Flags of the World > Jamaica Flag
Brief History. Jamaican island was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 and was settled by the Spannish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated, replaced by African slaves. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of which became small farmers. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs created by the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering.
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Country Information
Local name: Jamaica Capital: Kingston Population: 2,758,124 Government: constitutional parliamentary democracy Currency: Jamaican dollar (JMD) Land size: 10,991 sq km Topography: mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain Typical foods: Major exports: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels |
Information on the People
Official language: English, patois English Other languages spoken: Religions: Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Baptist 8.8%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 5.5%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Brethren 1.1%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other including some spiritual cults 34.7% Literacy rate: 87.9% Male/Female Ratio: 0.98 male(s) to every 1 female Life expectancy: 73.24 years Ethnic groups: black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1% Internet users: 1.067 million Famous people: Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley |
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