Sources

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
http://www.state.gov/
http://www.theanimalspot.com/
http://www.homeaway.com/?cid=P_Homeaway%20Brand_T_G_Homeaway_homeaway._E&k_clickid=4e7b44ba-87e1-26e8-6bb3-00001f38c41e
http://www.polyvore.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/

The future of Jamaica

Jamaica's lush and scenic environment attracts many tourists year round from all over the world. However, Jamaica may not be this way for very long. Pollution from idustrial waste, sewage, vehicle emissions, and oil spills, as well as deforestation, destruction of coral reefs, and extinction of Jamaican wildlife, threatens Jamaica's ecosystem and the beauty of the country. Increasing crime rates, job losses and a debt crisis puts Jamaica in a very bad spot for the future.

Jamaican culture

Most Jamaicans are protestant and speak english, however many jamaicans, especially in rural areas speak Patois, a combination of English and some African languages. The Family in Jamaican culture is very important, as it is the people you spend most of your life with. Trust is very important in Jamaica, and many Jamaicans do not trust those in authority. The people of Jamaica are very religous, Jamaica, a small island, has more churches per capita than anywhere in the world. The Rastafarians are a group in Jamaica that rose in the 1930's and believes that they are a lost tribe from israel, and were taken to Jamaica by slavery, and they must return to ethiopia. They believe that Africa is the birthplace of mankind. They also believe that Haile Selassie I, the last emporer of Ethiopia, was the second coming of Jesus Christ on earth. Politness and courtesy are also highly practiced in Jamaica.

(Haile Selassie I)

Jamaica's government

Jamaica is a constitutional monarchy and a parlimentary democracy based on the U.K. model. The Jamaican constitution consists of 10 chapters, and 138 articles. The government is split into three branches, the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.

The political parties in Jamaica are the People's National party, The Jamaican labour party, National Democratic Movement, and the New Nation Coalition. Suffrage in Jamaica starts at the age of 18. The Jamaican capital building is pictured below.

Jamaican demographics

Ethnic groups:
black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6%


Religions:
Protestant 62.5%, Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%

Population:
2,889,187

Birth rate:
18.89 births

Death rate:
6.59 deaths

mortality rate:
89 deaths

Infant mortality rate:
14.3 deaths

Literacy rate:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87.9%
male: 84.1%
female: 91.6%

The Jamaican flag

The Jamaican flag is symbolized by the motto "Hardships there are but the land is green and the sun shineth". The black triangles on the flag represent the adversity Jamaica has overcome, and for the hardships it may have in the future. The green triangles on the flag represent hope and agriculture. The golden saltire on the flag stands for the mineral wealth of Jamaica, and for sunlight.

Jamaica's economic activities

Jamaica's primary economic activity is mining large amount of Bauxite in the mountains of the island. Bauxite is the country's main export, and is a huge part of economy of Jamaica. Tourism is a tertiary economic activity in Jamaica. The islands rainforests, beaches and the Jamaican culture atrract many people. Jamaica has a relatively low level of development, the country's GDP is 24.58 billion.

The country has a high rate of unemployment/underemployment, the unemployment rate in Jamaica increased from 12.4 percent in 2010 to 12.7 percent in 2011. The percent of Jamaica's population below the poverty line is 16.5 percent. the country has a debt to GDP ratio of 120 percent. this is probably because of many government bailouts, primarily in the financial sector, in the 1990's. the government created the Jamaican Debt Exchange in an attempt to reduce the country's debt. Jamaica's debt greatly hinders spending on infrastructure and social programs, contributing to job losses. the rising amount of job losses also raises the amount of crime in the country, which is becoming a serious problem.

Jamaica's borders

Jamaica is an island in the middle of the carribean, and does not border any countries. it is, however, located near Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. Recently, Jamaica has teamed up with cuba against drug trafficking. Jamaica has also helped out by sending relief supplies to Haiti after the earthquake.

Last year, the Jamaican government started requiring a license on all cement imported from the Dominican Republic, after the Dominican Republic held a shipment of Jamaican cement valued at around 250,000 U.S. dollars. The Dominican Republic claimed that the cement lacked the lab tests the construction codes require, and therefore held the cement.

Jamaican interaction with the environment

Because Jamaica is located in the carribean, the island often expiriences hurricanes and tropical storms. The people of Jamaica build their houses on stilts, to prevent them from being engulfed by water during a storm. Jamaica's forests are also relatively intact, as the people of jamaica are very preservative and do not cut down alot of trees.





Jamaica's plant and animal species, however, are threatened. In 2001 four mammal species, seven bird species, and eight reptile species were endangered. Some of these species include the tundra peregrine falcon, homerus swallowtail butterfly, green sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, and American crocodile. The Caribbean monk seal, Osborn's key mouse, and the Jamaican giant galliwasp have all become extinct. Also, over 680 plant species are threatened in Jamaica.

 

 Carribean Monk Seal (extinct)

Jamaica's resources

Jamaica's main natural resource, aswell as its main export, is bauxite, mainly in the mountainous region. the large amount of bauxite mining has made pollution a problem in Jamaica, especially water pollution. Bauxite mining has contaminated Jamaica's groundwater with a red- mud type of waste. Jamaica's coastal waters have also been polluted by bauxite, as well as sewage, oil spills, and other industrial wastes.

Jamaica's climate and ecosystem

Jamaica has a very Tropical wet and dry climate, due to the fact that it is close to the equator and in a tropical climate zone, where the ocean moderates it's temperature. Jamaica has a tropical rainforest ecosystem, that is home to many different species of plants and animals. Jamaican rain forests remain mostly intact, as logging and deforestation are not a big problem. Before the Spanish came to Jamaica around the year 1494, the island was believed to be very deeply forested. The Spanish, however, cut down the trees for building, and cleared savannas, plains, and mountain slopes for cultivation.

Jamaica's mountainous terrain

Jamaica is very mountainous because the island is the top of an underwater mountain. East Jamaica is dominated by the Blue mountains. The peak of the blue mountains is about 7401 feet tall. The blue mountains catch the rainfall from moist winds, which feeds all of the lush vegetation on the island. The Blue Mountains are also home to many animal species, including over 200 bird species. These mountains also have large amounts of bauxite that is a main export for jamaica.

Bob Marley

Reggae is a form of music that originated in the country of Jamaica. One of the most famous reggae composers is Bob marley, who was born in jamaica on February 6th, 1945. One of his most famous songs is Three little birds. Here is a link to the song, so you can listen to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY_NQZyBc3g

Jamaica