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HISTORY
OF JAMAICA |
History Key-Dates
1494- Christopher Columbus discovered the island. 1509- The Spaniards occupied the country and remained in possession for 146
years. 1655- The English captured the island from the Spaniards and colonized the
territory. 1692- Port Royal, which had become the focal point of the pirates plundering
the Caribbean and Central America, was destroyed by earthquake and Kingston
became subsequently the chief city and port. 1838- Slaves were emancipated and the economy foundered due to the crisis on
the plantations. 1848- Britain’s free trade policy led to a further deterioration in the
Jamaican economy because sugar protection was lifted and Jamaican sugar was
in competition with cheaper sugar from elsewhere. 1865- The Morant Bay Rebellion broke out after prolonged disputes between the
planters and the settlers. 1866- Crown Colony Government replaced the old system of representative
government. 1870- An export trade in bananas replaced the predominance of sugar and
restored the island’s economy. 1944- Universal adult suffrage was introduced under the new Constitution and
proved to be the first step in the gradual move toward independence. 1953- A full ministerial system was established. 1958- Jamaica joined the federation of the West Indies, which was an
association of 10 British Island territories in which Jamaica and Trinidad
were the largest. 1959- The country was granted full internal self-government. 1961- Jamaica voted in a Referendum to secede from the Federation of the West
Indies and to achieve Independence. 1962- The Federation was dissolved and Jamaica became independent on August 6th. Geography
Almost at the center of the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica lies 150 kilometers
(90 miles) south of Cuba and 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of Haiti, the
two nearest countries. The closest point to Jamaica is South America is
Cartagena in Colombia, a distance of 710 kilometers (445 miles) almost due
south The latitude and longitude of the capital, Kingston, are about 18
degrees N and 78 degrees W. Historical Tidbit
The indigenous inhabitants of Jamaica, the
Tainos named the island ‘XAYMACA’ a word, which possibly meant ‘land of
springs’. The island has numerous fast
flowing rivers. The word ‘Jamaica’
seems to be a corruption of this original Taino name, which has survived
European conquest and colonization. Jamaica is mountainous and greatly forested in the interior, and has low
coastal plains and scattered hills and plateaus. It is 235km at its greatest length and 82km
at its greatest width. The Blue
Mountains are in the east. The highest
peak, the Blue Mountain Peak, attains 2,256m.
Jamaica is the third largest of the fifty-one inhabited islands in the
Caribbean archipelago. It lies just
inside of the western half of this archipelago, formed by the islands
constituting the Greater Antilles. The island has considerable strategic value, because it’s central
location, being 600 miles from Miami. The island commands some of the chief sea routes of the Caribbean. The Kingston Harbor is the seventh largest
natural harbor in the world, and its located on the southern side of the
island. It has the facilities to
accommodate the most up to date methods of general and bulk cargo
handling. Extensive hurricane proof
warehousing, cold storage and handling facilities support its continuous deep
wharf. Jamaica National Symbols
National Flag
The Jamaican National Flag came into use on Independence Day, August 6,
1962. The Flag has a diagonal cross with four triangles in juxtaposition. The
diagonal cross is in gold and one-sixth of the length of the fly of the flag;
the top and bottom triangles are in green; and the hoist and fly triangles
are in black. The exact shade of green used in the flag is Emerald T8 17,
British Admiralty Bunting Pattern. "Hardships there are but the land is green and the
sun shineth" is the symbolism of the Flag. The colors
are Black stands for hardships overcome and to be faced; Gold for natural
wealth and beauty of sunlight; and Green for hope and agricultural resources.
Jamaican Coat of Arms The Jamaican Coat of Arms shows a male and female member of the Taino
tribe standing on either sideof a shield, which bears a red cross with five
golden pineapples. On the crest is a Jamaican crocodile mounted on the Royal
Helmet of the British Monarchy and mantling. The Jamaican national motto is Out of
Many One People, which is based on the population's
multi-racial roots. National Bird Doctor Bird (Trochilus polytmus) The "Doctor Bird" or Swallowtail Humming Bird lives only in
Jamaica and is one of the most outstanding of the 320 species of Humming
Birds. It is well to note that the beautiful feathers of these birds have no
counterpart in the entire bird population and produce iridescent colors
characteristic only of that family. The Doctor Bird has been immortalized for
many decades in Jamaican folklore and song. National Fruit
Ackee (Blighia sapinda) While not indigenous to Jamaica this fruit has remarkable historic
associations. It was originally imported from West Africa, probably brought
here in a slave ship and now grows luxuriously producing, each year, large
quantities of edible fruit. The tree was unknown to science until plants were taken from Jamaica to
England in 1793 by none other than Captain William Bligh of "Mutiny on
the Bounty" fame, hence the botanical name "Blighia Sapida" in
honor of the notorious Sea-Captain. One of the earliest local propagators of
the tree was Dr. Thomas Clarke who introduced it to the eastern parishes in
1778. Jamaica is the only place where the fruit is general recognized as an
edible crop, although the plant has been introduced into most of the other
Caribbean islands, such as Trinidad, Grenada, Antigua, Barbados, Central
America and even Florida where it is known by different names and does not
thrive in economic quantities. National Tree
The National Tree is the Blue Mahoe (Hibiscus elatus), a valuable timber for export and used for
wooden craft. The Blue Mahoe wood does not float in the water. National Flower
The National Flower is that of the Lignum Vitae tree (Guiacum officinale), whose name, 'wood of life' is believed to reflect its medicinal properties. Key Facts
Population: Approximately 2.527 million. Capital: Kingston (Population 691,600) Ethnic Composition: African 76.3%; Afro-European 15.1%;
Indian and Afro-East Indian 3%; White 3.2%; Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%;
other 1.2%. Religious Composition: Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%; Baptist 10%; Anglican 7.1%;
Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%; Pentecostal 5.2%; Methodist 3.1%; United Church
2.7%; Other 2.5%); Roman Catholic 5%; Other, including some spiritual cults
39.1%. Language Spoken: English and local dialect is Patois. Education and Literacy: The government devotes a large part of its budget to education.
Literacy above the age of 15 is 85 percent. Labor Force Total: 1,062,100. By occupation: services 41%; agriculture 22.5%; industry
19%; unemployed 17.5%. Jamaica's economy is based on bauxite,
sugar and tourism. It is particularly vulnerable to world commodity price
fluctuations and weather. The country has a high debt position and a shortage
of investment capital. Although labor is generally available at a low cost,
there is a shortage of skilled labor that requires firms to look abroad for
technical and managerial personnel and makes it even harder to attract
outside investment capital. Jamaica also suffers from occasional foreign
exchange shortages, a poor internal transport infrastructure, and declining
real income for the majority of the population, which limits the country's
purchasing power. Top Export Partners United States 47%, United Kingdom 11%, Canada 9%, Norway 7%, France 4%. Top Import Partners United States 54%, Mexico 6%, Japan 4.0%, United Kingdom 4%, Venezuela
3%. Top Exports Alumina, bauxite, sugars, bananas, rum, coffee. Top Imports Machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel, food,
chemicals. Jamaican Culture
The Jamaican culture is rich in varied art
forms, and art movements reflecting the racial and cultural mixtures of the
island. The African and European
aspects of our culture are dominant.
This claim is evident in the religious beliefs and practices of the
Jamaican people, in their music and dance forms, and our works of art and our
food. However, there are East Indian
and Chinese descendants in our population, as many came as indentured
laborers in the 1849’s. There are numerous dance companies, the National Dance Theatre Company
(N.D.T.C) is the leading one. It is
highly acclaimed internationally.
Jamaican art and artists are also world-renowned. Of note are, Edna
Manley, and sculptor Cecil Baugh.
Writers of note include Claude McKay, and H.D. Delisser. The Hon Dr.
Louise Bennett Coverly is a dramatist and writer of renowned, and is often
referred to as, the “Mother of Jamaican” culture. Rastafari and Reggae music are internationally identified with
Jamaica. Bob Marley is an icon for
both of these concepts. Jamaica is also know for jerk, a style of cooking
which has now become popular in areas where Jamaicans have migrated to, for
example North America and England. Jamaica is a well-respected force in the world of sports. Jamaicans perform creditably at the major
athletic meets. The Reggae Boyz,
became the first English-speaking Caribbean Island to reach World Cup Finals
in 1998. Courtney Walsh a retired
former player for the West Indies Cricket team is the world record holder for
the most number of wickets taken in Test Cricket. Merlene Ottey is noted in
the world of track and field as the most durable athlete. She is able to compete at the highest level
even though she is over forty years old International Affiliations Jamaica is a founding member of CARICOM
(Caribbean Community). It as also one of the 66 African, Caribbean and
Pacific nations which has signed the third Lome Convention (Lome III) which
gives member countries duty free access of manufactured and agricultural
exports to the European Union. The island is also a member of the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the Caribbean Development Bank, the
Organization of American States, the Commonwealth and the United Nations
Organization. |