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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
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