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.
Jamaica was claimed for Spain after Christopher Columbus first landed there in 1494. Columbus used it as his family's private estate. The English Admiral William Penn (father of William Penn of Pennsylvania) and General Venables seized the island in 1655.
The majority of the population is of mixed race, of Black, Indian, Chinese and British, Irish and other European heritage. People of single race compose a tiny minority, less than 1% of the population. This ethnic diversity is what led to the composition of Jamaica's motto: "Out of Many One People."
In Kingston mobile sound systems began to grow up in the late forties who would play American hits. Some of the major figures of the Jamaican music scene came to the fore in association with sound systems during this period, including Duke Reid and Sir Coxsone. In 1958 due to a shortage of new material the first local R&B bands, most influentially Joe Higgs and Roy Wilson, began recording to fulfil the local demand for new music.
Historically, Jamaican emigration has been heavy. In the 1950s and 1960s the destination was Britain, since the United Kingdom restricted emigration in 1967, the major flow has been to the United States and Canada. About 20,000 Jamaicans emigrate to the United States each year; another 200,000 visit annually.
A final devastating earthquake on January 14, 1907 again liquefied the sandspit, destroying nearly all of the rebuilt city and submerging additional portions. Today the area is a shadow of its former self with a population of less than 2000 and has little to no commercial or political importance. The area is frequented by tourists but is in a state of disrepair. The Jamaican government has recently resolved to further develop the area for its historic and tourism value.
The British parliament abolished slavery as of August 1, 1834, though the Jamaican slaves remained bound to slave owners' compensation schemes (apprenticeship) until 1838. The freed slaves still faced extreme hardship, marked by the October 1865 Morant Bay rebellion led by George William Gordon and Paul Bogle. It was brutally repressed and the island was made a Crown Colony. The sugar crop was declining in importance in the late 19th century and the colony diversified into bananas.
Mento was recorded in the 1950s due to the efforts of Stanley Motta, who noted the similiarities between Jamaican folk and Trinidadian calypso, which was currently finding international audiences.
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.
Artists like Buju Banton (Till Shiloh) experienced significant crossover success in foreign markets, while Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and others developed a sizable American following due to their frequent guesting on albums by gangsta rappers like Wu-Tang Clan and Jay-Z.
Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence and a drop-off in tourism.
Jamaica operates as a mixed, free market economy with state enterprises as well as private sector businesses. Major sectors of the Jamaican economy include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism and financial and insurance services. Tourism and mining are the leading foreign exchange earners.