Jamaica

Index

1. Justification……………………………………………………………Page 2

2. General description…………………………………………………Page 3

3. Physical geography…………………………………………………Page 4

4. Human geography…………………………………………………Page 10

5. Political geography……………………………………………..…Page 14

6. Economical geography…………………………………….……Page 19

7. Personal conclusion……………………………………………….Page 23

8.Bibliography………………………………………………………….Page 25

1. Justification

Among all the English speaking countries, the Jamaican Culture seemed to have little in common with the rest of them. This is one of the reasons why we chose Jamaica, a unique place in the world.

One of the special features of this country is its localization. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, and that appealed to us. When we hear about Jamaica, we think of sugar, bananas, all spice, coffee,ginger and citrus fruits. Exotic words that describe an island with rain forests, filled with bamboo, mahogany and ebony. A tropical Island with a tropical climate. We were also interested in its Reggae music, which forms part of its culture and their religions, which we really did not know a lot about.

We are used to living in a European city full of commodities, good schooling and nicehouses. We also need to know how people live around the world and we thought that choosing Jamaica was going to be very enriching and fun. It’s a very diversified culture with happy go-lucky people who live day by day with a criteria different to us.

The island and its people make it a special place. A place we would like to visit and taste in the future.

2. General Descriptiono Extension: The third largest island in the Caribbean, it is 146 mi (235 km) long and 35 mi (56 km) wide. Area: 4,244 sq. mi (10,991 sq. km)

o Borders:  It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Cuba, and 190 kilometres (120 mi) west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

o Capital: Kingstono Total Population: 2,688,000 people, consisting mostly of descendants of African slaves

o Languages: English (official), Jamaican Creole.

o Kind of State: Constitutional monarchy with two legislative houses (Senate and House of Representatives).

o Head of State: Its chief of state is the British monarch, represented by the governor-general, and itshead of government is the prime minister. At the present, the Prime Minister of Jamaica is Orette Bruce Golding.

o Flag: The colours on the Jamaican flag represent the following more modern symbolism and illustrates the meaning and history of the Jamaican flag: Yellow a symbol of sunshine and natural resources. Green - the land and hope for the future. Black - the burdens borne by thepeople. The Yellow cross suggests the Christianity nature of the country.

o National Coin: Jamaican dollar ( 1 Jamaican dollar =0.011319 U.S. dollars)

3. Physical Geography
The island of Jamaica can be divided into three main types of land forms:  the central mountain chain formed by igneous and metamorphic rocks; the karst limestone hills in the Cockpit area; the low-lyingcoastal plains and interior valleys.  Limestone formation occurs all over the island, but especially in the western areas.
Mountains
The most striking physical feature of Jamaica is the mountainous nature of its surface. Nearly half the island is over 300 metres (1,000 ft) above sea-level). The central chain of mountains runs east to west, forming a backbone through the middle of the island.From the central range other ranges run north and south; and from these ridges subordinate spurs branch off in every direction until nearly the whole surface of the island is cut up into ridges and valleys.
The mountain system may be divided into three parts:
• The eastern section composed of the Blue Mountains and the John Crow Mountains....