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=Country Name: Jamaica=

Group Members: Robbie, Will, Blake, and Julian
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__Cultural Features__
Robbie and Blake ===Social Groups - Jamaica's population of over 2.7 million is growing at 0.8 percent annually. The majority of people are of African ancestry. Significant minorities include Afro-Europeans as well as Afro–East Indians and East Indians. The population also includes whites of European descent, some Chinese, and other groups. More than half of the population lives in urban areas. Kingston and Montego Bay are the largest cities. Because many people leave to seek greater opportunity, nearly as many Jamaicans live outside of Jamaica as on the island.=== ===Language - The main language in Jamaica is English. Some people in Jamaica can’t speak English because they haven’t gotten the proper education. Patois an English-based creole with an African influence. Patois and English are both used in everyday conversations. When Jamaicans talk there is often a rhythm and melody in their speech=== ===Religion - There is freedom and equality of religion in Jamaica. Protestant churches are dominant, with various groups taking up over 60% of the total population. Other religious groups, including Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and Rastafarians, as well as some spiritual cults, make up about 35% of the population.===

[[image:jamaica2005.gif]]
===The family structure varies in Jamaica according to several factors, including one's social group. For example, families in lower social groups usually are larger than those in the middle or upper classes. In addition, some women in low-income groups have several children by different men, known as baby fathers. However, it is considered normal for both men and women to have more than one relationship, perhaps resulting in children, prior to marriage. Therefore, the extended family plays a crucial role.=== ===The quality and style of housing vary considerably in Jamaica. l from the luxurious mansions of the rich to the basic shacks of the poor. Many middle-class families live in two-to-four room houses or condominiums. Some families live in apartments, particularly in Kingston where there is an extensive program of government aid. Many homes have verandas, which tend to be used for entertaining visitors. Houses with yards are usually fenced in. Many people grow fruit trees in their gardens.=== ===Jamaican food generally is spicy. Breakfast often includes saltfish (salted, dried cod), which is the national dish. It may also include ackee (a rich red fruit) when it is in season. Fish may be eaten two or more times a week. Stews and curries (such as curried goat) are popular. Jerk (spicy barbecued pork or chicken, roasted in open pits or on makeshift grills) is often served with a bland, hard bread or with yams. Bammy (cassava bread), a staple food, is still prepared in the style of the Arawak Indians. Bammy or festival (fried dough) with fish is a frequent combination.=== ===Cricket and football (soccer) are the most popular sports in Jamaica. Many people also enjoy table tennis, field hockey, tennis, and athletics (track-and-field). Girls play netball (a game similar to basketball) in school. Dominoes is the favorite game among men and may be played indoors or outdoors. People attend discos, community centers, and clubs. A frequent pastime is listening to music from stereo systems outside of bars. Other leisure activities include going to movies and enjoying spectator sports such as boxing or team competitions. Various festivals, community events, and church activities provide entertainment and recreation. Jamaicans also take advantage of the outdoor activities their island offers, such as hiking and swimming.===

Art[[image:bob-marley-kingston-jamaica-1979-celebrities-28943.jpg]]
In Jamaica there are different types of music like jazz, calypso, gospel, and soca. But the most popular type of music is Reggae. Reggae is a type of music that expresses love, hope, and anger in the lyrics. In Jamaica the most famous musician is Bob Marley. Bob Marley sang Reggae. Even though Bob Marley has past away he is still celebrated by many Jamaicans. In Jamaica there are many art galleries and markets for art to be sold. In the markets and galleries the art that is mainly sold are baskets, pottery, and textiles. The main purpose for these is for tourists.

__Physical Features__
Will Mansfield Physical Features of Jamaica

===Land Forms-The island has a large amount mountains. The highest peaks are the Blue Mountains standing 2,256 meters high. Two-thirds of Jamaica is covered with limestone. Jamaica is a part of the Greater Antilles and lies 500 miles southeast of the United States. Half of the island lies 1000 ft. above sea level.===

Water Forms- Three rivers in Jamaica are the Milk River, the Minho River, and the Black River.
===Climate- The climate in Jamaica is tropical marine. Every year Jamaica only receives an average of about 195.8 cm. of rain each year. In the winter the temperature averages around 75 degrees F. And in the summer, the temperature is just a little bit hotter.===

__Current Issues__
Julian ===Government- Jamaica’s goverment is a constitutional monarchy. The prime minister leads the head party in the parliament and is the head of the government. Cabinet members lead the ministries or executive departments. The prime minister appoints a governor general who represents him. The Jamaican Parliament is made up of a Senate and House of Representatives. The governor general appoints 21 senators. 13 of them are decided by the prime minister and 8 are decided by the leader of the minority party. The house is made of 60 representatives elected by the citizens of Jamaica. The voting age is 18. The biggest political parties are the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP). Jamaica is divided into 12 regions of government called parishes. Each parish elects it’s own goverment. There’s also the Kingston and St. Andrew corporation which is made up of the capital of Kingston and it’s suburbs. The main parts of the government are located there.===

===Current Events- Currently the majority party in Jamaica is the JLP led by Bruce Golding. The current governor-general is Kenneth Hall. Currently Jamaica's average income per capita is $4,200. There are currently 35 airports on the island and none being built. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit Jamaica and wiped out thousands of homes. The largest problem for Jamaica is drug trafficking and gang violence as a result of that. However, the government is allowing American drug control officials to patrol the coastal waters and stop drug trafficking on boats trying to get into America. Tourism is still booming in Jamaica but has weakened because of gang violence===

Economy
Economy- : One of Jamaica's biggest money makers, sugar cane Jamaica’s economy has three major categories: Tourism and Labor, Mining and Manufacturing, and Agriculture.One in every three Jamaican citizens is either working in tourism or labor. Labor and tourism is a billion dollar business for Jamaica. Around one million people visit Jamaica every year, mostly Americans. Some important attractions are Kingston, Montego Bay, Negril, and Ocho Rios. Kingston and Montego bay have the two major airports on the island. Labor and tourism fit together because a lot of labor in Jamaica comes from making items for the tourist industry and transporting tourists. Mining and manufacturing in Jamaica employs over 6,000 people. It is a good mining country for limestone because it makes up two thirds of the island. It’s also the world’s third largest producer of bauxite. It also has mine able silica, clay, gypsum and marble. Manufacturing of goods like textiles brings in over a quarter of a billion dollars a year. However the farms don't produce enough resources to feed the island so they must import a lot of food into the country. Jamaica is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). However, only one in 15 Jamaicans owns a car. Jamaica’s main crop is sugar cane. Agriculture includes over 21% of the Jamaican workforce. It exports over 2 metric tons of sugar cane every year. They also use sugarcane to make rum, which is the largest sold drink in the Caribbean. Jamaica also exports arrowroot, mango, cacao, citrus, corn, ginger, coffee, milk, coconuts, potatoes and tobacco. Out of all types of business’ in Jamaica, tourism brings in the most money because of the tropical areas and great vacation spots.-http:jamaicaguide.info/past.and.present/economy.com

- Ocho Rios one of the many tourist attractions of Jamaica ===History- Jamaica was discovered in 1494 by Spanish settlers led by Christopher Columbus. It was home to the native Arawak Indians. But the Spanish enslaved them and disease and overworking almost entirely wiped them out. However, Jamaica was used only as a base to keep supplies for settlers because it had no gold. Unfortunately for the Spanish, in 1655 the British invaded and gained entire control of the island by 1670. However, they were attacked, by escaped slaves called “Maroons”. Finally in 1738 the British signed a peace agreement with the “Maroons”. Starting in the 1700’s Jamaica was the most important slave market in the entire Western Hemisphere. Until the British Parliament outlawed slavery in 1833 Jamaica’s sugar cane farming was a huge business. Because most of its workers were slaves it took a huge hit when they gained their freedom. In 1865 the workers rose against England in a revolt called the Morant Bay Rebellion. But this was squashed and England punished Jamaica by making it a crown colony, which is directly ruled by England. This didn’t change until 1944 when the Jamaican people’s plea for a new government was answered. They were granted a new constitution and more self-government. Finally in 1962 England left Jamaica and granted it it’s freedom. In that same year it joined the U.N. and in 1969 joined the Organization of American States. In the 1970’s Jamaica had a terrible economy and it’s first Prime Minister was elected from the PNP, Michael Manley. He solved these problems by adopting socialistic policies which gave people more freedom in what they were making. In 1980 a new prime minister was elected from the JLP, Edward Seaga. Seaga strengthened trade between Jamaica and other countries and in 1983 joined in a war with the U.S. against Grenada. Manley was elected again in 1989 and the PNP governed Jamaica for 18 years under the different prime ministers including the first woman, Portia Miller. However, in September, the JLP finally beat the PNP in an election and Bruce Golding was elected prime minister.=== -Bruce Golding- a satellite view of Jamaica

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