Jamaican Government economic policies encourage foreign investment in areas that earn or save foreign exchange, generate employment, and use local raw materials. The government provides a wide range of incentives to investors, including remittance facilities to assist them in repatriating funds to the country of origin; tax holidays which defer taxes for a period of years; and duty-free access for machinery and raw materials imported for approved enterprises.
The musical genres reggae, ska, and, more recently, dancehall originated in Jamaica. Bob Marley, perhaps the best known reggae musician, was born in Jamaica, and is very respected.
Merger of the diphthongs in "fair" and "fear" takes place both in Jamaican Standard and Jamaican Creole, resulting in those two words (and many others, like "bear" and "beer") becoming homophones. (Standard speakers typically pronounce both closer to "air", while Creole speakers render them as "ear"). The short "a" sound (man, hat) is very open, similar to its Irish or Scottish versions
Escaped slaves, known as maroons established independent communities in the mountainous interior that the British were unable to defeat, despite major attempts in the 1730s and 1790s. The colonial government enlisted the maroons in capturing escaped plantation slaves.
Jamaica slowly gained increasing independence from the United Kingdom, and in 1958 Jamaica became a province in the Federation of the West Indies, a federation between all the British West Indies. Jamaica attained full independence by leaving the federation in 1962 and is now a completely sovereign nation. Jamaica celebrated the tricentennial of British rule in 1955.
The official language is English, although the patois form Jamaican English is widely spoken. About three-quarter of the Jamaicans practice Christianity, spread over a large number of denominations. The remaining quarter adheres to various other religions, including local faiths such as Rastafarianism.
While mento never found a large international audience as calypso had, some of these recordings, such as by Count Lasher, Lord Composer and George Moxey, are now widely-respected legends of Jamaican music. Though it has largely been supplanted by successors like reggae and dub, mento is still performed, recorded, and released internationally by traditionalist performers like the Jolly Boys.
Desmond Dekker's "007" brought international attention to the new urban beat. The mix put heavy emphasis on the bass line, as opposed to ska's strong horn section, and the rhythm guitar began playing on the up-beat. Session musicians like Supersonics, Soul Vendors, Jets and, most influentially, Jackie Mittoo (of the Skatalites) became legends during this period.
Derek Walcott, a Nobel prize laureate, attended college in Jamaica. Other significant writers from the island include Claude McKay and Louis Simpson. Plays and works in jamaican English, or patois, attract special attention. Louise Bennett, Andrew Salkey and Michael Smith have contributed to this phenomenon by writing works in patois. Ian Fleming wrote his famous James Bond novels while living in Jamaica.
The migration of unemployed people to urban areas, coupled with an increase in the use and trafficking of narcotics -- crack cocaine and ganja (marijuana) -- contribute to a high level of violent crime, especially in Kingston.
Some of ska's fans were "rude boys", the local name for gangsters and petty thieves. Rude boys were anything from fashionable posuers to hard-edged, violent and misogynist thugs with nothing to lose in Jamaica's post-independence economic depression.
1.
Jamaica: A Premier Caribbean Travel DestinationOfficial web site of the Jamaica Tourist Board. Find out about holiday destinations, attractions, events, and news on the Caribbean island, as well as Jamaican ...
2.
Lucea Vacations - Jamaica Tourism - TripAdvisorLucea: Visit TripAdvisor for 36 unbiased reviews and travel guides on hotels, attractions, and restaurants in Lucea, Jamaica.
3.
The Other Side Of Tourism: Jamaica Re-visited at AbeBooksFind The Other Side Of Tourism: Jamaica Re-visited by Myrna Loy now at AbeBooks.
4.
Jamaica, Caribbean - Hotels in Jamaica, Tourism and Vacation Reviews ...Jamaica vacations: Visit TripAdvisor, your source for the web's best reviews and travel articles about tourism and vacation packages in Jamaica, Caribbean.
5.
Jamaica Tourism Update | Article24-SEP-04 - The Hon. Aloun N'Dombet- Assamba, Minister of Industry and Tourism, says that recovery efforts are moving forward towards restoring life... | Free With Signup
6.
Jamaica Hotels, Vacations, Tourism | Yahoo! Travel GuidesJamaica vacations: Find the best Jamaica hotels, attractions, maps, pictures, weather, airport information, travel advice and more on Yahoo! Travel.
7.
Jamaica Tourism - Jamaica Travel GuideJamaica tourism - plan your next vacation to Jamaica using our comprehensive travel guide. ... provides in-depth Jamaica tourism information on towns or ...
8.
Eye For The Tropics, An: Tourism, Photography, And Framing TheBuy Eye For The Tropics, An: Tourism, Photography, And Framing The Caribbean Picturesque by Krista A Thompson for only £14.24 at Tesco.com
9.
Jamaica's Tourism ProductTourism in Jamaica. Statistics. Resources. Contact Us. About the JTB. Access to Information Act ... Today, tourism is one of Jamaica's leading industries. ...
10.
Jamaica Travel: Province of Jamaica Tourism Directory & Vacation GuideA Jamaica travel guide & tourism directory for the Province of Jamaica, Caribbean by WorldWeb.com ... Jamaica Travel & Tourism ©1994-2008. World Web Technologies Inc. ...
11.
Jamaica, Caribbean Tourism - Holiday Reviews - Travel Deals - TripAdvisorJamaica holidays: Visit TripAdvisor, your source for the web's best reviews and travel articles about tourism and holiday packages in Jamaica, Caribbean.
12.