Jamaica - education
The public school system includes a six-year elementary school for
6-12-year-olds; it is followed by approximately 75%. The superstructure education,
which is offered by six different school forms, is divided into a three-year and
a two-year level.
Higher education takes place either at Jamaica's own university or at a joint
university of the West Indies, both located in Kingston. The school system
still has an elitist character, especially in the superstructure education.
OFFICIAL NAME: Jamaica
CAPITAL CITY: Kingston
POPULATION: 2,889,000 (Source: COUNTRYaah)
AREA: 11,425 km²
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE (S): English, Creole-English
RELIGION: Protestants 61%, Catholics 4%, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Baha'is and
Rastafarians 35%
COIN: Jamaican dollar
CURRENCY CODE: JMD
ENGLISH NAME: Jamaica
INDEPENDENCE: 1962
POPULATION COMPOSITION: Afro-Caribbean 91%, mixed (mulattoes) 7%, Indians 1%, others 1%
GDP PER residents: $ 5402 (2011)
LIFE EXPECTANCY: men 69 years, women 73 years (2007)
INDEX OF LIVING CONDITIONS, HDI: 0.730
INDEX OF LIVING CONDITIONS, POSITION: 80
INTERNET DOMAIN NAME: .jm
According to DIGOPAUL, Jamaica
is an island and state with constitutional monarchy south of Cuba in the
Caribbean Sea. Jamaica's name is especially associated with the production
of sugar and rum, but also with reggae music, which originated here
approximately 1960. As in most other Caribbean countries, tourism is of great and
increasing importance.
- AbbreviationFinder.org: Find two-letter abbreviation for each
independent country and territory, such as JA which stands for Jamaica.
Jamaica - Constitution
Jamaica is a parliamentary democracy with a constitution from 1962, when the
country became independent. The Head of State is the British monarch,
represented by a Governor-General, appointed on the proposal of the Prime
Minister of Jamaica. Legislative power lies with a bicameral parliament. The
Senate has 21 members, 13 of whom are appointed by the Governor-General on a
proposal from the Prime Minister, and eight are appointed by the leader of the
opposition. The parliamentary center of gravity lies in the House of
Representatives with 60 members elected for five years by ordinary, direct
elections in single-member constituencies. The executive power lies with the
Prime Minister. He is appointed by the Governor-General from among the members
of the House of Representatives after an assessment of who enjoys the greatest
support there.
Jamaica - music
Jamaican music contains a number of features from European, African,
Caribbean and North American music, such as the Caribbean calypso. While
calypso music in the 1950's was perceived as West Indian folk music, reggae music
was especially associated with Jamaica, where throughout the 1960's an extensive
local music scene developed precisely around reggae.
Reggae is inspired by rhythm and blues and gospel from the USA, by the
Afro-Caribbean rhythms calypso, rumba and merengue as well as by the country's
own popular music from the 1940's, mento. In Jamaica, local music releases with
the rhythmically somewhat faster ska and rock steady in the 1960's managed to
outcompete American records and create an extensive music production and a rich
music life. In itinerant discos, so-called sound systems, disc jockey acted as a
newscaster who incited the dancers with scat singing and toasting, an early form
of rap. The term reggae was first used in 1968. The music is characterized by
the fact that all instruments emphasize the rhythm complementary. The texts were
originally socially critical, male-dominated, frequently praised marijuana and
linked to the afronationalist religious rastafarian movement. Jamaican Bob
Marley made reggae internationally known with the album Catch A Fire (1973). See
also reggae.
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