JAMAICA
Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea. The native name Xaymaca is said to mean ‘land of forest and water’. It is also called ‘The Rock’ or ‘Jamrock’. Taino natives settled on the island around the year 800. They were engaged in agriculture and fishing. On the south coast there were 200 villages with about 60,000 inhabitants.In 1494 Columbus landed somewhere on the north coast, perhaps at Discovery Bay. Seville (1509) was soon abandoned due to an unhealthy climate. Santiago de la Vega (1534) is now called Spanish Town. The island remained in Spanish hands until 1655. Sugar plantations were established and when the Taino natives were nearly extinct, slaves were brought from Africa. After the conquest of the island by the English, the Spanish plantation owners left and freed their slaves, who established ‘maroon’ villages in the forests.
The English had to find new workers. These were Irish and Scottish prisoners who were used as forced laborers, and slaves from Africa. The main products were sugar, cotton and indigo. The First Maroon War of 1728-1740 ended with a truce because the English could not win the battle against the Maroons.
In the 19th century, there were 20 times as many slaves as free whites in Jamaica. In 1838, slavery was abolished in the British colonies. Some plantations fell into disrepair and a group of small farmers emerged. The remaining plantations brought in contract laborers from China and India. There were epidemics of cholera, rubella and smallpox, which caused many deaths.
Jamaica has nearly 3 million inhabitants. English is spoken and Jamaican patwa is spoken on the streets. The majority of the population (80%) is of African descent, from the region of Ghana and Nigeria. There are minorities from Europe (16%), China, India and Lebanon. In the 17th and 18th centuries there were also Sephardic Jewish plantation owners and during the Second World War many European Jews fled to Jamaica. In recent years Cubans, Haitians and Colombians have settled in Jamaica.
Jamaica has been independent from England since 1962 and a member of the Commonwealth, with King George III as head of state. It is a parliamentary democracy with free elections, freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
The climate is tropical with a high biodiversity because much of the forest has been preserved. The north coast receives the most rain, while the south has drier areas. During the colonial period, timber was cut for shipbuilding and plantations. Mahogany, bamboo, rosewood and orchids grow in the rainforest. In the dry areas there are savannahs and cacti. The interior is mountainous and most of the cities are located on the narrow coastal plain. The coastline is rugged, with numerous bays, estuaries and caves, which are famous as film locations. Blue Lagoon, where the film of the same name was shot, is located near the port city of Port Antonio.
In densely populated areas and tourist resorts, water pollution occurs due to sewage and plastic waste that flows into the sea during heavy rainfall. Coral reefs also suffer from hurricanes, fishing and algae growth.
In the Blue Mountains lie the maroon villages Moore Town and Charles Town. Kromanti, a Creole language with influences from English, Akan and Fante, is still spoken. The African nature religion has been preserved, as it has been in Cuba, Haiti, Brazil and Suriname.
Mongooses (small rodents) were imported from India in 1872 to control rats on sugar cane plantations. They ran wild and wiped out native species, such as snakes. Iguanas, lizards and other reptiles are still there, as are countless species of birds, bats, insects and fish. There are no fewer than 20 botanical gardens in Jamaica, where you can admire native trees, plants and orchids.
The capital, Kingston, is located on a natural harbor. Export products are bananas, coconuts, breadfruit, coffee, mangoes. The contrasts between rich and poor are great and many Jamaicans emigrated to Canada, England and the US
In the 1960s the aluminum industry was on the rise, but after 1980 the world market price fell. Tourism became more important, because thousands of reggae fans want to know where Bob Marley comes from!
The Rastafari movement originated in Jamaica in the 1930s. Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie were spiritual leaders. The Rastafari movement is spread all over the world. Characteristics are dreadlocks, marijuana use, vegetarianism, protest against discrimination and preaching peace. This can be heard in the music of Bob Marley and later reggae artists. Jamaican reggae, ska and dancehall influence punk rock, new wave, regaeton and American rap worldwide.
Famous international artists and athletes have Jamaican roots, such as Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Usain Bolt, Miss Universe Yendi Phillips, model Naomi Campbell and Grace Jones and many others!
In Kingston you can take a city tour along historical buildings and murals. Bob Marley’s home and studio, Tuff Going International is not to be missed! Gold records, photographs and murals are on display.
Devon House is a 17th century villa of George Stiebel, Jamaica’s first black millionaire. The National Gallery of Jamaica (1974) has a collection of historical engravings and paintings and modern colorful Jamaican paintings and woodcarvings.
A fun trip is the Rio Grande rafting tour, in the area of Portland. On a bamboo raft with a bench and boatman you sail 10 kilometers downstream. Bamboo rafts were used to transport bananas from the plantations to the coast.
The Blue Mountain tour to Holywell National Park is also a nice trip, with a visit to a coffee plantation. Blue Mountain coffee is very expensive and exclusive.
Negril is located on the western tip of Jamaica and has many hotels. In the 1960s this was a hippie paradise. The coast is rocky and there are sandy beaches such as Seven Mile Beach.
Montego Bay (Mo Bay) is Jamaica’s second city with 120,000 inhabitants and the island’s largest airport. It is a major tourist destination with over a hundred hotels and a cruise ship port. The beaches and nightlife are famous. Hip Strip is a pedestrian promenade with shops, bars, restaurants and clubs. The city centre is unsafe at night due to petty crime and gang violence. People who approach you on the street will ask for money for their ‘services’ afterwards, so it is better to say no immediately.
From Mo Bay you can make trips to Doctors Cave Beach or Rocklands Birds Sanctuary, a bird sanctuary. You can also raft on the Martha Bae River.
Ocho Rios is centrally located on the north coast, close to Dunns River Falls, Jamaica’s most popular attraction. There are a number of waterfalls in a row, and you can climb up against the current. If you don’t want to get wet, you can take the steps on the bank. The falls are in the shade of the forest, so it is nice and cool. Ocho Rios is an important port for cruise ships and the export of sugar and limestone.
On a 7-day tour from Kingston you will visit both large and smaller attractions, such as the Great House of Rose Hall. It is said that the white witch Annie Palmer haunts there. In Fallmouth you will visit the house of Usain Bolt, and on the southwest coast the Appleton Rum factory.
Jamaican cuisine is known for jerk spice, curries, rice with beans and tropical fruit. Jerk (charqui) is dried or smoked meat. It is prepared on a low charcoal fire, covered with zinc plates, like hot fish is prepared in Suriname.
Do you want to taste jerk, experience the ‘one love’ atmosphere of Jamaica, admire colorful murals, walk through tropical rainforest and over white palm beaches? Jamaica has it all!
$492,-
| Capital | Kingston |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,838,548 |
| Language | English |
| Currency | Jamaican dollar (JMD) |
| Visa required | www.visum.nl |
| Vaccination(s) | yes |
| Voltage | 110 V |
| Traffic | Left-hand traffic |
