JAMAICA

JAMAICAN ART

• Forms are rich simmering brew, a mixture of art & life
• a living display if the "motto out of many one people."
• Jamaica's many artistes have helped to tell our story if the
• world.

JAMAICAN LANGUAGE

• English (official), creole
• Patois(creole), a combination of English and some African
• languages.
• Spoken in rural areas and is used increasingly in urban areas.
• Patois is not a written language. Has a distinctive rhythmic and melodic quality

JAMAICAN RELIGION

• Most Jamaicans are Christians.
• Fundamental to Jamaican life
• Biblical events in everyday speech
• The island has the highest number if churches per capital
• in the works & more than 100 different Christian denominations.

DAILY LIFE

• Family life is central to most Jamaicans, although marriages are less
• prevalent than in most other countries.
• The main meal is almost always in the evening because most people do not
• have time to prepare a midday meal & children normally eat at school.
• Clothing styles vary.

DAILY LIFE CONTINUED..

• Some families eat together, but television has increasingly replaced
• conversation at the dinner table.
• Wealthier Jamaican families usually employ at least one domestic
• helper.

JAMAICAN GOVERNMENT

• Parliamentary democracy governed under the constitution
• of 1962.
• Bicameral parliament made up of a 21 member senate & a
• 60 member House of Representatives.
• Prime minister is head of government.

JAMAICAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUED

• The head of state is the British monarch
• Has two political parties: the Jamaica labor party generally
• favors private enterprise, while the peoples national party
• advocates a moderate socialism.

JAMAICAN RELIGION CONTINUED

• Largest denominations are the Anglicans,Baptist,Methodist
• Pentecostal, Brethren, & Roman Catholics.
• Protestant-61.3%,(Church. Of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%,
• Seventh day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%
• Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%) Roman Catholic 4%.

JAMAICAN ECONOMY

• Jamaican's economic freedom is 66.8. Making it's economy
• 52nd freest in the 2013 index.
• It's score is 1.7 points higher than last year, reflecting much needed
• improvements in the control of government spending as well as gains
• in monetary and trade freedom.

JAMAICAN ECONOMY CONTINUED

• Continuing fiscal deficits have pushed public debt to about 140
• percent of GDP, trapping Jamaica in a vicious cycle of debt service
• and borrowing.