The Amazing Jamaica
By Julia B.
2/10/17
Green
Introduction-Island Type
Jamaica was formed 75 to 100 years ago by a series of underwater volcanoes. When these volcanoes erupted, it laid down igneous and metamorphic rock, and the island rose above sea level. This layer of rock was soon gradually covered by a layer of limestone, and then once again rose further above sea level by tectonic plate uplift. Overall, Jamaica has three main regions of landforms. The first is coastal plains, the next central valleys, and the last eastern mountains. Jamaica doesn't have many mineral resources, but the ones it does have are bauxite, gypsum, limestone, and aluminum oxide. To sum up, I think Jamaica is a high island, considering it was formed by volcanoes.
Jamaica's History
On May 5th, 1494, Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica on his second voyage to the West Indies. But even before Columbus, native american tribes lived in and colonized the area. The Taino Indians (also known as the Arawaks) were the earliest recorded people living in Jamaica. The Taino tribe originated along the northern coast of South America, and came into Jamaica in two different time periods, naming the Island Xaymaca, meaning "land of wood and water". The first wave of Taino Indians were known as the redware people, arriving in Jamaica in 650 AD. The second wave of people came between 850 and 900 AD, and built villages all over the island, making Jamaica known to have the best native american settlement in the region. For the most part, the Taino people were and calm and simple and led quiet and peaceful lives, until the Spanish discovered the island. When the Spanish came, they tortured and eventually killed all of the Taino natives just in order to obtain the land. On top of that, the Spanish introduced many European diseases to the Tainos, with no way to resist against them. The island was mainly used as a supply base for the spanish, with arms, men, and food to aid with conquering the American mainland. Fifteen years later in the year 1509, the first village was formed in the area of St Ann's Bay, and was called Sevilla la Nueva. But due to lack of attention the village received, major conflict formed. The town was also frequently attacked by pirates, leading to more conflict and poverty. Finally, on May 10, 1655, the English attacked Jamaica, causing the Spaniards to surrender and flee, releasing all of their slaves. The English settled on the island, creating a city called Port Royal that was known at the time as one of the "wealthiest and wickedest cities in the world." But the city didn't last long, for on June 7th, 1692, Port Royal was hit with a massive earthquake, devastating the city. The few survivors abandoned the city, and Port Royal soon became a naval base in the 1700s. Two-hundred years later, the Jamaican constitution took place in 1962. This constitution was for the island's independence and freedom from England. Besides freedom from the English rule, the constitution also declared equality and justice for everyone in the country. Today, Jamaica is free and independent country, ruled by its own government.
Cool and Interesting Facts
Jamaica is home to many interesting people, cultures, and things. People that were born in Jamaica are Usain Bolt in 1986, Sean Paul in 1973, OMI in 1986, and Bob Marley in 1945. Bob Marley was a very popular musician, singing a type of music called reggae that originated in Jamaica in the 1960s. This style of music evolved out of two different music types, Rocksteady and Ska, and Bob Marley was the first person to create the reggae style and bring it to life. More facts about the Jamaican culture is that the language they speak is called Patois, a combination of the English and Creole language with West African influences. For currency, the people use a Jamaican Dollar, the amount adding up to 0.0078 an American dollar. As well as interesting culture, Jamaica has many other things that make it unique. Besides the United States, Jamaica has won the most world and olympic medals, and is home to the world's fastest man. In 1994, Jamaica became the first region in the whole caribbean area to create a website, jamaicatravel.com. Finally, Jamaica holds the record for the most churches per square mile, and has over 1,600 throughout the whole island!
Citations
_____________________________________________________________________________________________"Jamaica." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Feb. 2017. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Iiwinc. "Arawak and Taino." Arawak and Taino in Jamaica | Caribya! IIWINC INC, 2004-2017. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
"The History of Jamaica." Jamaica Information Service. Jamaica Information Service, 2017. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Buisseret, David J., and Patrick Bryan. "Jamaica." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 17 May 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
"North America/." Geography of Jamaica, Landforms - World Atlas. N.p., 13 July 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
"Geology of Jamaica." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Jan. 2017. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. Parke, Marvin. "10 Cool Facts about Jamaica." WanderWisdom. WanderWisdom, 23 May 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. _____________________________________________________________________________________________