Jamaica

Map of Jamaica

Historical Background The  island of Jamaica was discovered

by Columbus in 1494 and described as

"the fairest isle that eyes have beheld". Political: Government Type: Constitutional parliamentary

democracy.Independence: August 6, 1962.Constitution: August 6, 1962.Branches: Executive--Governor General (representing Queen Elizabeth II, chief of state), prime minister, cabinet. Legislative--bicameral Parliament (21 appointed senators, 60 elected representatives). Judicial--Court of Appeal and courts of original jurisdiction.

Political parties: People's National Party (PNP), Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), National Democratic Movement (NDM), United Peoples Party (UPP).

Economic: Jamaica operates as a mixed, free-market

economy with state enterprises as well as private sector businesses. Sectors poised for rapid development include agriculture, mining, the creative industries, manufacturing, tourism and information communication technology (ICT).

GDP (2008): $14.9 billion. Natural resources: Bauxite, gypsum, limestone, marble, sand, silica.Agriculture: Products--sugar cane, bananas, coffee, citrus fruits, condiments and spices. Industry: Types--tourism, bauxite and alumina, processed foods, sugar, rum, cement, metal, chemical products, ethanol.Trade (2008): Exports--$2.6 billion: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, chemicals, citrus fruits and products, rum, coffee. Major markets (2005)--U.S. 37%, U.K. 15.5%, and Canada. Imports (2008)--$8.5 billion: fuels, machinery, transportation and electrical equipment, food, fertilizer. Major suppliers (2000)--U.S. 40%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.7%, Venezuela 9%, Japan 3%, China 3%, U.K. 2%, Canada 2%.

In 1655, Jamaica became a British Colony.

In 1944, the first General Elections were held under Universal Adult Suffrage.

In 1953, Sir Alexander Bustamante became Jamaica’s first Chief Minister.

In April 1962, Sir Alexander Bustamante became the first Prime Minister of Jamaica.

On August 6, 1962, Jamaica gained its Independence from the British.

Since August 6, 1962 (Jamaica’s first Independence Day) Jamaica has been a member of the British Commonwealth.  Queen Elizabeth II is its reigning Monarch and the

Governor General is her Representative.

On August 7, 1962, Jamaica had its first Parliamentary Session. It was opened by Princess Margaret

of England, who was representing her sister, the

Queen of England.

In 2002, Jamaica’s Parliament removed the requirement for

anyone holding public office to take the Oath of Allegiance to the

Queen.

Politics & Jamaican History

The Jamaican Christmas

Beginning with the first day of December. Houses are re-

painted, new curtains are hung, Christmas decorations are placed

in and outside of houses and Christmas shopping begins.

Jamaicans prepare to make their Christmas cakes. The Jamaican Christmas Cake is a dark, rich

spicy cake which includes fruits soaked in wine and white rum. The Jamaican Christmas dinner would not be complete without the Jamaican Christmas cake.

The Jamaican Christmas also includes the singing of traditional

Christmas Carols and there are now Reggae versions for some of these

Carols. A Jamaican Christmas would not be complete without the John

Canoe

John Canoe is a celebration involving persons with various

costumes including 'Horse Head', 'Queen', 'King'

'Policeman' and 'Belly Woman'. The John Canoe would go

through the streets accompanied by music and

people would give them money.

The Queen of England (Elizabeth II) is the head of the state and on the advice of the Prime Minister

(Bruce Golding) appoints a Governor General (Kenneth Hall)

to be her representative in Jamaica. Neither the queen nor the

Governor General has the authority in conducting the

administration of the country. The Privy Council of Jamaica consists of 6 members who are

appointed by the Governor general after consulting to the Prime

Minister.

The form of

government of

Jamaica is a

constitutional

monarchy with a

bicameral

parliament

consisting of

House of the

Representative

(Lower house)

and the Senate

(Upper house).

Present Form of Government

The descendants of black slaves tend to be among the poorest classes in

Jamaica, while white and mixed-race descendants of plantation owners and

traders tend to be better off. These extremes are reflected in the nation's

distribution of income: in 1996 the wealthiest 20 percent of Jamaicans

controlled 43.9 percent of the wealth, while the poorest 20 percent

controlled only 7 percent. In fact, the poorest 60 percent controlled just

34.3 percent of wealth.

Jamaica's rural

poor also face

difficult

circumstances, for

many workers must

try to grow their

own crops or

participate in the

informal economy

—in some cases,

the drug trade—in

order to survive.

Both the rural and

urban poor have

suffered from the

long decline in the

quality of social

services provided

to Jamaicans.

Distribtution of

Wealth

Foreign Asisstance

Over the years, Jamaica has received considerable

amounts of U.S. foreign assistance. Over $500 million

was provided in the 1990s, making Jamaica the second

largest recipient of assistance in the Caribbean. From

FY2000-FY2006, U.S. foreign assistance to Jamaica has

averaged almost $23 million annually. This included $18

million in supplemental funds for hurricane disaster

assistance in FY2005. Jamaica was hard hit by Hurricane Ivan

in September 2004, which

killed 31 people and caused significant damage to

housing and the agriculture sector. In

addition to an immediate recovery program focusing

on repairing community infrastructure (such as health clinics and water and

sanitation systems), an expanded U.S.

recovery program has targeted home construction, business recovery, and the

rehabilitation of schools

http://jamaican-culture.blogspot.com/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS22372.pdfhttp://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/

economies/Americas/Jamaica-POVERTY-AND-WEALTH.html

http://www.spainexchange.com/guide/JM-government.htm

http://jamaican-culture.blogspot.com/

Cites