice in Kenya. Sir Hector Horace Hearne ( 23 February 1892 &ndash 31 December 1962) was a Judge The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English A supreme court, also called a court of last resort or high court, is in some Jurisdictions the highest judicial body within that jurisdiction's Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English

Jamaica slowly gained increasing independence from the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In 1958, it became a province in the Federation of the West Indies, a federation among all of the British West Indies. The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived Caribbean Federation that existed from January 3 1958 The term British West Indies refers to territories in and around the Caribbean which were at one time colonised by the United Kingdom. Jamaica attained full independence by leaving the federation in 1962.

Map of Jamaica

Strong economic growth averaging about six percent per annum marked its first ten years of independence under conservative governments led successively by Prime Ministers Alexander Bustamante, Donald Sangster and Hugh Shearer. Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante GBE, Order of National Hero, PC ( February 24, 1884 - August 6, 1977 Sir Donald Burns Sangster ( October 26 1911 - April 11 1967) was a Jamaican politician and the second Prime Minister of Jamaica Hugh Lawson Shearer, ON, OJ, PC ( May 18, 1923 &ndash July 5, 2004) was the third Prime Minister of Jamaica The growth was fueled by strong investments in bauxite/alumina, tourism, manufacturing industry and to a lesser extent the agricultural sector. However, the initial optimism of the first decade was accompanied by a growing sense of inequality and a sense that the benefits of growth were not being experienced by the urban poor. This, combined with the effects of a slow-down in the global economy in 1970, prompted the electorate to change the government, electing the PNP (People's National Party) in 1972. List of party presidents Norman Manley (1938-1969 Michael Manley (1969-1992 P However, despite efforts to create more socially equitable policies in education and health, Jamaica continued to lag economically, with its gross national product having fallen in 1980 to some twenty-five percent below the 1972 level. Rising foreign and local debt accompanied by large fiscal deficits resulted in the invitation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) financing from the USA and others, and the imposition of IMF austerity measures (with a greater than 25% interest rate per year). The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic

Economic deterioration continued into the mid 1980s, exacerbated by the closure of the first (Alpart) and third (Alcoa) largest alumina producers, significant reduction in production by the second largest (Alcan), the exit of Reynolds Jamaica Mines Ltd from the Jamaican industry and reduced flows from tourism. Alcoa Inc ( is the world's third largest producer of Aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. During the 1980s Jamaica was still a prosperous country though increases in crime and petty theft began to weigh on the island.

The early capital of Jamaica was Spanish Town in the parish of St. Spanish Town is the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica. Catherine, the site of the old Spanish colonial capital. The Spanish named the town Santiago de la Vega. In 1655 when the English captured the island, much of the old Spanish capital was burned by the invading troops. The town was rebuilt by the English and renamed Spanish Town. It remained the capital until 1872, when the city of Kingston was named the capital. Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Jamaica

Jamaica is a constitutional monarchy with the monarch being represented by a Governor-General. The Politics of Jamaica takes place in a framework of a representative parliamentary democratic monarchy A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is The Governor-General of Jamaica represents the Jamaican monarch and Head of state, who holds the title of King or Queen of Jamaica (as of 2007 Elizabeth ^[4] The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who officially uses the title "Queen of Jamaica" when she visits the country or performs duties overseas on Jamaica's behalf. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II See Jamaican Royal Family. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy The Governor-General is nominated by the Prime Minister and the entire Cabinet and appointed by the monarch. The Prime Minister of Jamaica is Jamaica 's Head of government, currently Bruce Golding. All the members of the Cabinet are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The monarch and the Governor-General serve largely ceremonial roles, apart from their potent reserve power to dismiss the Prime Minister or Parliament. In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of Government, a reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the Head of state without the

Jamaica's current Constitution was drafted in 1962 by a bipartisan joint committee of the Jamaican legislature. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity Parliament is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. It came into force with the Jamaica Independence Act, 1962 of the United Kingdom Parliament, which gave Jamaica political independence. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories This was followed by a reformation of the island's flag.

Inside the Jamaican Parliament

The Parliament of Jamaica is bicameral, consisting of the House of Representatives (Lower House) and the Senate (Upper House). Parliament is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. Parliament is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral Members of the House (known as Members of Parliament or MPs) are directly elected, and the member of the House of Representatives who, in the Governor-General's best judgement, is best able to command the confidence of a majority of the members of that House, is appointed by the Governor-General to be the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister of Jamaica is Jamaica 's Head of government, currently Bruce Golding. Senators are appointed jointly by the Prime Minister and the parliamentary Leader of the Opposition. Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government particularly in a Westminster -based Parliamentary system

In February 2006, Portia Simpson-Miller was elected by delegates of the ruling People's National Party (PNP) to replace P. J. Patterson as President of the Party. Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller, ON, MP (born 12 December 1945 in Wood Hall, St Percival Noel James Patterson, ON, QC PC (born 10 April 1935) was the Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1992 to 2006 At the end of March 2006 when Patterson demitted office, Simpson-Miller became the first female Prime Minister of Jamaica. Former Prime Minister Patterson had held office since the 1992 resignation of Michael Manley. Michael Norman Manley ON ( December 10, 1924 – March 6, 1997) was the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica Patterson was re-elected three times, the last being in 2002.

On 3 September 2007, Bruce Golding of the Jamaica Labour Party was voted in as Prime Minister-Designate after achieving a 33 - 27 seat victory over Portia Simpson-Miller and the PNP in the 2007 Jamaican general election. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Orette Bruce Golding MP (born 5 December 1947) is the Prime Minister of Jamaica and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party. General elections in Jamaica were held on September 3 2007. They had originally been scheduled for August 27 2007 but were delayed Portia Simpson-Miller conceded defeat on the 5 September 2007. ^[5] On 11 September 2007, after being sworn in by Governor-General Kenneth Hall, The Hon. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Bruce Golding assumed office as Prime Minister of Jamaica. Orette Bruce Golding MP (born 5 December 1947) is the Prime Minister of Jamaica and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party. The Prime Minister of Jamaica is Jamaica 's Head of government, currently Bruce Golding.

Jamaica has traditionally had a two-party system, with power often alternating between the People's National Party and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). A two-party system is a form of Party system where two major Political parties dominate voting in nearly all Elections at every List of party presidents Norman Manley (1938-1969 Michael Manley (1969-1992 P List of Party Leaders Sir Alexander Bustamante (1943-1967 Sir Donald Sangster (acting* (Feb 1967 - April 1967 Hugh However, over the past decade a new political party called the National Democratic Movement (NDM) emerged in an attempt to challenge the two-party system. The National Democratic Movement (NDM is a small conservative Political party in Jamaica, led by Earl DeLisser Unfortunately, the NDM has almost become irrelevant in the two party system as it garnered only 540 votes of the over 800,000 votes cast in the September 3 elections. Jamaica is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Caribbean Community ( CARICOM) is an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies

Parishes

Main article: Parishes of Jamaica

Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes, which are grouped into three historic counties that have no administrative relevance. Administratively Jamaica is divided into fourteen parishes They are grouped into three historic counties, which have no administrative relevance (traditional capitals Administratively Jamaica is divided into fourteen parishes They are grouped into three historic counties, which have no administrative relevance (traditional capitals A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Jamaica

View of the city of Kingston from the Kingston Harbour. ||} Cornwall is the westernmost of the three counties into which Jamaica is divided ||} Middlesex is the central of the three counties into which Jamaica is divided Surrey is the easternmost and the smallest by area of the three counties into which Jamaica is divided Brief history Hanover was established on November 12, 1723, and given the Family name of the English Monarch, George I Clarendon (capital May Pen) is a Parish in Jamaica. It is located on the South of the island roughly half-way between the island's Kingston is a parish of Jamaica. Together with neighboring St Brief history Saint Elizabeth originally included most of the south-west part of the island but in 1703 Westmoreland was taken from it and in 1814 a part of Manchester Brief history Taino / Arawak settlement in the parish was substantiated when in 1792 a surveyor found two carvings believed to be Amerindian Geography and demography The parish is situated at Latitude 18°10' N and Longitude 75°27'W Brief history When the Spanish occupied Jamaica, Montego Bay was an Export point for Lard, which was obtained from wild hogs in the Brief history St Ann is one of the oldest populated areas in the island of Jamaica tracing back to 600 - 650 A Saint Andrew ( Capital Half Way Tree) is a parish, situated in the southeast of Jamaica in the County of Surrey History In 1770, the wealthy planters in St James and St Ann succeeded in having sections of those parishes become the parish of Trelawny as Geography and people St Catherine is located at. It is bordered by St Andrew in the east Clarendon in the west and by St Mary and St Brief history Saint Thomas was densely populated by the Tainos / Arawaks when Christopher Columbus first came to the island in 1494. Brief history Christopher Columbus stopped at Westmoreland on his second voyage when he landed in Jamaica Brief history There are a few traces of Taíno / Arawak presence in the parish Jamaica lies 90 miles (145 km south of Cuba and 118 miles (190 km west of Haiti. Kingston Harbour is the seventh largest natural Harbour in the world

Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean, and the most populous English-speaking island in that region. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The island of Jamaica is home to the Blue Mountains inland, and is surrounded by a narrow coastal plain. The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region of Jamaica. It is the largest mountain range in Jamaica Most major towns and cities are located on the coast. Chief towns and cities include the capital Kingston, Portmore, Spanish Town, Mandeville, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, and Montego Bay. Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country Portmore is a coastal city in southern Jamaica in Saint Catherine, southwest of Kingston. Spanish Town is the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica. Mandeville is the capital of Jamaica 's Manchester parish. In 2005 the town had an estimated population of 50000 and including the immediate suburbs within Ocho Ríos (also known by the nickname Ochie) Spanish for Eight Rivers, is a town on the northern coast of Jamaica, located in the parish Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles (100 km from Kingston. Montego Bay is the fourth largest city in Jamaica and is the location of Jamaica's largest airport the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport.

The climate in Jamaica is tropical, with hot and humid weather, although higher inland regions have a more temperate climate. Some regions on the south coast, such as the Liguanea Plain and the Pedro Plains are relatively dry rain-shadow areas. Jamaica lies in the hurricane belt of the Atlantic Ocean; as a result, the island sometimes experiences significant storm damage. The hurricane belt is an area in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, which is prone to Hurricanes during the Hurricanes Charlie and Gilbert hit Jamaica directly in 1951 and 1988, respectively, causing major damage, destruction, and many deaths. Hurricane Gilbert is the second most intense Hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin and the largest Atlantic tropical cyclone in size since 1988 In the 2000s, hurricanes Ivan and Dean also brought severe weather to the island. Hurricane Ivan was the strongest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Dean was the strongest Tropical cyclone of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season.

Demographics

Further information: Demographics of Jamaica

Ethnic origins

Jamaica's population consists mainly of people of African descent, comprising about 90. Population: 2682100 (2007 est 2804332 (July 2008 est Age structure 0-14 years 33 9% of the demographics. Other populations on the island are as follows: East Indian 1. Indo-Jamaicans', or Indian Jamaicans are the descendents of migrants and immigrants from the Indian subcontinent who are citizens or nationals of 3%, White 0. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. 2%, Chinese 0. Chinese Jamaicans' are the descendants of migrants and immigrants from China, who are citizens of Jamaica, or descendants of Jamaicans 2%, Lebanese 0. Lebanese Jamaican is a Jamaican born person of Lebanese descent 1%, Multiracial 7. The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races. 3%. Immigration from regions such as China, Colombia, South Asia, and other areas of the Caribbean have seen a steady rise. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting

Language

The official language of Jamaica is English. Jamaican English or Jamaican Standard English is a Dialect of English spoken in Jamaica. Informally Jamaican Patois (pronounced patwah) is more commonly spoken by a majority of the population. Although British English or "The Queen's English" is the most obvious influence on patois, it includes words and syntax from various African languages (including Akan Ewe and Yoruba); other European languages (Spanish, Portuguese and French); Pre-Columbian Caribbean languages (Arawak); and Asian languages (Hindi and Hakka) which is evidence of the long standing mixing of the people. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is In general, patois differs from English in pronunciation, grammar, nominal orthography and syntax, having many intonations to indicate meaning and mood. The language's characteristics include pronouncing /θ/ as [t] and /ð/ as [d], and omitting some initial consonant sounds, principally /h/. For example, the word "there" is pronounced [ˈdɪeɹ]. A number of linguists classify Jamaican Patois as a separate language, while others consider it to be a dialect of English. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of

Emigration

Main article: Jamaican diaspora

Over the past several decades, close to a million Jamaicans have emigrated, especially to the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. The Jamaican diaspora refers to Jamaicans who are forced or induced to leave their traditional homelands the dispersal of such Jamaicans and the ensuing developments in their culture "Emigrant" redirects here For the Butterflies, see Catopsilia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page This emigration appears to have been tapering off somewhat in recent years. However, the great number of Jamaicans living abroad has become known as the "Jamaican diaspora". The Jamaican diaspora refers to Jamaicans who are forced or induced to leave their traditional homelands the dispersal of such Jamaicans and the ensuing developments in their culture There has also been emigration of Jamaicans to Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la ^[6]

Concentrations of expatriate Jamaicans are large in a number of cities in the United States, including New York City, Buffalo, the Miami metro area, Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Washington, D.C, Philadelphia, Hartford and Los Angeles. An expatriate (in abbreviated form expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing The City of New York Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West In Canada, the Jamaican population is centred in Toronto, and there are smaller communities in cities such as Montreal and Ottawa. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. In the United Kingdom, Jamaican communities exist in most large cities where they make up the larger part of the British-Caribbean community. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The British African Caribbean community are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were indigenous to Africa

Religion

Christians make up 65. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth 3% of Jamaica's population, with the majority being Protestant,^[7] partly due to the influence of the Christian leadership in the British Anti-Slavery Society,^[8] and the later influence of abolitionist denominations from the U. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Anti-Slavery Society was the everyday name of two different British organizations Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies S. In spite of resistance by the slave owners,^[9] the Christian faith spread rapidly as British Christian abolitionists and educated former slaves^[10] joined local Jamaican Christian leaders^[11][12][13] in the struggle against slavery. Today, the five largest denominations in Jamaica are: Church of God, Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, Pentecostal and Anglican. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs ^[14]

The Rastafari movement was founded in Jamaica. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament This Back to Africa movement believes that Haile Selassie of Ethiopia was God incarnate, the returned black messiah, come to take the lost Twelve Tribes of Israel back to live with him in Holy Mount Zion in a world of perfect peace, love and harmony. Afrocentrism or Afrocentricity is a World view that emphasizes the importance of African people in culture philosophy and history Haile Selassie I ( Ge'ez: am ኃይለ፡ ሥላሴ "Power of the Trinity " 23 July 1892 &ndash 27 August 1975 born Tafari Makonnen, was God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Incarnation which literally means embodied in flesh, refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature (generally a human who is the This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. Zion ( Hebrew: צִיּוֹן ( Persian: صهیون tziyyon; Tiberian vocalization: tsiyyôn; transliterated Zion Bob Marley, a convert to the faith, spread the message of Rastafari to the world. There are now estimated to be more than a million Rastafarians throughout the world.

Other non-Christian religions in Jamaica include Bahá'í, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism^[15]. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The statistics for Islam in Jamaica estimate a total Muslim population of 5000 representing 0 Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. There is also a small population of Jews, about 200, who describe themselves as Liberal-Conservative. ^[16] The first Jews in Jamaica trace their roots back to early 15th century Spain and Portugal. ^[17] The West African folk cult of Obeah is found in poor urban and rural areas of Jamaica. Obeah (sometimes spelled "Obi" is a term used in the West Indies to refer to Folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from Central

Culture

Main article: Culture of Jamaica

Further information: Music of Jamaica, Cuisine of Jamaica, and Jamaican literature

Though a small nation, Jamaica is rich in culture, and has a strong global presence. Jamaican culture represents a rich blend of cultures that have inhabited the Greater Antilles island Jamaica. The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres such as Mento, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dub music Cuisine of Jamaica contains cooking techniques flavors spices and influences from each of the many waves of immigration to the island The Caribbean island of Jamaica is known for its arts including its literary inspiration The musical genres reggae, ska, mento, rocksteady, dub, and, more recently, dancehall and ragga all originated in the island's vibrant popular urban recording industry. Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor The article is about the Jamaican musical style For the DC comics character see Mento (comics. Rocksteady is a Music genre that was most popular in Jamaica, starting around 1966 and its Reggae successor was established around 1968 Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s Dancehall is a type of Jamaican Popular music which developed in the late 1970s initially as a more sparse and less political and religious variant of Reggae Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a sub-genre of Dancehall music or Reggae, in which the instrumentation primarily consists Jamaica also played an important role in the development of punk rock, through reggae and ska. Reggae has also influenced American rap music, as they both share their roots as rhythmic, African styles of music. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Some rappers, such as the Notorious B.I.G., were of Jamaican descent. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21 1972 – March 9 1997 popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a Gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again Internationally known reggae musician Bob Marley was born in Jamaica and is very respected there. Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley OM (February 6 1945 – May 11 1981 was a Jamaican Musician, Singer-songwriter and Rastafarian Many other internationally known artists were born in Jamaica including Lee "Scratch" Perry, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Big Youth, Jimmy Cliff, Dennis Brown, Desmond Dekker, Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Shaggy, Grace Jones, Shabba Ranks, Supercat, Buju Banton, Sean Paul, I Wayne, Capleton, Bounty Killer and many others. Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, on March 20, 1936, in Kendal Jamaica) is a reggae and dub artist who has been Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh ( October 19 1944 &ndash September 11 1987) was a a Reggae musician who was Bunny Wailer, also known as Bunny Livingston (born Neville O'Riley Livingston April 10, 1947 in Jamaica) is a Singer Manley Augustus Buchanan (born 19 April 1949, Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica) better known as Big Youth (sometimes called Jimmy Cliff OM (born James Chambers, 1 April 1948, Somerton District St To see the former football player see Dennis Brown (football player Dennis Emmanuel Brown ( February 1, 1957 – July 1, Desmond Dekker ( July 16 1941 — May 25 2006) was a Jamaican Ska and Reggae Singer and Songwriter Beres Hammond (born Hugh Beresford Hammond 28 August 1955, Annotto Bay Saint Mary, Jamaica) is a Reggae Singer Anthony Moses Davis (born August 22 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica) better known by his Stage name Beenie Man, is a popular Reggae Grace Jones (born May 19, 1948) is a Jamaican �� American Singer, model and actress Shabba Ranks (born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, 17 January 1966, Sturgetown St Super Cat (born William Maragh in Kingston Jamaica, 1963 is one of the originators of the late 80's and early 90's Dancehall movement Buju Banton (born Mark Anthony Myrie) is a Jamaican Dancehall, Ragga, and Reggae musician Sean Paul Henriques (born January 8 1973) in Upper Saint Andrew Parish, a few miles north of his birthplace I Wayne (born Cliffroy Taylor 1980 in Portmore, Jamaica) is a Roots reggae singer Capleton (born Clifton George Bailey III on 13 April 1967 in Saint Mary, Jamaica) is a Reggae and Dancehall Bounty Killer (born Rodney Basil Price June 12, 1972 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall Famous band artist groups that came from Jamaica include Black Uhuru, Third World Band, Inner Circle, Chalice Reggae Band, Fab Five, and Morgan Heritage. Black Uhuru, formed by Derrick "Duckie" Simpson is a Jamaican Reggae band probably best known for their hits "Shine Eye Gal" "Guess Third World is a Jamaican Reggae band formed in 1973 Their sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco. For other uses of the term see Inner circle. Inner Circle is a Jamaican Reggae Chalice started in the 1980s and had tremendous local success but was not as successful on the international stage Morgan Heritage is a Reggae band formed by five children of reggae artist Denroy Morgan. The genre jungle emerged from London's Jamaican diaspora. Oldskool jungle is the name given to a style of Electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including Breakbeat hardcore, techno, The birth of hip-hop in New York also owed much to the city's Jamaican community. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with

Ian Fleming, who lived in Jamaica, repeatedly used the island as a setting in the James Bond novels, including Live and Let Die, Doctor No, For Your Eyes Only, The Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy. Ian Lancaster Fleming ( May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964) was a British author, Journalist and Second World War James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story Live and Let Die is the second novel in Ian Fleming 's James Bond series Dr No (also Dr No and Doctor No This novel was inspired by Fleming's having read Sax Rohmer 's Fu Manchu stories For Your Eyes Only can refer to James Bond references ''For Your Eyes Only (short story collection'', the Short The Man with the Golden Gun is the thirteenth Novel written by Ian Fleming, featuring the fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond. Octopussy and The Living Daylights (sometimes published as Octopussy) is the fourteenth and final James Bond book written by Ian Fleming In addition, James Bond uses a Jamaica-based cover in Casino Royale. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming is the first James Bond novel It would eventually pave the way for eleven other novels by Fleming himself in addition So far, the only Bond film to have been set in Jamaica is Doctor No. Dr No (1962 is the first Film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Sean Connery as British Secret Service agent However, filming for the fictional island of San Monique in Live and Let Die took place in Jamaica. This is a list of locations in which films of the James Bond series have been set and filmed Live and Let Die is the eighth Spy film of the British James Bond series and the first to star Roger Moore as the fictional

The American film Cocktail, starring Tom Cruise, is one of the most popular films to depict Jamaica. Cocktail is a film released by Touchstone Pictures in 1988. Cocktail stars Tom Cruise as a talented bartender who finds love while working Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 1962 better known by his screen name Tom Cruise, is an American Actor and Film producer A look at delinquent youth in Jamaica is presented in the 1970s cops-and-robbers musical film The Harder They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff as a frustrated (and psychopathic) reggae musician who descends into a murderous crime spree. The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican Crime film directed by Perry Henzell. Jimmy Cliff OM (born James Chambers, 1 April 1948, Somerton District St

Errol Flynn lived with his third wife Patrice Wymore in Port Antonio in the 1950s. Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn ( June 20, 1909 &ndash October 14, 1959) was an Australian Film Actor, most Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles (100 km from Kingston. He was responsible for developing tourism to this area, popularising raft trips down rivers on bamboo rafts. ^[18]

National symbols

• National Bird — Doctor Bird (Green-and-black Streamertail, Trochilus polytmus)
• National Flower — Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale)
• National Tree — Blue Mahoe (Hibiscus elatus)
• National Dish — Ackee and Saltfish (dried salted Cod)
• National Motto — "Out of Many, One People. Lignum vitae is the Heartwood of species of the genus Guaiacum, the trees of which are also called Guayacan. The Blue Mahoe ( Hibiscus elatus is the national Tree of Jamaica. Hibiscus, or rosemallow, is a large genus of about 200&ndash220 species of Flowering plants in the family Malvaceae (the mallow family The Ackee or Akee ( Blighia sapida) is a member of the Sapindaceae ( Soapberry family native to Tropical Cod is the common name for the Genus Gadus of Fish, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name of a variety " (Unity among many cultures and races. )

Sport

Jamaicans, in general, have a large interest in sports. Cricket, Football (soccer), athletics and horse-racing are several popular sports. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics. The Jamaican national cricket team competes regionally, and also provides players for the West Indies. The Jamaica cricket team is the representative First class cricket team of Jamaica. The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as The Windies or The West Indies, is a multi-national Cricket team representing The national football team qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The Jamaica national football team, or The Reggae Boyz, is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football Jamaican athletics have been well represented at the Olympics, World Championships and other major athletics events over the years with leading athletes obtaining medals. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Usain Bolt, world record holder in the 100m for men at 9. 72s is among a rich heritage of Jamaican athletes to compete on the world stage. The bobsled team was once a serious contender in the Winter Olympics, beating many well-established teams. The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years

There is a notable amount of golf in Jamaica, but it appears to be focused on the international tourism market.

Education

Main article: Education in Jamaica

The emancipation of the slaves heralded in the establishment of the Jamaican education system for the masses. Education in Jamaica is based primarily on the British model Prior to emancipation there were few schools for educating locals. Many sent their children off to England to access quality education.

After emancipation the West Indian Commission granted a sum of money to establish Elementary Schools, now known as All Age Schools. Most of these schools were established by the churches. ^[19] This was the genesis of the modern Jamaican school system:

Presently the following categories of schools exist:

• Early childhood – Basic, Infant and privately operated pre- school. Age cohort – 1 – 5 years.

• Primary – Publicly and privately owned (Privately owned being called Preparatory Schools). Ages 5 – 10 years.

• Secondary – Publicly and privately owned. Ages 10 – 16 years. The high schools in Jamaica may be either single-sex or co-educational institutions, and many schools follow the traditional English grammar school model used throughout the British West Indies. The sixth form, in the English, Welsh and Northern Irish education systems Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Belize

• Tertiary - Community Colleges, Teachers’ Colleges, Vocational Training Centres, Colleges and Universities - Publicly and privately owned. There are five local universities namely: The University of the West Indies (Mona Campus); the University of Technology, Jamaica formerly The College of Art Science and Technology (CAST); the Northern Caribbean University; the University College of The Caribbean and the International University of the Caribbean. The University of the West Indies, also known as UWI, is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 16 English-speaking Countries and territories The University of Technology Jamaica ("UTech" is the second largest University in Jamaica. The Northern Caribbean University (NCU is a tertiary level academic facility run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica. The University College of The Caribbean ( UCC) is Jamaica’s largest privately-held tertiary education consortium Additionally there are many teacher training and community colleges.

Although there is no free education in Jamaica above the primary level, there are opportunities for those who cannot afford further education in the vocational arena through the Human Employment and Resource Training-National Training Agency (HEART Trust-NTA) programme^[20] and through an extensive scholarship network for the various universities.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Jamaica

Jamaica is a mixed, free-market economy with state enterprises as well as private sector businesses. Jamaica has natural resources primarily Bauxite, and an ideal climate conducive to agriculture and tourism Major sectors of the Jamaican economy include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism and financial and insurance services. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss Tourism and mining are the leading foreign exchange earners. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body

Supported by multilateral financial institutions, Jamaica has, since the early 1980s, sought to implement structural reforms aimed at fostering private sector activity and increasing the role of market forces in resource allocation. Since 1991, the Government has followed a programme of economic liberalization and stabilization by removing exchange controls, floating the exchange rate, cutting tariffs, stabilising the Jamaican currency, reducing inflation and removing restrictions on foreign investment. For other uses of this word see Tariff (disambiguation. A tariff is a tax imposed on goods when they are moved across a political boundary In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time Foreign direct investment ( FDI) in its classic definition is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country Emphasis has been placed on maintaining strict fiscal discipline, greater openness to trade and financial flows, market liberalisation and reduction in the size of government. During this period, a large share of the economy was returned to private sector ownership through divestment and privatisation programmes. In Finance and Economics, divestment or divestiture is the reduction of some kind of Asset for either financial goals or ethical objectives

The macroeconomic stabilisation programme introduced in 1991, which focused on tight fiscal and monetary policies, has contributed to a controlled reduction in the rate of inflation. The annual inflation rate has decreased from a high of 80. In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time 2% in 1991 to 7. 9% in 1998. inflation for FY1998/99 was 6. 2% compared to 7. 2% in the corresponding period in CUU1997/98. The Government of Jamaica remains committed to lowering inflation, with a long-term objective of bringing it in line with that of its major trading partners. The Politics of Jamaica takes place in a framework of a representative parliamentary democratic monarchy

After a period of steady growth from 1985 to 1995, real GDP decreased by 1. 8% and 2. 4% in 1996 and 1997, respectively. The decrease in GDP in 1996 and 1997 was largely due to significant problems in the financial sector and, in 1997, a severe island-wide drought (the worst in 70 years) that drastically reduced agricultural production. In 1997, nominal GDP was approximately J$220,556. 2 million (US$6,198. 9 million based on the average annual exchange rate of the period).

Fishing boats and bauxite cargo ships share the waterways near Alligator Pond, Jamaica

The economy in 1997 was marked by low levels of import growth, high levels of private capital inflows and relative stability in the foreign exchange market. In Economics, an import is any good (eg a Commodity) or Service brought into one country from another country in a legitimate fashion The foreign exchange ( currency or forex or FX) market refers to the market for currencies.

Recent economic performance shows the Jamaican economy is recovering. Agricultural production, an important engine of growth increased 15. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture 3% in third quarter of 1998 compared to the corresponding period in 1997, signaling the first positive growth rate in the sector since January 1997. Bauxite and alumina production increased 5. Bauxite is the most important Aluminium Ore. It consists largely of the minerals Gibbsite Al(OH3 Boehmite γ-AlO(OH and 5% from January to December, 1998 compared to the corresponding period in 1997. January's bauxite production recorded a 7. 1% increase relative to January 1998 and continued expansion of alumina production through 2009 is planned by Alcoa [1]. Alcoa Inc ( is the world's third largest producer of Aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. Tourism, which is the largest foreign exchange earner, showed improvement as well. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel In the third quarter of 1998, growth in tourist arrivals accelerated with an overall increase of 8. 5% in tourism earnings in 1998 when compared to the corresponding period in 1997. Jamaica's agricultural exports are sugar, bananas, coffee, rum,and yams. Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Rum is a Distilled beverage made from Sugarcane by-products such as Molasses and sugarcane Juice by a process of fermentation

Jamaica has a wide variety of industrial and commercial activities. The aviation industry[2] is able to perform most routine aircraft maintenance, except for heavy structural repairs. Aviation refers to activities involving man-made flying devices ( Aircraft) including the people organizations and regulatory bodies involved with them There is a considerable amount of technical support for transport and agricultural aviation. Jamaica has a considerable amount of industrial engineering, light manufacturing, including metal fabrication, metal roofing, and furniture manufacturing. Industrial engineering is also not good and shit Operations management, Systems engineering, production engineering manufacturing engineering or manufacturing systems Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale Fabrication, when used as an industrial term applies to the building of Machines, Structures or Process equipment for the chemical or fertilizer sector Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale Food and beverage processing, glassware manufacturing, computer software and data processing, printing and publishing, insurance underwriting, music and recording, and advanced education activities can be found in the larger urban areas. A drink, or beverage, is a Liquid specifically prepared for Human consumption Glassware usually refers to Glass items used as Tableware, such as dishes cutlery flatware and Drinkware used to set a table for eating a meal Printing is a process for reproducing text and image typically with ink on Paper using a printing press Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency The Jamaican construction industry is entirely self-sufficient, with professional technical standards and guidance. In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure

Since the first quarter of 2006, the economy of Jamaica has undergone a period of staunch growth. With inflation for the 2006 calendar year down to 6. 0% and unemployment down to 8. 9%, the nominal GDP grew by an unprecedented 2. 9%[3]. An investment programme in island transportation and utility infrastructure and gains in the tourism, mining, and service sectors all contributed this figure. All projections for 2007 show an even higher potential for economic growth with all estimates over 3. 0% and hampered only by urban crime and public policies.

In 2006, Jamaica became part of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) as one of the pioneering members. The Caribbean Community ( CARICOM) is an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies The CARICOM Single Market and Economy also known as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy or CSME is an integrated development strategy envisioned at the 10th Meeting

International trade

Exports: (1999) 1,238 billion $ (Natural resources: 55. 7%, Food 19. 1%, Bananas 4%, Chemicals 3. 6%, Machinery 2. 2%). The main export countries: USA 33. 4% , United Kingdom 13. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 4%, France 5%, Germany 4%, Canada 14. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page 1%, Netherlands 10. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands 2%, Norway 5. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional 8%, Japan 2. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. 3%.

Imports: (1999) 2,89 billion $ (Energy 50. 5%, Machinery and Equipment 7. 6%, Consumer goods 33. 2%). The main import countries: USA 48. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 1%, Trinidad and Tobago 7. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American 8%, Japan 6. 9%, United Kingdom 3. 7%, France 5%, Canada 3%.

Exports and Imports for January 2007 -

Exports: (January 2007) Total Goods Exports 166,495 (US$000) (General Merchandise Exports 93. 4%, Freezone Exports 2. 6%, Goods Procured in Ports 4. 0%).

Imports: (January 2007) : Total Goods Import 511,015 (US$000); General Merchandise Imports 97. 8%, Freezone Imports 0. 3%, Goods Procured in Ports 1. 8%).

Infrastructure

Transport

Further information: Transport in Jamaica

The transportation infrastructure in Jamaica consists of roadways, railways, ship and air transport – with roadways forming the backbone of the island's internal transportation system. Transport in Jamaica consists of Roadways Railways ship and air transport, with roadways forming the backbone of the island's internal Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Aviation refers to activities involving man-made flying devices ( Aircraft) including the people organizations and regulatory bodies involved with them

Roadways

The Jamaican road network consists of almost 21,000 kilometres of roads, of which over 15,000 kilometres is paved. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand ^[21] The Jamaican Government has, since the late 1990s and in cooperation with private investors, embarked on a campaign of infrastructural improvement projects, one of which includes the creation of a system of freeways, the first such access-controlled roadways of their kind on the island, connecting the main population centers of the island. The Politics of Jamaica takes place in a framework of a representative parliamentary democratic monarchy This project has so far seen the completion of 33 kilometres of freeway.

The Highway 2000 project, which seeks ultimately to link Kingston with Montego Bay and the north coast, is currently undergoing a series of phases/legs. Phase 1 is the highway network between Kingston and Mandeville which itself has been divided into sub-phases: Phase 1a (Kingston-Bushy Park (in actuality, Kingston-Sandy Bay) highway and the upgrade of the Portmore Causeway) which was completed June 2006, and Phase 1b (Sandy Bay-Williamsfield). Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country Mandeville is the capital of Jamaica 's Manchester parish. In 2005 the town had an estimated population of 50000 and including the immediate suburbs within Portmore is a coastal city in southern Jamaica in Saint Catherine, southwest of Kingston. Phase 2a is the highway between Old Harbour and Ocho Rios, and Phase 2b is the highway between Mandeville and Montego Bay. Ocho Ríos (also known by the nickname Ochie) Spanish for Eight Rivers, is a town on the northern coast of Jamaica, located in the parish Mandeville is the capital of Jamaica 's Manchester parish. In 2005 the town had an estimated population of 50000 and including the immediate suburbs within Montego Bay is the fourth largest city in Jamaica and is the location of Jamaica's largest airport the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport. ^[22]

Railways

Railways in Jamaica, as in many other countries, no longer enjoy the prominent position they once did, having been largely replaced by roadways as the primary means of transport. The Railways of Jamaica, constructed from 1845 were the first Railway lines opened to traffic outside Europe and North America and the second British Colony after Of the 272 kilometres of railway found in Jamaica, only 57 kilometres remain in operation, currently used to transport bauxite. Bauxite is the most important Aluminium Ore. It consists largely of the minerals Gibbsite Al(OH3 Boehmite γ-AlO(OH and ^[21]

Air Transport

There are two international airports in Jamaica with modern terminals, long runways, and the navigational equipment required to accommodate the large jet aircraft used in modern air travel: Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston and Sangster International Airport in the resort town of Montego Bay. An airport terminal is a building at an Airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from Airplanes A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land. A jet aircraft is an Aircraft propelled by Jet engines Jet aircraft fly much faster than Propeller -powered aircraft and at higher altitudes -- as high as Air travel is a form of Travel using an Airplane. The comfort experienced when traveling by air depends on several factors starting with the airport the Norman Manley International Airport, formerly Palisadoes Airport, is an airport serving Kingston in Jamaica. Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country Sir Donald Sangster International Airport is an international airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and is one of the largest busiest and most modern airports in A resort is a place used for Relaxation or Recreation, attracting visitors for Holidays or Vacations Resorts are places towns or sometimes Montego Bay is the fourth largest city in Jamaica and is the location of Jamaica's largest airport the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport. Both airports are home to the country's national airline, Air Jamaica. Air Jamaica Ltd is Jamaica's National airline and the largest Caribbean based airline In addition there are local commuter airports at Tinson Pen (Kingston), Port Antonio, Ocho Rios, Mandeville, and Negril which cater to internal flights only. Tinson Pen Aerodrome in Kingston Jamaica is the largest of Jamaica's four domestic Airports. Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles (100 km from Kingston. Ocho Ríos (also known by the nickname Ochie) Spanish for Eight Rivers, is a town on the northern coast of Jamaica, located in the parish Mandeville is the capital of Jamaica 's Manchester parish. In 2005 the town had an estimated population of 50000 and including the immediate suburbs within Negril is a large beach resort located across parts of two Jamaican Parishes Westmoreland and Hanover. Many other small, rural centers are served by private fields on sugar estates or bauxite mines.

Ports and Shipping

Owing to its location in the Caribbean Sea in the shipping lane to the Panama Canal and relative proximity to large markets in North America and emerging markets in Latin America, Jamaica receives high container traffic. For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere A sea lane is regularly used Route for Ocean -going vessels. In the time of sailing ships they were not only determined by the distribution of land masses The Panama Canal is a man-made Canal in Panama which joins the The term emerging markets is used to describe a nation's social or business activity in the process of rapid Industrialization. Containerization (or containerisation) is a system of Intermodal freight transport Cargo Transport using standard ISO containers The container terminal at the Port of Kingston has undergone large expansion in capacity in recent years to handle growth both already realised as well as that which is projected in coming years. A container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles for onward transportation ^[23]

There are several other ports positioned around the island, including the alumina ports, Port Esquivel in St.Catherine (WINDALCO), Rocky Point in Clarendon and Port Kaiser in St. Elizabeth. Geography and people St Catherine is located at. It is bordered by St Andrew in the east Clarendon in the west and by St Mary and St Clarendon (capital May Pen) is a Parish in Jamaica. It is located on the South of the island roughly half-way between the island's Brief history Saint Elizabeth originally included most of the south-west part of the island but in 1703 Westmoreland was taken from it and in 1814 a part of Manchester Port Rhoades in Discovery Bay is responsible for transporting bauxite dried at the adjacent Kaiser plant. Reynolds Pier in Ocho Rios is responsible for exporting sugar. Ocho Ríos (also known by the nickname Ochie) Spanish for Eight Rivers, is a town on the northern coast of Jamaica, located in the parish Montego Freeport in Montego Bay also handles a variety of cargo like(though more limited than) the Port of Kingston, mainly agricultural products. Montego Bay is the fourth largest city in Jamaica and is the location of Jamaica's largest airport the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport. Boundbrook Port in Port Antonio exports bananas. Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles (100 km from Kingston. There are also three cruise ship piers along the island, in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Port Antonio. Ocho Ríos (also known by the nickname Ochie) Spanish for Eight Rivers, is a town on the northern coast of Jamaica, located in the parish Montego Bay is the fourth largest city in Jamaica and is the location of Jamaica's largest airport the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport. Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles (100 km from Kingston.

Lighthouses

As the island is a large exporter of bauxite, there is considerable freighter traffic. Bauxite is the most important Aluminium Ore. It consists largely of the minerals Gibbsite Al(OH3 Boehmite γ-AlO(OH and A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of Ship or vessel that carries Cargo, goods and materials from one port to another To aid navigation, Jamaica operates nine lighthouses. There are seven operational onshore Lighthouses in Jamaica and two offshore External links in this section are to WikiMapia unless marked "Photo".

Energy

Jamaica depends on petroleum imports to satisfy its national energy needs. ^[24] Many test sites have been explored for oil, but no commercially viable quantities have been found. ^[25] The most convenient sources of imported oil and motor fuels (diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel) are from Mexico and Venezuela. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the

Jamaica's electrical power is produced by diesel (bunker oil) generators located in Old Harbour. Other smaller power stations (most owned by the Jamaica Public Service Company - the island's electricity provider) support the island's electrical grid including the Hunts Bay Power Station, the Bogue Power Station, the Rockfort Power Station and small hydroelectric plants on the White River, Rio Bueno, Morant River, Black River (Maggotty) and Roaring River. ^[26] A wind farm, owned by the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, was established at Wigton, Manchester. ^[27]

Jamaica imports approximately 80,000 barrels of oil energy products per day,^[28] including asphalt and lubrication products. Just 20% of imported fuels are used for road transportation, the rest being used by the bauxite industry, electricity generation, and aviation.

Jamaica produces enormous quantities of hydrous ethanol (5% water content), most of which appears to be consumed as beverages, and none of it used as motor fuel. Facilities exist to refine hydrous ethanol feedstock into anhydrous ethanol (0% water content), but the process appears to be uneconomic at this time and the facility remains idle. ^[29]

Communication

Jamaica has a fully digital telephone communication system with a mobile penetration of over 95%. Digital telephony is the use of digital electronics in the provision of digital Telephone services and systems ^[30]

The country’s three mobile operators - Cable and Wireless (marketed as bmobile), Digicel, and Oceanic Digital (operating as MiPhone) - have spent millions in network upgrade and expansion. Cable & Wireless (West Indies Ltd is a leading wholly owned telecommunications subsidiary of the British -based parent company Cable & Wireless plc. For the Brunei mobile phone company see B-Mobile. b mobile is a Caribbean Mobile telecommunications Digicel is a Mobile phone network provider in the Caribbean region The Irish owned Digicel has become a generic term for mobile phones in Jamaica. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Both Digicel and Oceanic Digital were granted licenses in 2001 to operate mobile services in the newly liberalised telecom market that had once been the sole domain of the incumbent Cable and Wireless monopoly. Digicel opted for the more widely used GSM wireless system, while Oceanic opted for the CDMA standard. GSM ( Global System for Mobile communications: originally from Groupe Spécial Mobile) is the most popular standard for Mobile phones in the Code division multiple access ( CDMA) is a Channel access method utilized by various radio communication technologies Cable and Wireless, which had begun with TDMA standard, subsequently upgraded to GSM, and currently utilises both standards on its network. This article is about the medium access technology The name "TDMA" is also commonly used in the United States to refer to D-AMPS, which is a mobile telephone

With wireless usage increasing, land lines supplied by Cable and Wireless have declined from just over half a million to roughly about three hundred thousand as of 2006. A landline, main line or fixed-line is a Telephone line which travels through a solid medium either metal Wire or Optical fibre ^[30] In a bid to grab more market share, Cable and Wireless recently launched a new land line service called HomeFone Prepaid that would allow customers to pay for minutes they use rather than pay a set monthly fee for service, much like prepaid wireless service. A prepaid mobile phone ( pay-as-you-go or prepaid wireless) is a Mobile phone for which service is purchased in advance of use

A new entrant to the Jamaican communications market, Flow Jamaica, recently laid a new submarine cable connecting Jamaica to the United States. Columbus Communications is a Cable television and Broadband speed Internet service provider. A submarine communications cable is a cable laid beneath the sea to carry Telecommunications between countries The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This new cable increases the total number of submarine cables connecting Jamaica to the rest of the world to four.

Two more licenses were auctioned by the Jamaican government to provide mobile services on the island, including one that was previously owned by AT&T Wireless but never utilised, and one new licence. AT&T Mobility LLC (usually branded AT&T, and formerly named Cingular Wireless LLC) is the wholly owned wireless subsidiary of AT&T Inc Industry analysts argue that with a near market saturation, there is very little room for new operators.

Military

Main article: Military of Jamaica

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is the small but professional military force of Jamaica. Jamaican Defence Forces The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF is the overall name given to the combined military forces of Jamaica. The JDF is based upon the British military model with organisation, training, weapons and traditions closely aligned with Commonwealth realms. A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch Once chosen, officer candidates are sent to one of several British or Canadian basic officer courses depending upon which arm of service they are selected for. Enlisted soldiers are given basic training at JDF Training Depot, Newcastle or Up Park Camp, both in St. Andrew. As on the British model, NCOs are given several levels of professional training as they rise up the ranks. Additional military schools are available for speciality training in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The JDF is directly descended from the British West Indies Regiment formed during the colonial era. The West India Regiment (WIR was an infantry unit of the British Army recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927 The West Indies Regiment was used extensively by the British Empire in policing the empire from 1795 to 1926. Other units in the JDF heritage include the early colonial Jamaica Militia, the Kingston Infantry Volunteers of WWI and reorganised into the Jamaican Infantry Volunteers in World War II. The West Indies Regiment was reformed in 1958 as part of the West Indies Federation. The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived Caribbean Federation that existed from January 3 1958 The dissolution of the Federation resulted in the establishment of the JDF.

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) comprises an infantry Regiment and Reserve Corps, an Air Wing, a Coast Guard fleet and a supporting Engineering Unit. The infantry regiment contains the 1st, 2nd and 3rd (National Reserve) battalions. The JDF Air Wing is divided into three flight units, a training unit, a support unit and the JDF Air Wing (National Reserve). The Coast Guard is divided between sea-going crews and support crews. It conducts maritime safety and maritime law enforcement as well as defence-related operations. The support battalion contains a Military Police platoon as well as vehicle, armourers and supply units. The 1st Engineer Regiment provides military engineering support to the JDF. The Headquarters JDF contains the JDF Commander, Command Staff as well as Intelligence, Judge Advocate office, Administrative and Procurement sections.

In recent years the JDF has been called upon to assist the nation's police, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in fighting drug smuggling and a rising crime rate which includes one of the highest murder rates in the world. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF is the Police force of the island nation of Jamaica. JDF units actively conduct armed patrols with the JCF in high-crime areas and known gang neighbourhoods. There has been vocal controversy as well as support of this JDF role. In early 2005, an Opposition leader, Edward Seaga, called for the merger of the JDF and JCF. Edward Philip George Seaga ON (born May 28, 1930) was Prime Minister of Jamaica and Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1980 This has not garnered support in either organisation nor among the majority of citizens.

Crime

See also: Prisons in Jamaica

Some areas of Jamaica experience high levels of violent crime. Twelve correctional institutions in Jamaica are operated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security Jamaica has had one of the highest murder rates in the world for many years, usually ranking third after Colombia and South Africa, according to UN estimates. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security ^[31] Jamaica's former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson described the situation as "a national challenge of unprecedented proportions". ^[32] In 2005, Jamaica had 1,674 murders for a murder rate of 64. 10 per 100,000 people; that year Jamaica had the highest murder rate in the world. ^[33] The spate of gangland killings in the UK in particular, can be attributed to Yardie criminals illegally entering the country as part of the international drugs trade. Yardie is a term stemming from the slang name given to occupants of government yards in Trenchtown, a neighborhood in West Kingston Jamaica. ^[34]

See also

• States headed by Elizabeth II
• List of wettest known tropical cyclones in Jamaica

References

Further reading

• Chapman, V. J. 1961. The Marine Algae of Jamaica. Part 1. Myxophyceae and Chlorophyceae. Institute of Jamaica.
• Chapman, V. J. 1963. The Marine Algae of Jamaica. Part 2. Phaeophyceas and Rhodophyceae. Institute of Jamaica.

External links

• Official website of Queen Elizabeth as Queen of Jamaica
• The Cabinet Office of the Government of Jamaica
• Pictures from Jamaica
• National Library of Jamaica materials in the Digital Library of the Caribbean
• Wikimedia Atlas of Jamaica
• Jamaica travel guide from Wikitravel
• Wikia has a wiki on this subject: Jamaica
• Jamaica at the Open Directory Project
• Jamaica entry at The World Factbook
• Satellite maps on Google