The Ortanique is unique to Jamaica and is a cross between a
Tangerine and an Orange. Its common name is derived from the words
orange, tangerine and unique.
Publicly and privately owned. Ages
12 – 18 years. The high schools in Jamaica may be either single-sex or
co-educational institutions. Many follow the traditional English
grammar school model e.g., St. Hugh's High School for Girls, Wolmer's
Girls and Boys Schools, Kingston College (boys), Jamaica College
(boys), St. George's College (boys), Convent of Mercy Academy "Alpha"
(girls), Campion College (co-ed), the St. Andrew High School for
Girls, Holy Childhood High school for girls,which is also one of the
top ranking Catholic schools on the island, the Immaculate Conception
High School for Girls, Munroe College (boys), Clarendon College,
Glenmuir High (co-ed),the Ardenne High School (co-ed); although there
are several good technical high schools. Chief among these are the St.
Andrew Technical High School, the St. Elizabeth Technical High School
and Kingston Technical High School - all co-educational institutions.
There is no free
education in Jamaica above the Primary Level. Although there isn't free
education, there are opportunities for those who can't afford further
education in the vocational arena through the Human Employment and
Resource Training-National Training Agency (HEART Trust-NTA) programme and
through an extensive scholarship network for the various universities.
The island - discovered by
Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the
16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for
centuries, were gradually exterminated, replaced by African slaves.
England siezed the island in 1655 and a plantation economy - based on
sugar, cocoa, and coffee - was established. The abolition of slavery
in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of which became small
farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from
Britain, and in 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in
forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full
independence when it withdrew from the federation in 1962.
The largest of the British West Indian
islands, is situated in the Caribbean Sea, between latitude 17 deg. 43
min. and 18 deg. 32 min. N., and longitude 76 deg. 11 min. and 78 deg.
30 min. W. It is 90 miles south of Cuba, 100 west of Haiti, and 554
miles from Colon
The nearest point of the continent of America is about 400 miles
southwest of the island. The name Jamaica is said to be derived from
Arawak words denoting water and wood, signifying a fertile land. The
island is 144 miles long, and from 21.5 to 49 miles broad. Its area is
4207.5 square miles, of which about 646 are flat, consisting of
alluvium, marl, and swamp. There are some mineral deposits in the
island, the most abundant being copper. The surface of the island is
very mountainous, almost 2000 square miles of it being above an
altitude of 1000 feet. The culminating point, Blue Mountain Peak, is
7360 feet high.
JS
Geography
Area: 10,991
sq. km. (4,244 sq. mi.).
Cities: Capital--Kingston metro area (pop. 628,000). Other
cities--Montego Bay (96,600), Spanish Town (122,700).
Terrain: Mountainous, coastal plains.
Climate: Tropical.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Jamaican(s).
Population: (2005 est.) 2,660,700 million.
Annual growth rate (2005): 0.5%.
Ethnic groups: African 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, Chinese 0.2%, White 0.2%,
mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%.
Religious affiliation: Anglican, Baptist and other Protestant, Roman
Catholic, Rastafarian, Jewish.
Languages: English, Patois.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 14. Literacy (age 15 and
over)--79.9%.
Health (2005): Infant mortality rate--19.2/1,000. Life
expectancy--female 75 yrs., male 73 yrs.
Work force (2005, 1.19 million): Industry--17.8%; agriculture--21.4%;
services--60.8%
Jamaica is a mixed,
free-market economy with state enterprises as well as private sector
businesses. Major sectors of the Jamaican economy include agriculture,
mining, manufacturing, tourism and financial and insurance services.
Tourism and mining are the leading foreign exchange earners.
The diversity of surface, from
the plains to the plateaux and mountain slopes, affords a variety
of climate
Supported by
multilateral financial institutions, Jamaica has, since the early 1980's,
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 program of economic
liberalisation and stabilisation by removing exchange controls, floating
the exchange rate, cutting tariffs, stabilising the Jamaican currency,
reducing inflation and removing restrictions on foreign investment.
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.
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
80.2% 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 remains
committed to lowering inflation, with a long-term objective of bringing it
in line with that of its major trading partners source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica
Jamaica online takes a real look
at Jamaica and Jamaican culture with recipes guides to patois,
reggae, how to be a tourist, Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port
Antonio, Kingston, Mandeville
The Jamaica
Information Service (JIS) is the multifaceted information agency
of the Government of Jamaica that gathers and disseminates
information on Government policies and programmes, locally and
overseas. The agency utilises the full range of media skills and
talents - print, radio, television, graphic arts, video projection
and public relation, to achieve its goals.
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 element 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.
Jamaican Government economic policies
encourage foreign investment in areas that earn or save foreign
exchange, generate employment, and use local raw materials. The
government provides a wide range of incentives to investors,
including remittance facilities to assist them in repatriating
funds to the country of origin; tax holidays which defer taxes for
a period of years; and duty-free access for machinery and raw
materials imported for approved enterprises
The aborigines were most probably a tribe of the Arawak Indians,
and not Caribs, who were cannibals. The Arawaks were a gentle and
inoffensive people as their name (meal-eaters) signifies. They
believed in a Supreme Being (Jocahuna), in a future state, and had
a tradition about a deluge. Their form of government was
patriarchal. They smoked tobacco and played a football game called
bato, in which both men and women joined
PEOPLE AND
HISTORY
Arawaks from South America had settled in Jamaica
prior to Christopher Columbus' first arrival at the island in 1494. During
Spain's occupation of the island, starting in 1510, the Arawaks were
exterminated by disease, slavery, and war. Spain brought the first African
slaves to Jamaica in 1517. In 1655, British forces seized the island, and
in 1670, Great Britain gained formal possession.
Sugar made Jamaica one of the
most valuable possessions in the world for more than 150 years. The
British Parliament abolished slavery as of August 1, 1834. After a long
period of direct British colonial rule, Jamaica gained a degree of local
political control in the late 1930s, and held its first election under
full universal adult suffrage in 1944. Jamaica joined nine other U.K.
territories in the West Indies Federation in 1958 but withdrew after
Jamaican voters rejected membership in 1961. Jamaica gained independence
in 1962, remaining a member of the Commonwealth.
Historically, Jamaican
emigration has been heavy. Since the United Kingdom restricted emigration
in 1967, the major flow has been to the United States and Canada. About
20,000 Jamaicans emigrate to the United States each year; another 200,000
visit annually. New York, Miami, Chicago, and Hartford are among the U.S.
cities with a significant Jamaican population. Remittances from the
expatriate communities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada,
estimated at up to $800 million per year, make increasingly significant
contributions to Jamaica's economy. source:
www.state.gov
Export:(1999)
1,238 billion $ (Natural resources: 55,7%, Food 19,1%, Bananas 4%,
Chemical 3,6%, Machinery 2,2%). The main export countries: USA 33,4% ,
United Kingdom 13,4% ,France 5%, Germany 4%, Canada 14,1%, Netherlands
10,2%, Norway 5,8%, Japan 2,3%. Import: (1999) 2,89 billion $ (Energy
50,5%, Machinery and Equipment 7,6%, Consumer goods 33,2%). The main
import countries: USA 48,1%, Trinidad and Tobago 7,8%, Japan 6,9%,
United Kingdom 3,7%, France 5%, Canada 3%
Come Discover Jamaica, a country of sun-drenched beaches, warm
tropical breezes and rich cultural heritage.
DiscoverJamaica.com works hard to bring you the best possible vacation
guide for your lifestyle. If you are planning a trip to Jamaica make
us your first stop for information
Montego Bay Heritage Once called el Golfo
de Buen Tiempo (Fair Weather Gulf), and La Bahia Manteca (Lard Bay),
Montego Bay’s rich history includes the stories of Spanish
conquistadors, grand ...
Want to create an island adventure that suits your
fancy? Try one of our theme vacations that is sure to make your trip a
memorable one
Jazz pianist Ralph Lewars is a successful musican in London and has
played in Europe and the USA. However his father was born in
Clarendon and a cousin was the third wife of former Prime Minister,
Michael Manley. Read about his lifelong love affair with his beloved
Jazz. By Deborah Gabriel
[In Jamaica Primetime
Photos From The Past
Check out our new Jamaica Past photo gallery. See images and
illustrations from Jamaica’s past including the 1907 earthquake,
downtown Kingston, flat bridge, the 1920's and more.
[In Fun Stuff]
Jamaica
has natural resources, primarily bauxite, adequate water supplies, and
climate conducive to agriculture and tourism. The discovery of bauxite in
the 1940s and the subsequent establishment of the bauxite-alumina industry
shifted Jamaica's economy from sugar and bananas. By the 1970s, Jamaica
had emerged as a world leader in export of these minerals as foreign
investment increased
There are over two
thousand distinct species of flowering plants and some four hundred and
seventy varieties of ferns in Jamaica. The economic woods include:
logwood, lignum-vitae, cedar, mahogany, mahoe, fustic, bullet-wood, yacca
satin-wood, and cashaw. The medicinal woods and plants are quassia,
cinchona, gamboge, sarsaparilla, senna, belladonna, castor-oil, ginger,
tamarind, and tobacco. Dietetic: coffee, cocoa, arrow-root, pimento, cane,
plantain, yam, and sweet potato. Among the fruit trees, all the citrus
family abound, mango, star-apple, bread-fruit, banana, cocoa-nut,
custard-apple, avocado pear, pineapple, etc
CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY
Intimately associated
with vital statistics comes the question of climate. Jamaica, being a
tropical island, was formerly looked on as injurious as a residence to the
inhabitants of northern latitudes. This theory has been completely
refuted, and for many years past the invalid and tourist is resorting in
increasing numbers to this "Riviera of the West," which is an ideal
sojourn for the health-seeker. The diversity of surface, from the plains
to the plateaux and mountain slopes, affords a variety of climate suitable
to any requirement. The table of 1899 given in the next column will
illustrate this fact, at varying altitudes and localities.
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