Jamaica

Basic Information

Geography
History
Economy
The Rastafarian Movement
Language
Publications of Interest
News Updates
Though smaller than the smallest U.S. state, Jamaica has had a greater impact on world culture than most nations hundreds of times its size. The revolutionary language of much of its popular music, and the international phenomenon of Rastafari have globalized Jamaica in unprecedented ways. This inordinate cultural richness comes out of "a densely compacted history that contains every movement of consequence in the western hemisphere: native societies devastated by European conquest; the extermination of aboriginal peoples and their replacement by African slaves; the long sleep of colonialism and the slow, painful awakening into the struggle for nationhood." Even today, though Jamaica has been nominally independent for over thirty years, the island struggles with the neo-colonialisms of un-payable debt to international lending bodies, the conventional tourism industry, the international organized crime of the drug trade, extreme internal class divisions and political conflict, and more. Despite these ongoing struggles, however, Jamaican people and culture continue their vibrant history of creativity and militancy, and the world continues to listen...

People
Population: 2,665,636 (2001 estimate)
Population growth rate: 0.51% (2001 estimate)
Population density: 243 persons per sq km (2001 estimate), 628 persons per sq mi (2001 estimate)
Fertility Rate: 2.05 children/woman
Urban/rural distribution: Urban, 56%; Rural, 44% (1999 estimate)
Ethnic groups: Black African 91%, Mixed 7%, East Indian 1%, Other 1%

Health and Education
Life expectancy: Total 75.4 years, Female 77.5 years, Male 73.5 years
Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths per 1,000 live births (2001 estimate)
Population per physician:1,896 people (1999)
Population per hospital bed: 472 people (1996)
HIV/AIDS Rates (1999):Adult Prevalence=.71%,
Living w/ AIDS=9,900, Deaths=650
Literacy rates: Total 94.3%, Female 97.6%, Male 91%
Education expenditure as a share of gross national product: 7.5% (1996)
Number of years of compulsory schooling: 6 years (1998)
Number of students per teacher, primary school: 33 students per teacher (1997)

Government
Languages: English (official), Creole
Government: Parliamentary democracy w/ Queen Elizabeth as Chief of State and Jamaican Prime Minister as Head of Government.
Independence:6 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, first Monday in August (1962)
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal elections last held October, 2002

Photo from: http://www.damer.com/pictures/travels/jamaica/page_01.htm

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