- Jamaica
is an island south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea.
- Jamaica
was ruled as a U.K. colony until it became independent in 1962
- The
population is 2.5 million (similar to Wales). A similar number of
Jamaicans live outside the country – mainly in the UK, USA and
Canada.
- These
days Jamaica has more links with the USA than with the UK. Americans
sometimes refer to the Caribbean as their ‘backyard’.
History:
- Pre
1492 the island was inhabited by two groups of people the Caribs and
the Arawaks.
- 1492
Christopher Columbus landed on the island – it was discovered by
Europeans (see image).
- The
Spanish colonised Jamaica in 1510. The native people were wiped out by
guns and disease. Crops like sugar cane and bananas were grown by the
colonisers.
- 1655
Britain took control of the island.
- Over
the next 200 years about 5 million Africans were taken to the
Caribbean to work as slaves on the plantations. It was the largest
enforced migration of people in world history.
- Jamaica
exported crops like sugar cane (see image below),
cotton and tobacco back to Europe.
- For
200 years the whole economy was based on slavery – men, women and
children were all expected to work.
- In
Jamaica a community of escaped slaves called the Maroons lived in the
mountains and occasionally attacked the British.
- Slavery
was abolished in Jamaica in 1838. The plantation system began to
decline. The slaves were replaced by immigrant workers from Europe and
later from Asia.
- During
the 1900s the importance of sugar and other primary products in the
global economy declined. This caused big problems for Jamaica.
- Colonialism
over 400 years had left all the Caribbean countries totally dependent
on income from primary product exports. Exports in 1994 were worth
$1308 million – 62% from metal ores, 21% from food products. Imports
were $2376 million i.e. DEBT.
- Photo above shows part of the bauxite mining export works
- Since
1945 there has been a huge exodus of Jamaicans to the UK, USA and
Canada. Just think of Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno.