Jamaica. CultureGrams. Flag. National Image. Land and Climate. Kids Edition

TM CultureGrams Kids Edition 2014 Jamaica The word Jamaica comes from the Arawak word Xaymaca, which means “land of wood and water.” An earthquak...
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CultureGrams

Kids Edition

2014

Jamaica

The word Jamaica comes from the Arawak word Xaymaca, which means “land of wood and water.” An earthquake destroyed Kingston in 1907. Nearly as many Jamaicans live outside of Jamaica as on the island. After observing the Arawak sleeping in cotton hammocks, the Spanish liked the hammocks so much that they took them back to Europe, where their popularity spread. The ortanique is a Jamaican fruit that is a cross between an orange and a tangerine. Jamaica has more churches per person than any other country. Jamaica has no poisonous snakes. The popular Jamaican fruit called ackee is poisonous if it is not ripened and cooked properly. Ian Fleming wrote all of his James Bond novels in Jamaica. The Jamaican giant swallowtail is one of the largest butterflies in all of North and South America. In the 1600s, many pirates sailing the Caribbean used Jamaica’s Port Royal as their hideout. Some said the city was so wicked it would be swept away. In 1692, most of Port Royal was swept to the ocean floor by an earthquake. Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt is one of the world’s fastest men. His nickname is Lightning Bolt!

Flag Jamaicans began using their flag on 6 August 1962. The phrase “Hardships there are, but the land is green and the sun shineth” explains the symbolism of the colors. Green stands for land, farms, and hope; gold for sun and wealth; and black for the people and the hardships they face.

National Image The “doctor bird” is what Jamaicans call the streamer-tailed hummingbird. Many migrating birds stop in Jamaica, but the doctor bird lives there year-round.

Land and Climate Area (sq. mi.): 4,244 Area (sq. km.): 10,991 Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea. It belongs to a group of islands called the West Indies, which stretch from south Florida to South America. Nearly the size of Puerto Rico or the state of Connecticut, Jamaica stretches 146 miles (235 km) west to east and is 20 to 50 miles (32–80 km) wide. Jamaica, like other Caribbean islands, is formed from an underwater mountain range. Hills and mountains cover most of the island. Jamaica’s highest point is Blue Mountain Peak, part of the Blue Mountains in the east. The west-central section is hilly. Limestone hills, plateaus, caves, and gorges are found in the western part of the island, called the Cockpit Country. Along the coasts are plains and valleys that reach up to the hills. 1

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When the Arawak Indians first settled in Jamaica, they called it Xaymaca, meaning “the land of wood and water.” Jamaica’s many forests, plants, springs, and rivers explain this name. Thick rain forests are plentiful in the valleys. Many rivers, creeks, and waterfalls flow through Jamaica. The island’s longest river, the Rio Minho, winds through the center of the island. Jamaica has a wealth of natural resources (important materials that come from the earth), including bauxite, salt, and lead. Farmers harvest important crops, such as sugar, coffee, fruits, and vegetables, including pineapples, papaya, yams, and plantains. Jamaica is home to about three thousand different plants and trees, including orchids, gingers, coconut palms, cedar, ebony, mahogany, and pimento. Many of the island’s plants are found only in Jamaica. A growing population and global demand for Jamaica’s unique plants and trees have led to deforestation (the destruction of forests) and environmental issues. The island is also home to many animals, including parrots, bats, the Jamaican boa, turtles, and the American crocodile. Jamaica’s West Indian manatee, Jamaican giant swallowtail, and Jamaican coney are endangered species and protected by law. Jamaica's climate is tropical, meaning it stays warm year-round. Late spring and early fall are the rainy seasons, but some parts of the island get much more rain than others. Cool winds from the ocean blow across the northeast part of the island, bringing 200 to 300 inches (5–8 m) of rain to the mountains every year. However, the south side of the island is often sunny and only gets about 30 inches of rain each year. Hurricane season runs from June until November and can destroy crops and homes. One of the worst hurricanes in Jamaican history was Hurricane Gilbert, in 1988, which left 500,000 Jamaicans homeless.

Population Population: 2,909,714 Jamaica has a population of more than 2.8 million people. Most people are of African descent (90 percent) or a mix of African and other groups, but some East Indians, Chinese, and Europeans live there, too. Because the population is made up of many groups, the national motto is “Out of Many, One People.” The country’s capital, Kingston, is located on the southeastern coast and is home to one-third of the island’s population. Many Jamaicans also live in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom.

Language Jamaica is the Caribbean’s largest English-speaking island. Although Standard English is the official language and is taught in school, what the majority of people actually speak to each other is called Jamaican patois (pronounced “PA-twah”), Jamaican Creole, or simply Jamaican. Jamaican patois, which came about during the time of slavery, is a mixture of English and African languages. Slaves developed it to communicate secretly with each other so that slave owners wouldn't understand them. Jamaican patois has its own pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. For example, the sentence Mi a go lef means “I am going to leave." Jamaicans are proud of their language. Dub poetry is a way Jamaicans share stories through music. Dub poems are told in patois, with drums and music. The stories may be about Jamaican life, happy times, or old folktales. Listeners echo the beat by clapping and drumming along with the poet.

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Can You Say It in Jamaican English? Hello

Whah gwaan

(WAAH-gwun)

Good-bye

Lay-tah

(LAY-tuh)

Please

Please

(pleez)

Thank you

Tanks

(tanks)

Yes

Yeh

(YEH)

No

Nua

(Nuh-wah)

Religion

Most Jamaicans are Protestants. Although the Anglican Church is the official national church, only about 4 percent of the population belongs to it. Other Protestant groups include the Church of God, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and Pentecostals. Close to 3 percent of the people are Roman Catholic. Many Jamaicans mix Christianity with African religions. The vast majority of Jamaican churchgoers are women and children. Church gatherings are particularly popular among rural (countryside) women. A spiritual movement known as Rastafarianism began in Jamaica during the 1970s. Followers believe in peace and share a close relationship with nature. Rastafarians are vegetarian (they do not eat meat). Many wear their hair in long, thick, twisted strands called dreadlocks. Jamaica has a well-established tradition of religious tolerance, and the constitution provides for freedom of religion.

Time Line AD 900 AD 900

Arawaks from South America settle the island

1400

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1494

Christopher Columbus lands in Discovery Bay and names the island St. Iago

1510

Sevilla la Nueva, a Spanish outpost, is established

1517

The first Africans are brought to the island as slaves

1600 1655–70

The English arrive and kick out the Spanish; Jamaica becomes an English colony

1692

Port Royal, a busy trading center, is destroyed by a giant earthquake

1700 1700–1838

Sugar plantations dominate the island; escaped slaves, called Maroons , move to the mountains and join together to fight slavery

1739

The British governor and the Maroons sign a peace treaty, giving the Maroons mountain land

1795–96

A second Maroon war begins after British soldiers take some Maroons as prisoners

1831

A violent slave rebellion breaks out on Christmas Day; soldiers are sent in to fight the slaves, and over four hundred slaves are hanged as punishment

1838

Britain ends slavery

1840

Indian laborers are brought to work on plantations

1865

The Morant Bay Rebellion occurs; heroes George William Gordon and Paul Bogle are hanged

1870

Banana plantations are established as the demand for sugar goes down

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Jamaica

The capital moves from Port Royal to Kingston

1900 1907

An earthquake in Kingston kills over eight hundred people

1938

Norman Manley forms the People’s National Party

1943

Alexander Bustamente forms the Jamaica Labour Party

1944

Jamaicans are given full voting rights

1962

Jamaica becomes independent; Bustamente becomes the first prime minister

1972–80

The People’s National Party is elected under Prime Minister Michael Manley, who strengthens ties to Cuba

1980

Hundreds die in election violence; the People’s National Party is defeated by the Jamaica Labour Party

1981

Reggae musician Bob Marley dies

1988

Hurricane Gilbert destroys thousands of homes

1998–99

Violent crime and protests grow because of a poor economy and high fuel prices; military troops are sent to watch over the streets of Kingston

2000 2001

Military troops are sent to Kingston after 27 people are killed in three days of violence

2004

Hurricane Ivan kills at least 20 people and leaves many homeless

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2006

Portia Simpson-Miller is elected Jamaica’s first female prime minister

2008

Parliament votes to keep the death penalty, since Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in the world

2010

More than 70 die during a Kingston police search for drug and gun dealer Christopher Coke

2011–12

Jamaica goes through three prime ministers in one year, finally reelecting Portia Simpson-Miller; Simpson-Miller calls for Jamaica to become a republic (a government whose laws and head of state are voted for by the people)

2012

Usain Bolt becomes the first person ever to win six Olympic gold medals in sprinting and the first to achieve a "double double" by winning gold in the 100m and 200m events two Olympics in a row

PRESENT

Arawaks and Spaniards The first Jamaicans were Arawaks, a peaceful people who hunted and farmed on a small scale. Christopher Columbus claimed the island for Spain in 1494. Spanish settlers forced the Arawaks to work for them. In the next hundred years, nearly all Arawaks died of disease or in slavery. To replace them, Spain began bringing Africans as slaves to Jamaica in 1517. The Spanish did little with the island because it had no gold. However, they used it as a stopping place for their ships going to colonies like Mexico.

England, Slaves, and Trade

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England captured Jamaica in 1655. As the Spanish fled, some of their slaves escaped to the mountains. They formed Jamaica’s very first Maroon communities. The British learned that Jamaica's real wealth was sugar. To do the work on the island’s large sugar plantations, England brought hundreds of thousands of Africans as slaves. Jamaican sugar and rum (an alcoholic drink made from sugar) were sold to the colonies in America or shipped back to England. The constant sea traffic made Jamaica a popular pirate base. One of Jamaica’s most famous pirates was Henry Morgan. After Morgan’s arrest in 1672, King Charles of England granted him a pardon for his tales of bravery and stolen riches. He was knighted and made lieutenant governor of Jamaica in 1674. He was put in charge of stopping piracy in Jamaica!

Maroons and Resistance In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Spanish began arming the Maroons (communities of escaped slaves) to fight the English. The Maroons survived in the rocky hills for more than a hundred years and led attacks on plantation owners. Slave rebellions were common. Heroes such as a preacher named Samuel Sharpe and a Maroon woman named Nanny organized people to resist the English. In 1739, the British and Maroons signed a peace treaty, freeing slaves and giving the Maroons mountain land if they would stop fighting. The Maroons were also required to send some of the people back to the plantations. Peace did not last. On Christmas Day 1831, slaves burned plantations and killed a few slave owners. As punishment, over four hundred slaves were hanged. Many Maroons were sent away to Canada and West Africa. When news of the hangings reached England, many people were so upset they called for an end to the slavery. At the same time, the sugar trade began to decline. In 1838, after much fighting, all slaves were set free. Many families living in Jamaica today are descendants of the original Maroon families.

Poverty and Improvement Though free, the former slaves were poor. Plantation owners would not pay fairly. As a result, most freed slaves moved to the center of the island to make their own living on small farms. The plantation owners had nobody to work their land, and many crops failed. Food prices went up, while the sugar trade and economy were badly hurt. The British kept the best land and tried to stop Jamaicans from practicing their religion and other traditions. Riots broke out. The colonial government killed many of the rioters and their leaders. In 1866, the Boston Fruit Company began bringing bananas from Jamaica to America. Banana ships also brought tourists to Jamaica. Money from tourists and the banana trade slowly helped the economy get better. However, America’s poor economy in the 1920s left Jamaica once again struggling. An educator named Marcus Garvey gave hope to Jamaicans by teaching them to be proud of their culture and their African heritage.

Independence In the 1930s, Alexander Bustamente organized poor workers into a trade union (a group of people who want to improve working conditions). Later, that group became a political party called the Jamaica Labour Party. Norman Manley formed another party, the People’s National Party. Both men worked to make changes to the government. In 1944, all Jamaican adults were given the right to vote. With that vote, Jamaica declared its independence from Britain on 6 August 1962. Independence Day is celebrated every year with parades, festivals, and food. Though independent of Britain, Jamaica remains a constitutional monarchy (a government whose king or queen follows the constitution and laws chosen by the people), with Britain's monarch as its head of state. The Jamaican government is working to improve the lives of its people by fighting violent crime and high unemployment.

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Games and Sports Nearly all young kids play cricket, which is a game like baseball. Jamaican cricket teams play with teams from other Caribbean islands. The best players from the West Indies go on to compete with teams all over the world, including England, Australia, and Pakistan. Cricket matches go on for several hours, and some can last for days! Fans celebrate by cheering, singing, dancing, and drumming. Jamaican boys and girls play many other games together. Dandy Shandy (similar to dodgeball but using a homemade ball), stuckey (much like freeze tag), jacks (played with a small ball and 6 to 12 small stones), and marbles are just a few. Dominoes is a favorite game for all Jamaicans. As they get older, girls begin playing netball (a game similar to basketball but without dribbling), and boys begin playing soccer. Track-and-field sports are also popular. Jamaican runners, like Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Asafa Powell, and Yohan Blake, have brought home many Olympic medals.

Holidays Jamaicans love Christmas. For most Jamaicans, Christmas is a religious holiday, and many go to church. People tidy their homes and whitewash stones and tree trunks to make everything look nice for visiting friends and relatives. For Jamaican kids, the best part of this holiday is the food. They enjoy Christmas cake (and licking the bowl clean once the sweet batter has been made), sorrel drink (made from a plant that only flowers in the tropics around Christmastime), and baked ham. Kids also love Christmas Eve. It’s the one time of the year when they can stay out as late as they want. The day after Christmas, many Jamaicans celebrate Boxing Day. Boxing Day is based on an English holiday where people give small gifts to service workers and celebrate the Christmas season with their community at fairs and dances. During the time of slavery, many Jamaicans celebrated the time after Christmas with a Jonkonnu festival. Plantation owners would give slaves a few days off after Christmas, and this was their only vacation all year long. To celebrate, the slaves would dress up in costumes, play music, and dance in the street. Today, Jonkonnu traditions are performed at different celebrations throughout the year. Every spring, Jamaicans celebrate Carnival, a week-long celebration with street dancers in shiny costumes and parades filled with colorful floats. A grand finale ends the week. In the summer, Jamaicans celebrate Emancipation Day (the day slavery was ended) and Independence Day (the day Jamaica became independent from Britain). At midnight on Emancipation Day, people ring church bells and play drums to remember the moment slaves won their freedom.

Food The national dish is saltfish (salted codfish) with ackee (a fruit that looks and tastes a little like scrambled eggs when it is cooked), but Jamaicans have many other favorites, too. Jamaican food is often spicy from the peppers used to flavor the sauces. The hottest pepper in Jamaican cooking is the Scotch bonnet pepper. Just a little drop can burn the mouth. Roasted meat and fish seasoned with a spicy sauce called jerk is sold and eaten everywhere. Curried goat is a favorite, as is manish water (a soup made with goat intestines). Jamaicans often serve rice and beans with their meals; they call this dish rice and peas. Jamaican patty (a flaky pastry filled with meat or vegetables) and plantain or banana chips are favorite snacks. Desserts often include sweet fruits, like 8

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guava, jackfruits, and mangoes. These can be eaten raw or made into ice cream or sauces to pour over cake. Families in the countryside grow food on farms, such as yams, beans, and breadfruit. Fruits (mangoes, bananas, papaya, pineapples, grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes) are commonly eaten. Vegetables also play an important role in the Jamaican diet. Many people drink sky juice, which is the name for any fruit punch. Chocolate tea made from cocoa beans is another favorite drink. Coffee grown in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains is loved all around the world, but it is very expensive.

Schools Adult Literacy: 87.9% Most Jamaicans attend public school. All public schools are linked to a church, and each school day begins with a devotional (a prayer and song service). Students attend primary, or preparatory, school until age 12. However, not everyone goes on to secondary school. Students have to pass an examination first. In some cases, a lack of money for fees, supplies, and transportation also makes it hard for some kids to attend school. So about 60 percent of all eligible youth attend secondary schools. Jamaican students wear school uniforms, which differ from school to school. Students can be punished for misbehaving (including talking too loudly, eating on the street, smoking, and kissing) in public when wearing their uniform. Most Jamaican adults have finished at least five years of education. Increasingly, young women are recognizing the value of education. More young women than young men attend secondary school and graduate school.

Life as a Kid Depending on where they live, Jamaican children are expected to do lots of chores. In the countryside, they sometimes have to look after farm animals (cows, chickens, and goats). In the city, kids have to make their beds, do laundry, and help keep the house clean. Kids look forward to the times when they can go to the river or the beach because almost all Jamaican children know how to swim. During the summer holidays, many children live with their grandparents, and they get to play with their cousins. Many Jamaican households, especially in rural (countryside) areas, include relatives, friends, and half-brothers or sisters. Aunties are close family friends that help take care of the children but are not related. Sharing and playing together is natural to Jamaicans. Kids spend a lot of time playing outside with their friends. On Sundays, families go to church and share big meals. Most Jamaicans are easygoing, but parents have strict rules for their children. Jamaican kids are not allowed to talk back to their parents or to act up in public. Respecting their elders is important, and kids usually call them Sir or Ma’am.

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Government Capital: Kingston Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II (U.K.) Head of Government: PM Portia Simpson-Miller

Jamaica has a parliament to make the country’s laws. Parliament consists of a House of Representatives with 63 elected members and a Senate with 21 members, who are appointed (chosen) instead of elected. The person leading the government is called the prime minister. The two main political parties are the People’s National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party. Like many countries once ruled by England, Jamaica is part of the Commonwealth of Nations. Since Jamaica became independent in 1962, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom represents Jamaica for special occasions. In Jamaica, she is simply called the Queen. But since she lives far away, a governor-general usually performs her duties. The voting age is 18.

Money and Economy Currency: Jamaican dollar Jamaica makes most of its money from mining bauxite (the ore used to make aluminum), growing sugarcane, making rum, and serving tourists. Bananas, citrus fruits, cacao, and coffee are important crops, too. But the success of growing crops and having tourists depends on good weather. Jamaicans often have a hard time during the rainy months (late spring and early fall) and during the hurricane season (June through November). Many Jamaicans work in farming, forestry, and fishing. Tourism is also very important to the Jamaican economy. Visitors travel to Jamaica from all over the world for the beautiful beaches, mountains, coral reefs, and outdoor activities, like fishing, river rafting, and snorkeling. Many cruise ships stop in Jamaica as well, bringing even more tourists to the cities. Sadly, much of the money the Jamaican government takes in goes to pay its debts. Getting out of debt is a great challenge. The money used in Jamaica is called the Jamaican dollar.

Getting Around The main roads in Jamaica, especially in the cities, are in pretty good condition. But in the countryside, some roads have more holes than asphalt, and what looks like a shortcut might not be. These roads might be flooded or have cows or goats on them. In the cities, most Jamaicans own cars or take taxis to get around. The taxis operate like buses, following a particular route and carrying up to four passengers at a time. Passengers pay a flat rate to travel. But in the countryside, people depend on buses, minivans, trucks, motorbikes, and bicycles to get around. Jamaica is a popular spot for global trade and tourism. Kingston, Ocho Rios, Rocky Point, and Montego Bay are important seaports, and many cruise ships sail in and out of their waters. The island is home to two main international airports.

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Reggae Jamaica is famous for a kind of music called reggae, which has become popular all over the world since the 1970s. Reggae has its roots in many kinds of Jamaican and American music and in a group called Rastafarians. Rastafarians honor the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie as a savior. They wear long, twisty braids called dreadlocks and promote peace, love, and living in harmony with nature. Rastafarian Bob Marley was probably the most famous reggae singer. Reggae music is usually about peace, love, freedom, poverty, and justice.

Learn More Contact the Jamaican embassy, 1520 New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, DC 20036; phone (202) 452-0660; web site www.embassyofjamaica.org. Or contact the Jamaica Tourist Board, phone (800) 526-2422; web site www.visitjamaica.com.

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