Preview

Jamaica: Caribbean and Jamaicans

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
785 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Jamaica: Caribbean and Jamaicans
Ashley Reid
January 30, 2013
Informative Speech Outline

If you could pick your dream vacation, where would it be? Which city, state, or country? Mine would be to the beautiful country of Jamaica. As I stated at the beginning of the semester, I am Jamaican. I was not born there, however, Jamaican is my heritage and both of my parents were born there, so technically being born in the U.S doesn’t have an effect on my background or culture. There are many reasons why I know I would want my dream vacation there, but are you aware of Jamaica’s culture, language, its landscape or anything of the sort? By the end of this speech, you will know these things and will probably consider taking a vacation to Jamaica.
Mapsoftheworld.com states that Jamaica's population of more than 2.5 million is equally divided between urban and rural dwellers. Jamaicans are mostly descendants of Africans but there are also East Indians, Chinese, Europeans, and Arabs. Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean Sea and since 1870 the capital has been Kingston, now with a population of more than 645,000. The climate is tropical and tourists flock to Jamaica for its beautiful beaches. Jamaica has been called the Island of Springs, and the vegetation is striking. The island is prone to hurricanes. It suffered serious damage during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 when nearly 25 percent of the population was left homeless and property damage was more than $300 million.
According to Everyculture.com the official language is English, most Jamaicans who live in the rural areas speak a Creole dialect. Patois, as it is called, is influenced mostly by West African languages. It also contains elements of Spanish and French. Religion is an important part of life for Jamaicans. More than 80 percent are Christian. The Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu, religions are also practiced, as is Rastafarianism. Nearly one hundred thousand Jamaicans are Rastafarians who are members of a Jamaican messianic movement

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Haiti covers 10,714 square miles. It is located in the subtropics on the western third of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Caribbean, which it shares with the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic. The neighboring islands include Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Three-quarters of the terrain is mountainous; the highest peak is the Morne de Selle. The climate is mild, varying with altitude. The mountains are full of calcium and carbonate rather than volcanic terrain and give way to different micro-climatic and soil conditions. A tectonic fault line runs through the country, causing devastating earthquakes. The island is also located within the Caribbean hurricane belt. The population has grown from 431,140 at independence in 1804 to an estimated 8 million in 2000. Haiti is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. According to research completed in December 1999 by the Federal Research Division, until the 1970s, over 80 percent of the population lived in rural areas, and today, over 60 percent continue to live in provincial villages and hamlets scattered across the rural landscape. The capital city is Port-au-Prince, which is five times larger than the next biggest city, Cape Haitian. (2. pg. 252). Orientation is one 's place and direction relative to one 's surroundings; bearing,…

    • 4196 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Born on February 6,`1945 in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. Bob Marley helped introduce reggae music to the world and remains one of the genre's most beloved artists to this day. The son of a black teenage mother and much older, later absent white father, he spent his early years in St. Ann Parish, in the rural village known as Nine Miles. Marley lived in Trench Town, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods. He struggled in poverty, but he found inspiration in the music around him. Trench Town had a number of successful local performers and was considered the Motown of Jamaica.A local record producer, Leslie Kong, liked Marley's vocals and had him record a few singles, the first of which was "Judge Not," released in 1962. While he did not fare well…

    • 225 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Mintz, Sidney W., and Sally Price, eds. Caribbean Contours. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985.…

    • 4291 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In contrast, Jamaica and Dominican Republic do not share the same language. Jamaica was colonized by Great Britain so it is normal to hear them speaking English. Equally important the Dominicans speak Spanish thanks to the power placed by Spain. It is peculiar that Jamaica is the only country in the great Antilles with English as official language. The catholic alliteration imposed to the natives of ´´La Hispaniola´´ was crucial in the expansion of Spanish language.…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The vacation industry has become one of the highest gross earning industries in all economies throughout the world. As a trillion dollar enterprise, it is clear that millions of people desire to venture into foreign areas and enjoy brief periods of time away from work and the everyday stresses of life. Jamaica and Aruba are two of these destination locations. While each has its own specific benefits that make them highly desired to visit, the geographical and environmental layouts as well as entertainment opportunities are very different within each country.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” is about a traditional mother who is trying to teach her young daughter the traditional way of growing up to be a woman. Simmons, Diane discuses: “The story begins with the mother’s voice giving such simple, benevolent, and appropriately maternal advice” (1); And “In “Girl” the mother’s chant of information and advice enfolds and ensnares the daughter, rendering the girl nearly helpless before the mother’s transforming will” (2). Furthermore, the title of the story signifies that the daughter is still young and is living dependently on her mother. She still has many things to learn from her experienced mother. In her culture, there is a sign of family love and care for the young one. The mother in “Girl” gives lectures to ensure that her daughter learns basic skills to be self-sufficient, as well as basic principle of the culture and human being.…

    • 1282 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jamaica Research Paper

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages

    No doubt that, Jamaica’s culture is fascinating. For acute square miles, Jamaica has to have more houses of God than any other country. Some practice ancient rituals of voodoo (Nelson). Jamaica has a wide variety of races, from Chinese to Spanish people live in this fine country (Glennie, Alex and Laura Chappell). Food in Jamaica is usually spicy because of the Spanish religion (FIU College of Business…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Research on Haiti

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Haiti is the second largest Caribbean Island. It occupies a third of the western part of the island it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti is also made up of several islands that surround the main territory. The capital is Port-au-Prince. It rains between November and March in the North of the island and between May and October in the South. “Once covered by forest, the country has been heavily logged for wood and fuel and to clear land for farming, and is now largely deforested.” Haiti is divided into “nine administrative departments.” Besides the capital, other important cities are Cap-Haitien and Gonaives. “Haiti is the most densely populated country in Latin America and has the lowest per capital income, with about half the people unemployed and three quarters living in the severest poverty.” Agriculture is the main economic activity in Haiti. The main crops grown are cassava, rice, sugarcane, sorghum, yams, corn, and plantains. The main exports are coffee, cotton, sugar, sisal, bauxite, and essences. The most predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. “Catholicism is enshrined in the Haitian constitution as the official state religion, and between 80 and 85% of Haitians are Catholics.” The religion of Voodoo is also practiced. “Vodou encompasses several different traditions, and consists of a mix encompassing African, European and indigenous Taìno religious elements.” It is unknown how many people practice Voodoo, but many practice it along with their Christian faith. Haiti has a rich culture that comes mostly from voodoo tribes. Haitian culture is a mixture of French, African elements, and native Taíno, with influence from the colonial Spanish. “The country's customs essentially are a blend of cultural beliefs that derived from the various ethnic groups that inhabited the island of Hispaniola.” “In nearly all aspects of modern Haitian society however, the European and African elements dominate. Haiti is…

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Religion is also a big part of Haiti with roughly half of the population practicing voodoo and Roman Catholic being the major religion with 80 percent. The majority of the populations ethnic group is black 95 percent and mulatto/white 5 percent while the official languages is French and Creole.…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Religion is very important to Jamaicans. Christians make up more than 80% of religious groups. Many practice Rastafarianism which began in the 1930s. Rastafarians believe there is only one true God known as Ras Tafari and that Ethiopia is the holy land. Jamaicans have…

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jamaica popular dishes include curry goat, fries plantain and rice and peas. The styles in Jamaica for women consist of dresses or skirt and top which are constructed using calico fabric (Traditional Clothing in Jamaica). Calico is a lightweight fabric. Most of the clothing in Jamaica is handmade but villagers. Clothing for men consist of trousers and a short-sleeves shirt.…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bob Marley Research Paper

    • 1575 Words
    • 7 Pages

    However, reggae can also refer to the particular genre of music that possesses a distinctive beat popular in Jamaica from 1969- 1983. According to Chang et al, the idea of “reggae music” is used to describe all Jamaican popular music that came about in 1960, while the term “reggae” in particular, categorizes the genre of music from 1969-1983. There were roughly four eras of Jamaican popular music, which started in 1960: Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae and Dancehall. Each era had their own distinctive beat.…

    • 1575 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jamaica Short Story

    • 2044 Words
    • 9 Pages

    One night in Jamaica, a warm breeze rustled the trees, they seemed to whisper to him.…

    • 2044 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Co- cultures

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Another key indicator and unifying aspect of Jamaican culture is its religion. The primary type called Pocomania, which was a blend between European Christianity and African religious practices, the secondary, is Rastafarianism. This religion is practically by small amount of people in the country, but is not really a unifying aspect but gives Jamaican culture through religion its uniqueness and hence requires mention which…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    We learned in chapter one that globalization blends different cultures to form hybrids. The African Diaspora, the forced removal of Africans from their native lands, brought on a new hybrid in the Caribbean.…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays