Location and Geography
Jamaica, part of the Greater Antilles, is located in the Caribbean Sea at a latitude of 18 degrees north and a longitude of 78 degrees west (of the capital, Kingston). It is about 1127 km (700 miles) south of Miami, Florida, USA, and 145km (90 miles) south of Cuba, its nearest neighbour. The island has an area of 11453 sq km (4411 sq miles). It is 235 km (146 miles) long from east to west,and 82 km (51 miles) across at its broadest point, from St Ann’s Bay in the north to Portland Point in the south.
Jamaica has a warm, tropical maritime climate. The average temperature on the coastal lowlands is 26.7· Celsius (80·F). There is a difference of about 5·C (34·F) in the average temperature between January-February and July-August (respectively the coldest and warmest periods of the year). There is an estimated fall in temperature of 16·C (4·F) per 1000 foot increase in altitude; the average temperature at Blue Mountain Peak, the island’s highest point, is 13·C (56·F).
Average annual rainfall for the whole island is 195.8cm (77.1 inches).Rainfall peaks in May and October, and is at its lowest levels in March and June. The Blue Mountain range and the northeast coast receive the highest annual rainfall, the average being about 330 cm (130 inches). Jamaica lies in a hurricane zone; the hurricane season lasts from June to November.
Jamaica is extremely mountainous, with a central chain of mountains running east to west, forming a backbone through the middle of the island. Nearly half of the island’s area is over 300 m (1000 feet) above sea level. The highest point is Blue Mountain Peak, on the border between Portland and St. Thomas, at 2256 m (7402 feet).
Most of Jamaica’s rivers flow to the north or to the south, from the mountainous interior toward the coast. The largest river is Black River, located in the parish of St. Elizabeth, which is 71 km (44 miles) long. Several rivers go underground, the island being mostly covered with limestone. Sinkholes and underground streams are numerous in the karst-like topography of the Cockpit Country in the west of the island.
Jamaica is divided into three counties – Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey– and further divided into 14 parishes. Kingston, the capital and commercial centre of Jamaica, is situated on the southeast coast of the island. Montego Bay, located on the north-west coast, is the island’s second city. It was granted city status on May 1, 1980.
History
Compiled from various history books by Donna Essix
I. Pre-Colombian Jamaica
Prior to the arrival of Columbus in 1494, Jamaica was inhabited
by Arawaks, living in simple communities based on fishing, hunting,
and small scale cultivation of cassava. The impact of the contact
with the Spanish was traumatic, and these communities disappeared
in 70-80 years. Plunder, disruption of economic activities, new
diseases, and migration decimated the indigenous population. Only
a few artifacts, examples of which are on display at the small museum
at White Marl, and a few Spanish corruptions of place names (such
as Ocho Rios) remain from this period. Otherwise, there is no Arawak
influence on the subsequent development of life on the island.
II. The Spanish Occupation, 1494-1655
Disappointed by the absence of gold on the island, the Spanish used
Jamaica as a base for supporting the conquest of the Americas, particularly
Mexico with its treasures of gold and silver. The population of
the Spanish settlement, including their slaves, was never large.
It was administered from the Town of Santiago de la Vega, now called
Spanish Town, and much of the architecture of the original buildings
is still evident today in the town square. Economic activity consisted
primarily of production for domestic consumption, and to a lesser
extent the supply of Spanish ships.
In 1655, it was captured by the British expedition led by Admirals Penn and Venables, following their unsuccessful invasion of Hispaniola. By this time, the island was of little significance to the Spanish crown, and accordingly, very little was done to defend it against the British. As with the previous period, the influence of the Spanish settlement on the subsequent social, economic and political life of the island was marginal. Apart from remnants of buildings with the distinct Spanish colonial architectural styles, and names of places, there is very little visible evidence of the Spanish occupation.
III. The Slave Economy, 1655-1838
After a brief period of experimenting with indentured European labor,
the British turned to large scale importation of Africans to be
used as slaves on the sugar plantations. In its hey-day, Jamaica
was one of "the jewels in the English crown" because of
the fabulous prosperity it brought to the English plantation owners
directly, and indirectly to those cities such as Liverpool and Bristol,
which serviced the trade with Jamaica and the rest of the British
Caribbean (West Indies). Plantation slavery was based on the Triangular
trade among England (manufactured goods), Africa (slaves), and the
Caribbean (sugar), which itself was the basis for what later emerged
as the international economy. International trade was so important
to the Jamaican economy that when the American war of independence
disrupted trade between what was then the "North American colonies"
and the Caribbean, 15,000 slaves died of starvation in Jamaica alone.
The plantation dominated economic life in every sense. It occupied the best lands, the laws supported the slave system, and in general all commercial and other economic activity depended on the rhythm of activity of the plantation. Some slaves inevitably ran away from the estates to live in small bands in the mountains as Maroons.
In recognition of her leadership in the Maroon wars against the British, Nanny was eventually named a national hero. Except for the Maroons, all agricultural activity took place on the plantations. The towns served as the commercial sites for the export of sugar and the importation of the inputs for production.
The political system consisted of a governor and his executive council, and an assembly of representatives elected on a limited franchise determined by property ownership. The politics of this period was characterized by an uneasy alliance between the governor as the representative of the crown, and the Assembly of planters, against the slaves. Frequently, the alliance broke down, invariably over taxation of the plantations.
By the close of the 18th century, sugar was losing its economic preeminence because of competition from beet sugar as well as rising production costs. In 1838, the slaves were Emancipated and the plantations had to begin paying wages to its workers. One of Jamaica's national heroes, Rev. Sam Sharpe, after whom Montego Bay's city square is named, is celebrated for his leadership role in the famous Christmas rebellion of slaves in 1831, a few years before Emancipation.
IV. The Development of the Peasantry. 1838-1938
After Emancipation, many of the ex-slaves settled down as small
farmers in the mountains, cultivating steep hill slopes far away
from the plantations. Still others settled on marginal lands in
the plains nearby the plantations on land leased or bought in various
land settlement schemes organized and sponsored by Christian groups
such as the Baptists.
Struggles over land were central themes in the history of this period, culminating in the Morant Bay rebellion, for which two of Jamaica's national heroes, George William Gordon and Paul Bogle paid with their lives.
In this period, sugar continued its secular decline, but peasant exports of logwood, coffee, and eventually bananas grew steadily. In this way, the economy began to be diversified away from its traditional dependence on sugar alone.
V. The National Movement and Decolonization, 1938-1962
The roots of the national movement for independence reach back into
the struggles for land in the 19th century. More immediately, it
was inspired by the political ideas and agitation of Marcus Mosiah
Garvey, one of Jamaica's national heroes, and precipitated by the
reaction of the sugar and dock workers to the economic crisis spawned
by the Great Depression. It emerged as a political force in the
context of the rebellion in 1938. Its most enduring political institutions,
are the two major political parties, and the labor unions affiliated
to them. Both the founder of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) and the
Bustamante Industrial Trades Union (BITU), Alexander Bustamante,
and the founder of the People's National Party (PNP) and the National
Workers Union (NWU), Norman Manley, have been declared national
heroes for their individual and combined efforts in securing political
independence from England. The constitutional change that facilitated
the emergence of these parties was the granting of adult suffrage
and a measure of self-government in 1944.
The period 1944-1962 not only saw major political changes, but also major transformations of the structure of the economy. From a monocrop export economy, the economy became diversified around the export of sugar, bananas and other agricultural commodities, the export of bauxite and alumina, and the tourist industry. These in turn, stimulated a vibrant construction industry, and an import substituting manufacturing sector. The USA displaced the UK as Jamaica's principal trading partner. There was also a tremendous migration of labor to the UK and the USA which needed labor for the post-war reconstruction and expansion of their economies.
VI. The First Decade of Political Independence, 1962-1972
Political Independence was granted in 1962, following Jamaica's
rejection, by referendum, of membership in the Federation of the
West Indies. Jamaica was given a Westminister style constitution,
with a Governor-general as the representative of the British Crown,
and a bicameral Parliament. There is a House of Representatives
consisting of elected representatives and a Senate appointed by
the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The government
is headed by a Prime Minister, who is required to consult with the
Governor General and the Leader of the Opposition on certain matters.
The first two governments were formed by the JLP, which had opposed
membership in the Federation.
The post-war boom in the economy continued through the 60's, though it gradually slowed down, with the completion of the investment cycle of the bauxite/alumina industry. By the end of the decade, there were well established mining, tourism, manufacturing, and construction sectors, alongside the traditional agricultural and distribution sectors.
VII. The Second Decade of Political Independence
Between 1972 and 1980, the PNP, the other major political party,
held political office and initiated a shift in major economic policies.
Most notable was the imposition of the Bauxite Levy in 1974, in
order to increase Jamaica's share of the income in that industry.
The government positioned the state in the leadership role within
the process of economic development, with a view to attenuating
and rectifying the inherited economic inequalities.
Related to this was an ideology of social reform to protect the weakest sections of the population, and to promote the welfare of the poor through subsidized food, housing, education, health, and other important social services. In international affairs, Jamaica opened up relations with many non-capitalist countries, and promoted the solidarity of the Third World in international negotiations with the advanced countries.
The international economy was quite unfavorable for a number of reasons. The main ones were the weakness of the aluminum market, and hence, the bauxite industry, the inflation of oil and food prices, and the decline and reversal of capital inflows for private investment.
All of this contributed to the decline in the economy, with the attendant problems of unemployment, inflation, and growing external indebtedness. By the end of the decade, the government sought assistance from the IMF and the World Bank, and since then these two institutions, along with the USAID, have determined the policy framework of the government.
VIII. The Third Decade of Political Independence
From 1980 to 1989, the JLP held political office. They were committed
to the same free market development policies as the IMF, the World
Bank, and the USAID. Because of a special political relationship
with the Reagan administration, Jamaica benefited from generous
USA assistance in the first half of the decade. The economy was
substantially deregulated, the currency was devalued, and many public
enterprises were divested in the process of adjustment..
The eighties saw the development of Free Zone manufacturing especially of garments for export to the USA, the gradual recovery of bauxite/alumina production, and the rapid growth of tourism from North America. In the process, the traditional international economic relations, particularly with the USA, were strengthened at the expense of regional relations, such as Caricom trade.
The eighties also saw large volumes of emigrants, primarily to the USA, swelling the ranks of established overseas Jamaican communities, and creating new ones. Jamaicans are contributing in every sphere of human activity, and distinguishing themselves in cultural activities, such as music, and sports. In addition, Jamaicans have been accumulating significant quantities of wealth in assets in the USA and other countries.
Population and Language
At the end of 1994, the estimated population of Jamaica was 2,509,800.
The majority of the population is of African and mixed African origin; other major ethnic groups represented in the island are East Indians, Chinese, Arabs and Europeans. There is much intermingling of races and nationalities in the society.
English is the official language in the island, although an English-based Jamaican Creole (patois) is spoken by most of the inhabitants.
Religion
Complete religious freedom exists in Jamaica. The majority of the population is Christian, yet full recognition is accorded to non-Christian faiths, which include Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Bahai. The older Christian denominations in the island are Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Moravian,Seventh-Day Adventist, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. In addition, there are numerous Evangelical and Pentecostal groups, as well as adherents of the Rastafarian faith.
Sports
The island has a rich history in the field of sports, and has distinguished itself especially in the areas of athletics and cricket. Such internationally known sprinters as Donald Quarrie, the Olympic gold mediallist; and Olympic silver mediallists Merlene Ottey, Grace Jackson, Juliet Cuthbert and Winthrop Graham have followed the tradition set by world record holders and Olympic gold mediallists such as Arthur Wint, George Rhoden and Herb Mckenley in the 1950s.
Jamaica is part of the world-class West Indies cricket team, contributing such players in the past and present as George Headley, “Collie” Smith, Allan Rae, Michael Holding, Jeffery Dujon, Courtney Walsh and Jimmy Adams. In boxing, Jamaica’s world champions include Michael McCallum (former WBA junior middleweight title holder and holder of the WBA middleweight title), Trevor Berbick (former WBC heavy weight title holder), Jamaican-born British-based Lloyd Honeygan (former welterweight holder of the WBC and IBF titles) and Simon Brown (former IBF welterweight title holder).
Other popular sports include football, horse-racing, cycling, dominoes, lawn and table tennis, squash, badminton and golf. Jamaican women have traditionally done well in netball and field hockey, particularly at regional competitions.
Since 1988 Jamaica has been participating in the Bobsled Winter Olympics. The teams have consistently performed creditably.
In the Winter Olympics in 1994 held in Lillehammer, Norway, the 4-man team placed 14th out of the 35 participating teams and in the process beat the team representing the U.S.A.
The Media
Jamaica is served by both print and electronic media. There are four daily national newspapers – the Daily Gleaner, which has been in publicationsince 1834, its associated afternoon tabloid the Star, the Jamaica Herald, established in 1992, and the Jamaica Observer in 1994. There are several regional and community newspapers.
The year 20055 marked the sixty-fifth anniversary of radio broadcasting in Jamaica. The two oldest radio stations are Radio Jamaica (RJR) and the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC). In recent years, new radio stations have emerged to break the former RJR/JBC monopoly; these are Radio Waves, operating from Montego Bay, KLAS FM, based in Mandeville, IRIE FM, the island’s first all-reggae station operating out of Ocho Rios, most recently, POWER 106.FM, and LOVE 101 FM (the first all-religious station), both based in Kingston.
JBC-TV, which is wholly state-owned, and CVM, which started in 1991, are the only television stations on the island. Cable and satellite TV bring shows from all over the world.
Source: http://www.jamaicans.com/info/jahistory/brief.shtml