Jamaica
Jamaica (in English, Jamaica [d urge me to move(
listen)in Jamaican Creole, Jumieka) is one of the thirteen countries that form the Americas, Antilles or Caribbean Sea Islands, one of the thirty-five countries of the American continent. Its most populated capital and city is Kingston.
It is 240 km long and a maximum of 80 km wide, located in the Caribbean Sea. It is 630 km from the Central American subcontinent, 150 km south of Cuba and 180 km west of the island of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located, and about 621 km from Puerto Rico.
It was a Spanish possession known as "Santiago" between 1494 and 1655, when it was invaded by English troops. It then became an English possession and later a British colony, known as 'Jamaica'. The island achieved its independence on August 6, 1962. With 2.9 million people, it is the third most populous English-speaking country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. It is part of the Commonwealth of Nations (from English: Commonwealth of Nations); in accordance with the system of constitutional monarchy. Executive power is held by the Prime Minister who controls the government, while the Head of State is symbolically King Charles III of the United Kingdom represented by a governor who has limited functions. The only official language is English, although Jamaican patois as the national language is spoken by a vast majority. In 2018, the teaching of Spanish as the first foreign language at school level was reinforced.
Etymology
Although the Taíno peoples referred to the island as "Xaymaca," the Spanish gradually modified the name to "Jamaica". Columbus referred to it in a letter from 1503 as "Janahica". In the Admiral's chart of 1508, the island was called "Iamaiqua" and in the work of Pedro Mártir de Anglería of 1511, "Decades of Orbe Novo", both "Jamaica" as "Jamica". The original Taíno word meant large place with water.
History of Jamaica
Prehistory
The first settlers on the island were the Arawaks and Tainos, who arrived on the island between 1000 and 400 B.C. C. They remained on the island until the arrival of the Spanish.
Spanish domain
Jamaica was a Spanish possession after Christopher Columbus arrived on the island in 1494. The expedition came from Cuba and Hispaniola, where they informed him of the existence of Xaymaca, which means, in the indigenous language, “place of blessed gold ”.[citation needed] The expedition members were disappointed when, upon arriving in Jamaica, they discovered that there was no gold on the island, but bauxite, which the natives called & #34;blessed gold".[citation needed] Columbus was admiral and governor of the island until his return. The end of Spanish rule of the island came after several attacks by pirates, buccaneers and corsairs, and by English troops in 1655, who defied the Papal Bull declaring that all New World territories belonged to Spain and Portugal. Jamaica was the only major territory ceded to England.
English proficiency
The English attacked the island in 1596, as well as in 1603, 1640, 1643, and 1655, when English Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables finally took the island. In the first 200 years of British rule, Jamaica became the world's largest sugar exporter, producing 77,000 tons a year between 1820 and 1824. This productivity would never have been achieved without slave labor brought from Africa.
The French Revolution and the emergence of the conflict that gave rise to the rebellion in Haiti, spread throughout all the islands and in 1789 the English feared that their slaves would revolt. Thus, in 1795 the second guerrilla war began, inspired by the example of Haitian freedom.
Following a series of revolts, slavery was officially abolished in 1834. At the turn of the 19th century, the great dependency of the British Empire of slavery caused the African-American population on the island to be 20 times that of whites, a situation that constantly threatened riots and conflicts. After the liberation of the black slaves, they began to flee towards the mountains, causing a guerrilla war that lasted 76 years and cost the English crown more than 250,000 pounds sterling. As a consequence of these rebellions, in 1953 and 1957 constitutional advances were achieved, such as full local government autonomy.
Independence
In the 20th century, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom. In 1958 it became a province of the Federation of the West Indies and in May 1960, Alexander Bustamante, leader of the JLP (Jamaican Labor Party) declared his opposition to Jamaica remaining part of the West Indies. The party in power, the People's National Party, called a referendum on independence, which was declared on August 6, 1962.
Significant economic growth of about 6% a year marked its first 10 years of independence under Conservative governments, led by Prime Ministers Alexander Bustamante, Donald Sangster and Hugh Shearer. This economic growth was promoted by investments in bauxite, tourism, manufacturing and, to a lesser extent, agriculture. In 1972, a change of government caused the economy to decline again, reaching the point of 1982 where the GDP reached below the levels of 1972. The external debt grew under the successive legislatures of Michael Manley, accompanied by fiscal deficits, which led to the imposition of austerity measures by the International Monetary Fund.
With the economy in decline, Manley's international socialism, his friendship with Fidel Castro and fear of communism led to a close election between the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labor Party, with the latter victorious. The economic crisis continued until the mid-1980s, aggravated by the closure of the country's two main aluminum companies and the decline of tourism. At the end of the 1980s, the industry began to recover, together with tourism, which led to an economic improvement after a decade of crisis. The government elected since 1989 has promoted economic reforms that have improved the fiscal situation.
Some prominent politicians were linked to two rival, heavily armed Kingston gangs. This led, together with the growing cocaine traffic in the middle of this decade, to violent situations; leading to the Kingston urban wars from 1990 to the present. The country's rural areas are free of conflict.
The original capital of Jamaica was in present-day Spanish Town in Saint Catherine Parish, the former colonial capital. The Spanish named the city as Santiago de la Vega. In 1655 when the British took over the island, most of the capital was burned down. The city was rebuilt and called Spanish Town and remained the capital of the island until 1872, when Kingston became the capital.
Politics
In order to understand why there was no self-government until 1962, it must be remembered that between 1953 and 1957, as a consequence of civil rebellions, constitutional advances were achieved, such as full local governmental autonomy, albeit subject to British rule.
In the 20th century, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom. In 1958 it became a province of the Federation of the West Indies, thus continuing to be subject to foreign rule.
It was not until August 6, 1962 that Jamaica achieved its independence and with it an autonomous government capable of making its own decisions. It is here when it can be said that Jamaica began to govern itself, founding the future political parties and its own political system.
Jamaica's parliamentary system is based on the British Westminster model and shares many of its key features. The legislator who wins the support of the majority in the lower house—invariably the leader of the majority party—is invited by the Governor-General to serve as prime minister and, in turn, to appoint cabinet ministers. The prime minister is the head of the government. The British monarch is the head of state and is represented by a Governor General, who is appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The government is accountable to the House of Representatives, which can terminate the term of office if a majority supports a vote of no confidence. Elections must be called within five years of the preceding election, but the determination of the exact date is at the discretion of the Prime Minister, with the approval of the Governor-General, who, like the King in Great Britain, primarily plays a ceremonial role.
The dynamics of inter-party competition, especially since the 1990s, have fostered political stability. Since 1962 power has alternated between two parties—the People's National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP).
Human Rights
In terms of human rights, regarding membership of the seven bodies of the International Bill of Human Rights, which include the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Jamaica has signed or ratified:
 Jamaica | International treaties | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CESCR | CCPR | CERD | CED | CEDAW | CAT | CRC | MWC | CRPD | |||||||||
| CESCR | CESCR-OP | CCPR | CCPR-OP1 | CCPR-OP2-DP | CEDAW | CEDAW-OP | CAT | CAT-OP | CRC | CRC-OP-AC | CRC-OP-SC | CRPD | CRPD-OP | ||||
| Pertenence |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 Signed and ratified,  signed, but not ratified,  neither signed nor ratified,  without information,  it has agreed to sign and ratify the body concerned, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications from the competent bodies. | |||||||||||||||||
Status of major international human rights instruments
Defense
The Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) is the small but professional military force of Jamaica. The JDF is based on the British military model, with similar organization, training, weaponry, and traditions. Once chosen, officer candidates are sent to one of several British or Canadian officer foundation courses, depending on the service arm. Enlisted soldiers receive basic training at Up Park Camp or at the JDF Training Depot, Newcastle, both in San Andres. As in the British model, NCOs receive various levels of professional training as they rise through the ranks. Additional military schools for specialized training exist in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
The JDF are directly descended from the British Army's West India Regiment, which was formed during colonial times. The West India Regiment was used extensively throughout the British Empire for empire policing from 1795 to 1926 Other legacy JDF units include the Jamaican Militia of early colonial times, the Kingston Volunteer Infantry of World War I and reorganized into the Jamaican Volunteer Infantry in World War II. The West Indies Regiment was reformed in 1958 as part of the West Indies Federation, following the dissolution of the Federation the JDF was established.
The Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) is composed of an Infantry Regiment and Reserve Corps, an Air Wing, a Coast Guard fleet and a supporting Engineering Unit. The infantry regiment contains 1 battalions.º, 2nd and 3rd (National Reserve). 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 is divided into maritime crews and support crews that are responsible for maritime security and maritime law enforcement, as well as defense-related operations.
The role of the support battalion is to provide support to increase combat strength and provide proficiency training to enable force readiness. The 1.er Engineer Regiment was formed due to increased demand for military engineers and their role is to provide engineering services when and where they are needed. Headquarters of the FDJ contains the Commander of the FDJ, the Command Staff, as well as the Intelligence, Office of the Judge Advocate, Administrative and Procurement sections.
In recent years, the JDF has been called upon to assist the nation's police force, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), in combating drug smuggling and a rising crime rate that includes one of the most highest homicide rates in the world. JDF units conduct armed patrols with the JCF in high-crime areas and in known gang neighborhoods. This role of the JDF has aroused both controversy and support. In early 2005, an opposition leader, Edward Seaga, called for the merger of the JDF and JCF. In 2017, Jamaica signed the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Territorial organization
Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes, which are further subdivided into three historic counties, which have no administrative significance.
In the context of local government, parishes have designated local authorities. However, these are more frequently referred to as municipal corporations. There may be urban or rural municipalities. Any urban municipality must have a population of at least 50,000, and a rural municipality a population set by the Ministry of Local Government. Currently, there are no rural municipalities.
The local governments of the parishes of Kingston and Saint Andrew are consolidated as one urban municipality. The most recent urban municipality is that of Portmore, since it was created in 2003. Although it is located in the parish of Saint Catherine, it is governed independently.
  | Parish | km2 | Population (2001) | Capital | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall County | |||||
| 1 | Hanover Parish | 450.4 | 67.037 | Lucea | |
| 2 | Parish of Saint Elizabeth | 1.212.4 | 146.404 | Black River | |
| 3 | Parish of Saint James | 594,9 | 175.127 | Montego Bay | |
| 4 | Trelawny Parish | 874.6 | 73.066 | Falmouth | |
| 5 | Westmoreland Parish | 807,0 | 138.947 | Savanna-la-Mar | |
| Middlesex County | |||||
| 6 | Clarendon Parish | 1.196.3 | 237.024 | May Pen | |
| 7 | Parish of Manchester | 830.1 | 185.801 | Mandeville | |
| 8 | Parish of Saint Ann | 1.212.6 | 166.762 | Saint Ann's Bay | |
| 9 | Parish of Saint Catherine | 1,192.4 | 482.308 | Spanish Town | |
| 10 | Parish of Saint Mary | 610.5 | 111.466 | Port Maria | |
| Surrey County | |||||
| 11 | Kingston Parish | 21.8 | 96.052 | Kingston | |
| 12 | Portland Parish | 814.0 | 80.205 | Port Antonio | |
| 13 | Parish of Saint Andrew | 430.7 | 555.828 | Half Way Tree | |
| 14 | Parish of Saint Thomas | 742,8 | 91.604 | Morant Bay | |
Geography
The island is made up of mostly mountainous terrain surrounded by a small strip of coastline. Cities are usually established in this coastal plain.
The climate in Jamaica is tropical, it is usually hot and humid, although in the mountainous areas it can be somewhat cooler.
Despite its situation, in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, it does not suffer hurricanes as frequently as its neighboring islands. This is mainly due to their mountains, which divert them.
Islands, keys and banks
Apart from the main island, Jamaica includes several smaller groups of islands, shoals, cays, and reefs:
- Banco de Pedro (Pedro Bank)
- Cays of Peter (Pedro Cays)
- Cayos de Puerto RealPort Royal Cays)
- Cayos de Morant (Morant Cays)
- Cayo SandalsSandals Cay)
Playa de Doctor's Cave - Bogue Islands (Bogue Islands)Bogue Islands)
- Navy Island (Navy Island)
- Pigeon Island (Pygeon Island)Pigeon Island)
Flora and Fauna
Jamaica's climate is tropical and supports diverse ecosystems with a wealth of plants and animals. Its plant life has changed considerably over the centuries; When the Spanish arrived in 1494, except for small agricultural clearings, the country was heavily forested. European settlers felled the large timber trees for shipbuilding and provisioning, and cleared the plains, savannahs, and mountain slopes for intense agricultural cultivation. Many new plants were introduced, such as sugar cane, bananas, and citrus.
Jamaica is home to some 3,000 species of indigenous flowering plants (of which more than 1,000 are endemic and 200 are orchid species), thousands of species of non-flowering flora, and some 20 botanical gardens, some of which have several hundred of years. In areas of abundant rainfall there are also bamboo, ferns, ebony, mahogany and rosewood. Cacti and similar arid-zone plants are found along the southern and southwestern coastal zone. Some parts of the west and southwest are made up of large grasslands with scattered trees. Jamaica is home to three terrestrial ecoregions, the Jamaican Moist Forests, the Jamaican Dry Forests, and the Greater Antilles Mangroves. In 2019, its average Forest Landscape Integrity Index score was 5.01/10, ranking it 110 out of 172 countries,
The fauna of Jamaica, typical of the Caribbean, includes a highly diversified fauna with many endemic species. As on other oceanic islands, the terrestrial mammals are mostly various species of bats, of which at least three endemic species occur only in Cockpit Country, one of which is endangered. Other bat species include the fig-eating bat and the hairy-tailed bat. The only non-bat mammal indigenous to Jamaica is the Jamaican hutia, known locally as the coney.
Introduced mammals such as wild boar and small Asian mongoose are also common. Jamaica is also home to some 50 species of reptiles, the largest of which is the American crocodile; however, it is only present in the Río Negro and in some other areas. Lizards such as anoles, iguanas and snakes such as racers and the Jamaican boa (the largest snake on the island) are common in areas such as Cockpit Country. None of the eight species of snakes native to Jamaica are venomous,
Jamaica is home to some 289 species of birds, of which 27 are endemic, including the endangered Black-billed Parrot and Jamaican Blackbird, both found only in Cockpit Country. It is also the indigenous home to four species of hummingbirds (three of which are found nowhere else in the world): the Black-billed Hummingbird, Jamaican Mango, Vervain Hummingbird, and Red-billed Hummingbird. The red-billed wagtail, known locally as the 'medical bird', is the national symbol of Jamaica. Other notable species include the Jamaican tody and the flamingo.
One species of freshwater turtle is native to Jamaica, the Jamaican terrapin. It is only found in Jamaica and some islands in the Bahamas. Also, many types of frogs are common on the island, especially tree frogs.
Jamaican waters are abundant in freshwater and saltwater fish. The main varieties of saltwater fish are kingfishers, horse mackerel, mackerel, whiting, bonito, and tuna. Fish that occasionally enter freshwater and estuarine environments include snook, jewelfish, mangrove snapper, and mullet. The fish that spend most of their lives in the fresh waters of Jamaica are many species of freshwater fish, including killifish, freshwater gobies, the mountain mullet, and the American eel. Tilapia, introduced from Africa for aquaculture, are very common. Dolphins, parrotfish and the endangered manatee are also seen in the waters around Jamaica.
Insects and other invertebrates abound, including the world's largest centipede, the Amazonian giant centipede. Jamaica is home to some 150 species of butterflies and moths, including 35 indigenous and 22 subspecies. It is also the native home of the Jamaican swallowtail, the largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere.
Aquatic Life
Coral reef ecosystems are important because they provide people with a source of livelihood, food, recreation and medicinal compounds and protect the land on which they live. Jamaica depends on the ocean and its ecosystem for its development. However, Jamaica's marine life is also being affected.
There can be many factors that contribute to the sub-health of marine life. Jamaica's geological origin, topographical characteristics, and high seasonal rainfall make it susceptible to a number of natural hazards that can affect the coastal and oceanic environment. The coral reefs of the Negril Marine Park (NMP) in Jamaica are they have been increasingly affected by nutrient pollution and macroalgae blooms after decades of intensive development as a major tourist destination. Another of those factors could be tourism: Jamaica being a very touristy place, the island attracts many people from all over the world.
The Jamaican tourism industry accounts for 32% of total employment and 36% of the country's GDP and relies heavily on sun, sea and sand, the latter two attributes being dependent on reef ecosystems of healthy coral. Due to tourism from Jamaica, they have developed a study to see if the tourist would be willing to help financially to manage their marine ecosystem, since Jamaica alone cannot. The ocean connects every country in the world, yet everything and everyone is affecting the flow and life in the ocean. Jamaica is a very touristy place, especially for its beaches. If its oceans do not function optimally, the well-being of Jamaica and its people will begin to deteriorate. According to the OECD, the oceans annually contribute $1.5 trillion in added value to the global economy. A developing country located on an island will derive most of its income from its ocean.
Geology
Jamaica is located at the northern tip of the Caribbean Plate, which slides under the North American Plate directly off the coast. Proximity to the plate boundary repeatedly causes strong earthquakes, such as the one that destroyed Port Royal, among others, in 1692.
The west and center of the island are dominated by layers of limestone several hundred meters thick, covering about two-thirds of the surface. In the center, they form mountain ranges up to 900 meters high. Deep valleys and caves with courses of underground rivers have been formed in the soft rock. Karstification is especially pronounced in Cockpit County, south of Montego Bay.
In some places in the north, the mountains drop steeply more than 500 meters to the sea. There, the 7,680-meter-deep Kaimang Trench begins immediately offshore. In the south, the descent to the sea is flatter, with wide alluvial plains created by rivers in the last eight million years. The exceptions are two mountain ranges in Westmoreland and Santa Isabel, which reach all the way to the coast. In addition to limestone, the bedrock is made up of cooled magma, gneiss, and schist. The most important mineral resource is bauxite, whose deposits are located east of Montego Bay and west of Kingston, in the interior of the island. Plaster and marble are also extracted.
The east is characterized by the Blue Mountains, a mountain range that runs from northwest to southeast for about 100 kilometers, with numerous foothills to the north and south. Here is the highest point of the island, the Pico de la Montaña Azul, at 2,256 meters.
Jamaica is crisscrossed by numerous short rivers. Due to the location of the mountains, they flow mainly to the north or south. The amount of water they carry varies greatly during the rainy seasons. In the mostly soft rock, rivers can easily change course or run underground for long stretches.
The Black River is often mentioned as the longest in Jamaica. Along 53.4 kilometers, it carries water above the surface throughout the year and is navigable with small boats. However, the longest river is the Minho River, with 92.6 kilometers, whose upper course regularly dries up and is only navigable in the immediate vicinity of the coast. Both rivers meet in the southwest and are separated by the Clarendon Basin. Sections of the Cabaritta River, 39.7 kilometers long, are also navigable. The Cobre River, which irrigates 73 square kilometers of cultivated land in Santa Catalina and supplies electricity to Spanish Town, is of particular economic importance.
Lakes rarely form in porous limestone. Lake Moneague is an exception. In normal years it only occupies a very small area or dries up completely. However, at intervals of several decades, it grows to an area of 300 hectares, which it retains for several months. The reason is unknown, but is probably related to changes in groundwater runoff.
Climate
Jamaica's climate is tropical and is influenced by northeasterly trade winds. Temperature differences are small throughout the year. In Kingston, the average monthly temperature is 25 °C in January and 27 °C in July; in the central highlands it is about three degrees lower. The Blue Mountains, some of which are over 2,000 meters high, are snow-free all year. There are two distinct rainy seasons, in May and June and from September to November.
Annual rainfall varies greatly from region to region despite the relatively small size of the country. Over 5,000mm of rain falls in the north-eastern mountains, while around Kingston on the alternately wet south coast, the average is around 800mm. In late summer and early fall, storms often pass over the island. During this time there is danger of hurricanes. Hurricane Charlie in 1951 and Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 caused extensive damage.
Pollution
Pollution comes from runoff, sewage systems, and garbage. However, all this usually ends up in the ocean after a rain or flood. Everything that ends up in the water changes the quality and balance of the ocean. The poor quality of coastal waters has adversely affected fisheries, tourism, and mariculture, as well as undermining the biological sustainability of living resources in oceanic and coastal habitats. Jamaica imports and exports many goods through its waters. Some of the imports that enter Jamaica are oil and petroleum products. Oil spills can disrupt marine life with chemicals not normally found in the ocean.
There are other forms of pollution in Jamaica as well. Solid waste disposal mechanisms in Jamaica are currently inadequate. Solid waste reaches the water by the force of rain. Solid waste is also harmful to wildlife, especially birds, fish, and turtles that feed on the surface of the water and mistake the flotsam for food.
For example, plastic can get caught around the necks of birds and turtles, making it difficult for them to eat and breathe as they begin to grow and the plastic squeezes their necks. Pieces of plastic, metal, and glass can be mistaken for food eaten by fish. Each Jamaican generates 1 kg (2 pounds) of waste per day; only 70% is collected by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA); the remaining 30% is burned or thrown into ravines or watercourses.
Environmental policies
Policies are being put in place to help preserve the ocean and life underwater. The objective of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) is to improve the quality of life of human communities that depend on coastal resources, while maintaining the biological diversity and productivity of coastal ecosystems. The development of a underdeveloped country can have an impact on the oceanic ecosystem due to all the constructions that would be done to develop the country. Excessive construction, driven by powerful market forces, as well as the poverty of some sections of the population, and destructive exploitation contribute to the decline of ocean and coastal resources.
Develop practices that contribute to people's lives but also to the life of the ocean and its ecosystem. Some of these practices are: Developing sustainable fishing practices, ensuring sustainable mariculture techniques and practices, sustainable management of shipping, and promoting sustainable tourism practices[120] Regarding tourism, tourism is Jamaica's main source of foreign exchange earnings. and, as such, it is vital to the national economy. Tourists often go to countries without being aware of the problems and how they affect them. The tourist is not going to be used to living with a style different from that of his own country.
Practices such as: providing wastewater treatment facilities in all tourism areas, determining the carrying capacity of the environment before planning tourism activities, providing alternative types of tourism activities can help achieve desired results, such as development alternative tourism that reduces the current pressure on the resources that support traditional tourism activities. A study was carried out to see how the tourist could help finance sustainable management of the oceans and coasts in Jamaica. Instead of using tourist taxes they would call them environmental taxes. The objective of this study is to inform interested parties of the feasibility of implementing environmental taxes, as well as the possible impact of these income-generating instruments on the current rates of tourist visits to the island.
Development of a user fee system would help finance environmental management and protection. The results show that tourists have a high consumption surplus associated with a vacation in Jamaica and a willingness to pay a tourist tax that is significantly lower than an environmental tax. The conclusions of the study show that the "label" of the tax and the knowledge that the respondents have of the institutional mechanisms for the protection of the environment and tourism are important for their decision framework. Tourists are more willing to pay for environmental taxes than for tourist taxes. A tax high enough to fund environmental stewardship and protection, but low enough to still attract tourists to Jamaica. It has been shown that if an environmental tax of $1 per person were introduced it would not cause a significant drop in visitation rates and would generate revenue of $1.7 million per year.
Economy
Jamaica is a major regional tourism hub. Its economy is focused, in addition to tourism, on the production of sugar and the extraction of bauxite. To these activities we must add the business that was created around the image of Bob Marley, used both for tourism and for the exploitation of reggae music and everything related to it.
Agrarian activity is dedicated to the cultivation of products for export, such as coffee, tobacco, bananas and sugar cane; and for local consumption. It is also a traditional pepper producer. Among the industrial activities, the transformation of agricultural products, the manufacture of cement, fertilizers, petroleum derivatives and the textile industry predominate. However, all this wealth does not fall equally on the population, since Jamaica has historically been dominated by a few wealthy families.
Similarly, the marketing of marijuana-related products featuring the Jamaican flag generates a large source of income in this country. At present, the self-cultivation of this plant is allowed.
Energy
Jamaica depends on oil imports to meet its domestic energy needs. Numerous fields have been explored for oil, but no commercially viable quantities have been found. The most convenient sources of imported oil and fuels (diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel) come from Mexico and Venezuela.
Electricity in Jamaica is produced by diesel generators (bunker oil) located in Old Harbour. This facility has also been equipped with capacity and storage of liquefied natural gas. Other smaller power stations (most owned by the Jamaica Public Utilities Company, the island's electricity provider) support the island's electrical grid, including Hunts Bay Power Station, Bogue Saint James Power Station, the Rockfort Saint Andrew Power Plant and small hydroelectric plants on the Rio Blanco, Rio Bueno, Rio Morant, Rio Negro (Maggotty) and Rio Roaring. A wind farm, owned by the Jamaica Petroleum Corporation, has been established in Wigton, Manchester.
Jamaica has successfully operated a 20 kW capacity SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear reactor since the early 1980s, but there are no plans to expand nuclear power at present.
Jamaica imports approximately 80,000 barrels (13,000 m3) of petroleum-derived energy products per day, including asphalt and lubricating products. Only 20% of imported fuels are used for road transport; the remainder is used in the bauxite industry, electricity generation, and aviation. Kingston's Petrojam refinery transforms 30,000 barrels per day of imported crude into various fuels and asphalt.
Jamaica produces enormous amounts of potable alcohol (at least 5% water content), most of which appears to be consumed as a beverage, and none of which is used as motor fuel. Facilities exist to refine the hydrated ethanol feedstock into anhydrous ethanol (0% water content), but in 2007, the process appeared to be unprofitable and the production facility was idle. The facility has since been acquired by West Indies Petroleum Ltd. and reused for petroleum distillates.
Telecommunications
Jamaica has a fully digital telephone communication system, with mobile phone penetration of over 95%.
The country's two mobile operators, FLOW Jamaica (formerly LIME, bMobile and Cable and Wireless Jamaica) and Digicel Jamaica, have invested millions in upgrading and expanding their networks. Digicel, the newest operator, obtained a license in 2001 to provide mobile telephony services in the newly liberalized telecommunications market, previously the exclusive domain of the FLOW (then Cable and Wireless Jamaica) monopoly.
Digicel opted for the more widespread GSM wireless system, while a previous operator, Oceanic (which became Claro Jamaica and later merged with Digicel Jamaica in 2011) opted for the CDMA standard. FLOW (formerly "LIME" - before the merger with Columbus Communications), which had started with the TDMA standard and later switched to GSM in 2002, withdrew TDMA in 2006 and only used that standard until 2009, when LIME launched its 3G network. Both operators currently offer coverage throughout the island with HSPA+ (3G) technology. Currently, only Digicel offers LTE to its customers, while FLOW Jamaica has committed to shortly launch LTE in the cities of Kingston and Montego Bay, places where only Digicel's LTE network is currently located.
A new entrant to the Jamaican communications market, Flow Jamaica, has laid a new submarine cable connecting Jamaica to the United States. This new cable brings the total number of submarine cables connecting Jamaica to the rest of the world to four. Cable and Wireless Communications (LIME's parent company) acquired the company in late 2014 and replaced its LIME brand with FLOW. FLOW Jamaica currently has the highest number of broadband and cable subscribers on the island and also has 1 million mobile subscribers, second behind Digicel (which had, at its peak, more than 2 million subscribers). mobiles in your network).
Digicel entered the broadband market in 2010 by offering WiMAX broadband, with a capacity of up to 6 Mbit/s per subscriber. To increase its share of broadband following the LIME/FLOW merger in 2014, the company introduced a new broadband service called Digicel Play, which is Jamaica's second FTTH offering (following LIME's deployment in selected communities in 2011). It is currently only available in Kingston, Portmore, and St. Andrew's parishes. It offers speeds of up to 200 Mbit/s download and 100 Mbit/s upload through a pure fiber optic network. Digicel's competitor, FLOW Jamaica, has a network made up of ADSL, coax and fiber to the home (inherited from LIME) and only offers speeds up to 100 Mbit/s. FLOW has committed to expanding its Fiber offering to more areas to combat Digicel's entry into the market.
It was announced that the Public Services Regulation Office (OUR), the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (MSTEM) and the Spectrum Management Authority (SMA) had given their approval for another mobile operator license in January 2016. The identity of this operator became known on May 20, 2016, when the Jamaican government appointed the new operator Symbiote Investments Limited, which will operate under the name Caricel. The company will focus on 4G LTE data offerings and will begin operating in the Kingston metropolitan area, to later expand to the rest of Jamaica.
Transportation
Jamaica's transportation infrastructure consists of highways, railways, and air transport, with highways being the backbone of the island's internal transportation system.
Roads
Jamaica's highway network consists of almost 21,000 kilometers of roads, of which more than 15,000 kilometers are paved. Since the late 1990s, the Government of Jamaica, in cooperation with private investors, has undertaken a campaign of infrastructure improvement projects, one of which includes the creation of a highway system, the first controlled access highways in of this type on the island, which connect the main population centers of the island. To date, 33 kilometers of highway have been completed.
Railroads
In Jamaica, rail is no longer as prominent as it once was, having been largely replaced by road as the primary mode of transportation. Of the 272 kilometers (169 mi) of railway found in Jamaica, only 57 kilometers (35 mi) remain in operation, currently used for transporting bauxite. On 13 April 2011, a limited passenger service between May Pen, Spanish Town and Linstead resumed.
Air transportation
There are three international airports in Jamaica with modern terminals, long runways, and the necessary navigation equipment to accommodate the large jets used in modern air travel: Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston; Ian Fleming International Airport, in Boscobel, Saint Mary Parish; and the island's largest and busiest airport, Sir Donald Sangster International Airport, in the resort town of Montego Bay.
The international airports of Manley and Sangster are home to the country's national airline, Air Jamaica. In addition, there are commuter airports at Tinson Pen (Kingston), Port Antonio, and Negril, which only serve internal flights. Many other small rural centers have private airstrips on sugar plantations or bauxite mines.
Ports, navigation and lighthouses
Due to its location in the Caribbean Sea, on the shipping route to the Panama Canal, and its relative proximity to the large markets of North America and the emerging markets of Latin America, Jamaica receives a large amount of maritime container traffic. The Kingston Port Container Terminal has undergone major capacity expansion in recent years to cope with growth both already realized and anticipated in the coming years Montego Freeport, in Montego Bay, also handles a variety of Cargo like (although more limited than) the port of Kingston, mainly agricultural products.
There are several other ports located around the island, including Port Esquivel on St. Catherine (WINDALCO), Rocky Point on Clarendon, Port Kaiser on St. Elizabeth, Port Rhoades on Discovery Bay, Reynolds Pier on Ocho Rios, and Boundbrook Port in Port Antonio.
To aid maritime navigation, Jamaica has nine lighthouses, which are maintained by the Jamaica Port Authority, an agency under the Ministry of Transport and Works.
Demographics
As of 2016, Jamaica has an estimated population of 2,970,340. One third of the country's population resides in the capital, Kingston. 92% of the population is black and mulatto, the remaining 8% is made up of whites and Asians. The first official language is English, although the most widely spoken and national language is Jamaican patois, which is an English-based creole language. Life expectancy is 73.1 years. The average number of children per woman is 1.99. The population growth rate is 0.68% per year. 89% of the population is literate.
There are significant Jamaican communities abroad, based primarily in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In some cities, such as London, Jamaican emigrants have settled in specific neighborhoods where they manage to preserve the country's traditions.
Religion
Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in Jamaica. It came to the island with the Spanish colonization and was later reinforced by the British colonization that introduced various Protestant denominations. The various modern Protestant groups make up about 70%, other Christian groups include Catholics with at least 2% of the population. According to the 2001 census, the main Protestant Christian branches in Jamaica are the Church of God (24%), the Seventh-day Adventist Church (11%), Pentecostalism (10%), Baptists (7%), Anglicanism (4%), United Churches (2%), Methodism (2%), Moravian Brethren (1%), and Plymouth Brethren (1%). The Christian faith gained acceptance, as the British abolitionist Christians and Baptist missionaries educated former slaves. This was seen as a fight against slavery.
The Rastafarian movement has a membership of 29,026, according to the 2011 census, of whom 25,325 are Rastafarian men and 3,701 are female.[The faith originated in Jamaica in the 1930s and, although it has its roots in Christianity,, its approach is strongly Afrocentric and is far from basic Christian teachings, venerating figures such as the Jamaican black nationalist Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie, the former Emperor of Ethiopia. Since then, Rastafari has spread (albeit in a minority) all over the world, especially to areas with large black or African diasporas.
Several traditional African-derived religious beliefs and practices are practiced on the island, notably Kumina, Convince, Myal and Obeah.
Other religions present in Jamaica are Jehovah's Witnesses (2% of the population), the Bahá'í faith, which has some 8,000 adherents and 21 Local Spiritual Assemblies, Mormonism, Buddhism and Hinduism. The Indo-Jamaican community annually celebrates the Hindu festival Diwali.
There is also a small population of about 200 Jews, who describe themselves as Liberal-Conservative. Jamaica's earliest Jews trace their roots back to the turn of the century XV in Spain and Portugal because those nations expelled people who refused to convert to Christianity and most of the Jews living in those Kingdoms dispersed to other countries and colonies of European powers such as Jamaica (at that time a colony of England). Kahal Kadosh Shaare Shalom, also known as the United Congregation of Israelites, is a historic synagogue located in the city of Kingston. Originally built in 1912, it is the only remaining official Jewish place of worship on the island. The once abundant Jewish population has voluntarily converted to Christianity over time or has emigrated. Shaare Shalom is one of the few synagogues in the world with a sand-covered floor and is a popular tourist destination.
The Muslim holidays of Ashura (locally known as Hussay or Hosay) and Eid have been celebrated across the island for hundreds of years. In the past, all the plantations in each parish celebrated Hosay. Today it has come to be called the Indian Carnival and is perhaps best known in Clarendon, where it is held every August. People of all religions attend, showing mutual respect.
Languages
Jamaica is considered a bilingual country, with two main languages in use by the population. The official language is English, which is "used in all spheres of public life", including government, the legal system, the media and education and that it is a legacy of the long British colonization of the country. However, the main language spoken is an English-based creole called Jamaican patois (or Patwa).
The two dialects exist in a mode in which the speakers use a different register depending on the context and the interlocutor. 'Pure' patois, while sometimes considered simply a particularly aberrant dialect of English, is essentially unintelligible with standard English and is best considered a separate language.
A 2007 survey by the Jamaica Language Unit revealed that 17.1% of the population were monolingual in Jamaican Standard English (JSE) and 36.5% in Jamaican Standard English (JSE). 36.5% were monolingual in patois and 46.4% were bilingual, although previous surveys suggested a higher degree of bilingualism (up to 90%). The Jamaican education system has recently begun to offer formal instruction in patois, maintaining the JSE as the "official language of teaching".
In addition, some Jamaicans use one or more of Jamaican Sign Languages (JSL), American Sign Language (ASL), or Jamaican Sign Language (Konchri Sain), which is in decline. Both JSL and the ASL are rapidly replacing the Konchri Sain for various reasons.
Significant communities of Jamaican patois speakers exist among expatriate Jamaicans in South Florida, New York, Toronto, Hartford, Washington, D.C., Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Cayman Islands, and Panama, as well as London, Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham. In the Cayman Islands in particular, there is a very large community of Jamaican Patois speakers, with 16.4% of the population speaking this language. On the islands of San Andrés and Providencia (Colombia) there is a mutually intelligible variety, brought to the island by descendants of Jamaican Maroons (runaway slaves) in the 17th century XVIII. Mesolectal forms are similar to Belizean Kriol, highly basilectal.
Emigration
Many Jamaicans have immigrated to other countries, especially the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. In the case of the United States, permanent residence is granted to about 20,000 Jamaicans a year. There has also been emigration of Jamaicans to other Caribbean countries or territories such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and South American countries such as Guyana. In 2004 it was estimated that up to 2.5 million Jamaicans and Jamaican descendants live abroad.
There are an estimated 800,000 Jamaicans in the UK, making them by far the largest Afro-Caribbean group in the country. Large-scale emigration from Jamaica to the United Kingdom occurred mainly in the 1950s and 1960s, when the country was still under British rule. Jamaican communities exist in most large cities in the United Kingdom. Concentrations of expatriate Jamaicans are quite sizable in many cities in the United States, including New York, Buffalo, the Miami metropolitan area, Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, Tampa, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Hartford, Providence, and Los Angeles. In Canada, the Jamaican population is concentrated in Toronto, with smaller communities in cities such as Hamilton, Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Ottawa. Canadian Jamaicans account for about 30% of the entire black Canadian population.
A notable, though much smaller, group of emigrants are Jamaicans in Ethiopia. They are mostly Rastafarians, in whose theological worldview Africa is the promised land, or "Zion," or more specifically Ethiopia, due to the 'reverence' professed to be the former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. Most live in the small town of Shashamane, about 240 km south of the capital Addis Ababa.
Ethnicities
Jamaica's diverse ethnic roots are reflected in the national motto 'Out of many, one people'. Most of the population of 2,812,000 (as of July 2018 data) are of African or part-African descent, and many can trace their origins to the West African countries of Ghana and Nigeria. Other important ancestral areas They are Europe, South Asia, and East Asia. It is not common for Jamaicans to identify themselves by race, as is the case in other countries such as the United States, as most Jamaicans view Jamaican nationality as an identity in itself and identify simply as "Jamaicans".;, regardless of their ethnic origin. One study revealed that the median mix on the island was 78.3% Sub-Saharan African, 16.0% European, and 5.7% East Asian. Another study conducted in 2020 showed that Jamaicans of African descent accounted for 76.3% of the population, followed by 15.1% African-Europeans, 3.4% East Indians and African-East Indians, 3.2% Caucasians, 1.2% Chinese and 0.8% others.
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The Jamaican Maroons of Accompong and other settlements are descendants of enslaved Africans who fled the plantations inland, where they established their own autonomous communities. Many Maroons continue to have their own traditions and speak their own language, known locally as Kromanti.
Asians are the second largest group and include Indo-Jamaicans and Chinese Jamaicans. Most are descended from workers hired by the British colonial government to fill labor shortages after slavery was abolished in 1838.
Notable Indian Jamaicans include jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, who was the first Jamaican in the Kentucky Derby, NBC Nightly News journalist Lester Holt, and Miss Jamaica World and Miss Universe winner Yendi Phillips. The southwestern parish of Westmoreland is famous for its large Indo-Jamaican population. Along with their Indian counterparts, Chinese Jamaicans have also played an integral role in Jamaican community and history. His descendants include billionaire Canadian investor Michael Lee-Chin, supermodels Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford, and VP Records founder Vincent "Randy" Chin.
There are about 20,000 Jamaicans of Lebanese and Syrian ancestry. The majority were Christian immigrants who fled the Ottoman occupation of Lebanon in the early 1900s XIX. Over time, his descendants became highly successful politicians and businessmen. Prominent Jamaicans in this group include former Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga, Jamaican politician and former Miss World Lisa Hanna, Jamaican politicians Edward Zacca and Shahine Robinson, and hotelier Abraham Elias Issa.
In 1835, Charles Ellis, 1st Baron Seaford, gave 500 acres of his 10,000-acre Westmoreland estate to the German settlement of Seaford Town. Today, most of the town's descendants are of full or partial German ancestry.
The first wave of English immigrants arrived on the island in 1655 after conquering the territory from the Spanish, and historically they have been the dominant group. His descendants include the former Governor of New York, David Paterson, the owner of Sandals Hotels, Gordon Butch Stewart, the United States Presidential Adviser and "mother" Pell Grant recipient Lois Rice, and former National Security Adviser and Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice. The first Irish immigrants arrived in Jamaica in the 17th century as prisoners of war and later in serfdom.
His descendants include two of Jamaica's national heroes: Prime Ministers Michael Manley and Alexander Bustamante. Along with the English and the Irish, the Scots are another group that has had a significant impact on the island. According to the Scotland Herald newspaper, Jamaica has more people using the Campbell surname than the population of Scotland itself, and it also has the highest percentage of Scottish surnames outside of Scotland. Scottish surnames make up about 60% of surnames in Jamaican phone books[citation needed] The first Jamaicans from Scotland were "rebels" exiled. Later they were followed by ambitious businessmen who spent their time between their large estates in Scotland and the island. As a result, many of the island's slave plantations were owned by Scots, so large numbers of mixed-race Jamaicans can claim Scottish ancestry. Today, Jamaicans of Scottish origin include businessman John Pringle, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and actress Kerry Washington.
There is also a significant Jamaican population of Portuguese origin, predominantly Sephardic Jewish. The first Jews arrived as explorers from Spain in the 15th century, after being forced to convert to Christianity or face death. A small number of them became slaveholders and even famous pirates. Over time, Judaism became very influential in Jamaica and today can be seen in the many Jewish cemeteries throughout the country. During the Holocaust, Jamaica became a haven for Jews fleeing persecution in Europe. Descendants of famous Jews include dancehall artist Sean Paul, former record producer and founder of Island Records Chris Blackwell, and Jacob De Cordova, founder of the Daily Gleaner newspaper.
In recent years, immigration has increased, mainly from China, Haiti, Cuba, Colombia and Latin America; 20,000 Latin Americans reside in Jamaica. In 2016, Prime Minister Andrew Holness suggested making Spanish the second official language of Jamaica. Some 7,000 Americans also reside in Jamaica. Notable Americans with connections to the island include fashion icon Ralph Lauren, philanthropist Daisy Soros, the Schwarzman family of Blackstone, the family of the late Delaware Lieutenant Governor John W. Rollins, fashion designer Vanessa Noel, the investor Guy Stuart, Edward and Patricia Falkenberg, and iHeart Media CEO Bob Pittman, all of whom hold annual charity events to support the island.
Education
The emancipation of the slaves heralded the establishment of an educational system for the masses. Before emancipation there were few schools to educate the locals and many sent their children to England for a quality education. Following emancipation, the West India Commission granted a sum of money to establish elementary schools, today known as all-age schools. Most of these schools were created by churches. This was the genesis of the modern Jamaican school system.
Currently there are the following categories of schools
- Early childhood - Basic, child and private management preschool. Age cohort: 2 - 5 years.
- Primary - Public and private (private-owned schools are called preparatory schools). Ages: 3 - 12 years.
- Secondary - Public and private. Ages: 10 - 19 years. Jamaica ' s secondary institutes can be a single sex or mixed, and many of them follow the traditional model of English grammar schools used in the British Antilles.
- Terciaria - Community Colleges; Teacher Institutes, the Mico Teachers' College (now The MICO University College) the oldest, founded in 1836; Shortwood Teachers' College (who in his day was an exclusively female teacher training centre); vocational training centres, institutes and universities, public and private. There are five local universities: the University of the West Indies (Mona Campus); the University of Technology, Jamaica, before The College of Art Science and Technology (CAST); the Northern Caribbean University, before West Indies College; the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, before University College of The Caribbean; and the International University of the Caribbean.
In addition, there are many community colleges and teacher training colleges.
Education is free from early childhood through high school. There are also opportunities for those who cannot afford higher education in the professional field, through the Human Employment and Resource Training-National Training Agency (HEART Trust-NTA) program, open to the entire national population of working age[223 ] and through a wide network of scholarships for different universities.
Spanish is taught in school from the primary level; Around 40-45% of the educated population in Jamaica have some knowledge of Spanish, which does not necessarily mean that they are fluent in that language.
Culture
Jamaican culture is the product of a mixture of cultures that settled on the island of Jamaica. Mainly it was made up of the Taíno Indians, the Spanish colonizers, the English evangelizers, the African population and, finally, the Hindu and Chinese communities. Jamaica is noted for its rich culture and music, both of which have made the island famous worldwide.
The musical genres mento, ska, reggae, rocksteady, dub, dancehall, ragga, ragga jungle and drum and bass, have all been conceived in Jamaica. The most popular music is reggae, with its different styles and mixes: dub, dancehall, raggamuffin (ragga), early reggae or roots reggae, made known on a large scale by the Jamaican Bob Marley who through his music deepened and made known a culture that impacted the world. The first of these genres was mento, "father" of the following, which later gave way to Ska, the first to become popular internationally and the creation of this genre is attributed to The Skatalites.
Gastronomy
The Jamaican way of cooking is largely influenced by different cultures: African, British, Spanish and Asian, given respectively by the early settlement of the Taino Indians, who used cassava, corn, guavas, fish, roast meat and crabs; and by the colonialism of Spain and Great Britain and the population that came from Africa, who also brought their culinary customs.
Here are some popular foods: jerk (chicken, pork, or fish), pies, ackee and saltfish, rice and peas, festival, bammy breadfruit, roasts, roasted yellow yam, and curried goat.
African cuisine developed on the island in the wake of waves of slavery, such as callaloo, derived from the Angolan dish calulu. The fruit of the most popular Jamaican dish, the ackee, was also brought to the island by West African peoples. The Spanish, the first Europeans to arrive on the island, brought dishes such as the vinegared fish escovitch (Spanish pickle) contributed by the Spanish Jews. Later, the Cornish may have influenced the development of the Jamaican hamburger, a patty filled with spiced meat.
More Chinese and East Indian influences, such as roti and curried goat, can also be found in Jamaican cuisine, a result of indentured workers who replaced slaves after emancipation bringing their own culinary talents (especially curry, which Jamaican chefs sometimes use to flavor goat meat on special occasions). Salt cod was brought over by Portuguese Jews who had escaped the Inquisition in the 16th century and is now used in the national dish ackee and saltfish, but it was also a staple for enslaved Africans as a durable and affordable protein.
Jamaican cuisine includes Rastafarian influences, but not entirely. Rastafarians take a vegetarian approach to food preparation, cooking and eating, and have introduced a host of unique vegetarian dishes to Jamaican cuisine. Rastafarians don't eat pork. However, pork is a very popular dish in Jamaica. Braised and jerk pork are some of the most popular ways to prepare it. Some even believe in cooking with little or no salt, known as the "Ital" way.
Mango and soursop ice creams are two very popular desserts. Jamaican ice cream comes in many flavors, including Grape, Rum & Raisin and Dragon Stout.
Other popular desserts include sweet potato pudding, cornmeal pudding, cassava pone, gizzada, grater cake, toto, banana fritters, coconut drops, banana tarts, and guava cheese.
Tie A Leaf, or blue drawers, is a dish made by combining a starch (usually corn or cassava flour) with coconut milk, then wrapped and tied in a banana leaf before boiling. Asham is dried corn ground and combined with brown sugar.
Tamarind balls are confections made with the sticky pulp of the fruit rolled with brown sugar into sweet and sour round balls. You can also make a spicy version that contains hot pepper in the mix. The Bustamante Backbone, named after the first Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante, is a candy.
Literature
The journalist and writer H. G. de Lisser (1878-1944) used his native country as the setting for his many novels. Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, de Lisser worked as a young reporter for the Jamaica Times and in 1920 began publish Planters' Punch. The White Witch of Rosehall is one of his best known novels. He was named Honorary President of the Jamaican Press Association; he worked throughout his professional career to promote the jamaican sugar industry.
Roger Mais (1905 - 1955), journalist, poet, and playwright, wrote numerous short stories, plays, and novels, including The Hills Were Joyful Together (1953), Brother Man (1954), and Black Lightning (1955).
Ian Fleming (1908 - 1964), who had a home in Jamaica where he spent considerable time, repeatedly used the island as a setting in his James Bond novels, including Live and Let Die, Doctor No, "Only For Your Eyes', The Man with the Golden Gun, and Octopussy and The Living Daylights. Additionally, James Bond uses a Jamaican-based cover in Casino Royale. So far, the only James Bond film adaptation set in Jamaica is Doctor No. Filming on the fictional island of San Monique in Live and Let Die took place in Jamaica.
Marlon James (1970), novelist, has published three novels: The Devil of John Crow (2005), The Book of the Women of the Night (2009) and A Brief History of Seven Murders (2014), winner of the Man Booker Prize 2015.
Sports
The most famous athlete in the country is the athlete Usain Bolt with the world records in 100 meters with a time of 9.58 seconds and the record of 200 meters with a time of 19.19 seconds. In 2008 he won the gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4 × 100. He also competed in several world championships; at the Daegu championships in 2011 he won gold medals in the 200m and 4 × 100; in Berlin 2009 he won the gold medals in 100 meters, 200 meters and 4 × 100. At the Osaka 2007 championships he won the silver medals in 200 meters and 4 × 100. Tyson Gay won the gold medal in the 200 meters. At the 2012 London Olympics, he won the 100m final with gold alongside Yohan Blake in second and Justin Gatlin in third, as well as the 200m final, completing a podium made up entirely of Jamaicans, and won the medal. gold in the 4 × 100 relay. In addition, Usain Bolt holds the Olympic records in 100 meters with a time of 9.63, in 200 meters with a time of 19.30 and in 4 × 100 Jamaica holds the world record with 36.84. At the 2013 World Championships in Athletics held in Moscow Bolt also completed the trio in the 100 m, 200 m, and 4 × 100 m, with times of 9.77, 19.66, and 37.36 respectively.
A very popular sport is cricket. The country was one of the host cities for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The Jamaican national cricket team competes only regionally in the Caribbean, but at the world championships, Jamaica offers its players to the India national cricket team Occidentales, one of the 10 teams that are part of the ICC and that participate in the Cricket World Cup. Sabina Park is the only cricket venue on the island, but Greenfield Stadium is also used for cricket. Chris Gayle is Jamaica's most famous batsman and currently represents the West Indies cricket team. He is considered one of the most fearsome and aggressive hitters in the world today in this discipline.
In 1998, the Jamaican soccer team participated for the first time in a Soccer World Cup, in France 98. It shared group H with Argentina, Croatia and Japan. They lost their first two games, with Croatia 1-3, and then with Argentina 0-5. Finally, they beat the Japanese national team 2-1 and, having won only 3 points, they failed to advance to the next round. After this he has not been able to play another World Cup again. Currently, the senior team qualified for the octagonal final of CONCACAF, disputing a spot for the 2022 Soccer World Cup. Several native or original Jamaican players have defended the colors of the English soccer team, such as John Barnes, Theo Walcott or Raheem Sterling.
Several Jamaican basketball players have played in the NBA, with Patrick Ewing and Roy Hibbert being the most prominent, having even participated in the NBA All Star Game.
In 1988, the participation of the Jamaican bobsleigh team –unprecedented until then– in the Calgary Olympic Games, focused the attention of the whole world as an example of self-improvement and sporting desire. Since that date, even without getting any official title in 2008, the atypical team of this discipline has carved a niche for itself in it, managing to excel year after year with increasingly acceptable results. The bobsleigh team is one of the teams with the fastest start, surpassing teams with more tradition in this sport such as Germany or the United States. The Calgary Games event had such a media impact that even Disney produced the movie Cool Runnings (Chosen for Triumph in Spain, Jamaica below zero in Spanish America).
However, the sport in which Jamaica stands out the most, and which has given it the most success, is speed. spectacularly the world and Olympic records in both. He also clinched his third gold in 4 × 100 with his teammates from the Jamaican team, Asafa Powell among them. At the 2009 World Athletics Championships held in Berlin, Bolt once again surpassed his mark in the 100 and 200-meter dash, leaving it in 9 seconds and 58 hundredths. After that he broke his record of 19.30, which had already been a world record, to 19.19. The Jamaican team went on to the final of the 4 × 100 relay, where they set a new world record in 37.10. Some time later at the 2011 Daegu world championships, they broke the record leaving it at 37.04, thanks to Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter and Michael Franter, leaving Asafa Powell out of the relay. In the JJs oo. London 2012, the Olympic record of 100 meters was broken by Usain Bolt, with a mark of 9.63 and in the 4 × 100 relay they made a new world mark of 36.85, together with all the members of the Daegu World Cup.
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