How long has jamaica been a country

Since the United Kingdom restricted emigration in , the major flow has been to the United States and Canada. About 20, Jamaicans emigrate to the United States each year; another , visit annually. The constitution established a parliamentary system based on the U. As chief of state, Queen Elizabeth II appoints a governor general, on the advice of the prime minister, as her representative in Jamaica.

The governor general's role is largely ceremonial. Executive power is vested in the cabinet, led by the prime minister. Parliament is composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives. Thirteen Senators are nominated on the advice of the prime minister and eight on the advice of the leader of the opposition. General elections must be held within 5 years of the forming of a new government.

The prime minister may ask the governor general to call elections sooner, however. The Senate may submit bills, and it also reviews legislation submitted by the House. It may not delay budget bills for more than 1 month or other bills for more than 7 months. The prime minister and the cabinet are selected from the Parliament.

No fewer than two or more than four members of the cabinet must be selected from the Senate. The judiciary also is modeled on the U. The Court of Appeals is the highest appellate court in Jamaica. Under certain circumstances, cases may be appealed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.

Jamaica's parishes have elected councils that exercise limited powers of local government. Jamaica's political system is stable. However, the country's serious economic problems have exacerbated social problems and have become the subject of political debate. High unemployment--averaging Violent crime is a serious problem, particularly in Kingston. Patterson subsequently led the PNP to victory in general elections in , , and in October of The victory marked the first time any Jamaican political party has won four consecutive general elections since the introduction of universal suffrage in Upon Patterson's retirement on March 30, , Portia Simpson Miller became the first female prime minister in Jamaica's history.

Since the elections, the Jamaican Government, political parties, and Electoral Advisory Committee have worked to enact electoral reform. In the general elections, grassroots Jamaican efforts from groups like CAFFE Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections , supplemented by international observers and organizations such as The Carter Center, helped reduce the violence that has tended to mar Jamaican elections.

Former President Carter also observed the elections and declared them free and fair. Jamaica has natural resources, primarily bauxite, adequate water supplies, and climate conducive to agriculture and tourism. The discovery of bauxite in the s and the subsequent establishment of the bauxite-alumina industry shifted Jamaica's economy from sugar and bananas. By the s, Jamaica had emerged as a world leader in export of these minerals as foreign investment increased.

The country faces some serious problems but has the potential for growth and modernization. Currency reserves, remittances, tourism, agriculture, mining, construction, and shipping all remain strong, and Jamaica has attracted over U. However, high unemployment, burdensome debt, an alarming crime rate, and anemic growth continue to darken the country?

After 4 years of negative economic growth, Jamaica's GDP grew by 0. Through periodic intervention in the market, the central bank prevents any abrupt drop in the exchange rate. Weakness in the financial sector, speculation, and low levels of government investment erode confidence in the production sector. Almost 60 cents on every dollar earned by the Jamaican Government goes to debt servicing and recurrent expenditure. Jamaican Government economic policies encourage foreign investment in areas that earn or save foreign exchange, generate employment, and use local raw materials.

The government provides a wide range of incentives to investors, including remittance facilities to assist them in repatriating funds to the country of origin; tax holidays which defer taxes for a period of years; and duty-free access for machinery and raw materials imported for approved enterprises.

Free trade zones have stimulated investment in garment assembly, light manufacturing, and data entry by foreign firms. However, over the last 5 years, the garment industry has suffered from reduced export earnings, continued factory closures, and rising unemployment.

This can be attributed to intense international and regional competition, exacerbated by the high costs of operations in Jamaica, including security costs to deter drug activity, as well as the relatively high cost of labor.

The Government of Jamaica hopes to encourage economic activity through a combination of privatization, financial sector restructuring, falling interest rates, and by boosting tourism and related production activities. Jamaica has diplomatic relations with most nations and is a member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States. It was an active participant in the April Quebec Summit of the Americas.

Jamaica is a beneficiary of the Cotonou Conventions, through which the European Union EU grants trade preferences to selected states in Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Historically, Jamaica has had close ties with the U. The United States maintains close and productive relations with the Government of Jamaica. Jamaica is a popular destination for American tourists; more than 1. In addition, some 10, American citizens, including many dual-nationals born on the island, permanently reside in Jamaica.

The Government of Jamaica also seeks to attract U. More than 80 U. An office of the U. The American Chamber of Commerce, which also is available to assist U. Agency for International Development USAID assistance to Jamaica since its independence in has contributed to reducing the population growth rate, the attainment of higher standards in a number of critical health indicators, and the diversification and expansion of Jamaica's export base.

USAID's primary objective is promoting sustainable economic growth. Other key objectives are improved environmental quality and natural resource protection, strengthening democratic institutions and respect for the rule of law, as well as family planning. The Peace Corps has been in Jamaica continuously since Since then, more than 3, volunteers have served in the country. The Peace Corps in Jamaica fields about 70 volunteers who work in every parish on the island, including some inner-city communities in Kingston.

Jamaica is a major transit point for cocaine en route to the United States and is also a key source of marijuana and marijuana derivative products for the Americas. During , the Government of Jamaica seized narcotics destined for the United States, arrested key traffickers and criminal gang leaders, and dismantled their organizations. Jamaica remains the Caribbean's largest producer and exporter of marijuana. In , the JCF arrested 5, persons on drug related charges, including foreigners.

Additionally, more than 20, kilograms of marijuana were seized, and 6,, marijuana plants eradicated in In August , two priority targets associated with major cocaine trafficking organizations were arrested in Jamaica and await extradition to the United States where they are charged with conspiracy to import illegal drugs.

Jeffrey and Gareth Lewis father and son allegedly transported cocaine shipments from Colombia to the United States.

Operation Kingfish is a multinational task force Jamaica, U. From its October inception through December , Operation Kingfish launched 1, operations resulting in the seizure of 56 vehicles, 57 boats, one aircraft, firearms, and two containers conveying drugs. Kingfish was also responsible for the seizure of over 13 metric tons of cocaine mostly outside of Jamaica and over 27, pounds of compressed marijuana. In Operation Kingfish mounted operations, compared to in Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.

Public Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable. Initially, Columbus thought these Indians were hostile, as they attacked his men when they tried to land on the island.

As he was determined to annex the island in the name of the king and queen of Spain, he was not deterred. Columbus also needed wood and water and a chance to repair his vessels.

He sailed down the coast and docked at Discovery Bay. The Arawaks there were also hostile to the Spaniards. Some of the Arawaks were killed and wounded in this attack. Columbus was then able to land and claim the island. The Spaniards, when they came, tortured and killed the Arawaks to get their land.

They were so overworked and ill-treated that within a short time they had all died. The process was aided by the introduction of European diseases to which the Arawaks had little or no resistance. The island remained poor under Spanish rule as few Spaniards settled here.

Jamaica served mainly as a supply base: food, men, arms and horse were shipped here to help in conquering the American mainland. Fifteen years later in , after their first visit to the island, the first Spanish colonists came here under the Spanish governor Juan de Esquivel.

They first settled in the St. The first town was called New Seville or Sevilla la Nueva. Towns were little more than settlements. The only town that was developed was Spanish Town, the old capital of Jamaica, then called St. Jago de la Vega. It was the centre of government and trade and had many churches and convents. The little attention the colony received from Spain soon led to a major reason for internal strife.

This contributed to the weakening of the colony in the last years of Spanish occupation. The governors were not getting proper support from home and quarrels with church authorities undermined their control. The Spaniards surrendered to the English, freed their slaves and then fled to Cuba.

It was this set of freed slaves and their descendants who became known as the Maroons. The early period of English settlement in Jamaica, drew much attention to the buccaneers based at Port Royal. Buccaneering had begun on the islands of Tortuga and Hispaniola. They were a wild, rough and ruthless set of sea rovers. They took their loot of gold, silver and jewels to Port Royal. Port Royal prior to this time was an insignificant town in Jamaica. The greatest buccaneer captain of all was Henry Morgan.

He started out as a pirate and later became a privateer. Morgan mercilessly raided Spanish fleet and colonies. He kept the Spaniards busy defending their coasts that they had little time to attack Jamaica.

Morgan died in A violent earthquake destroyed Port Royal on June 7, The survivors of the earthquake who re-settled in Kingston abandoned the Port.

Port Royal became an important naval base in the eighteenth century. The English settlers concerned themselves with growing crops that could easily be sold in England. Tobacco, indigo and cocoa soon gave way to sugar which became the main crop for the island.

The sugar industry grew so rapidly that the 57 sugar estates in the island in grew to nearly by Enslaved Africans filled the large labour force required for the industry. The colonists were impressed with the performance and endurance of the Africans, as well as the fact that African labour was cheaper and more promising.

They continued to ship Africans to the West Indies to be sold to planters who forced them to work on sugar plantations. The slave trade became a popular and profitable venture for the colonists.

The voyage was so named because the journey of a British slaver was 3-sided, starting from England with trade goods, to Africa where these were exchanged for slaves. Afterwards, the journey continued to the West Indies where the slaves were landed and sugar, rum and molasses taken aboard for the final leg of the journey back to England. The slaves, however, were unhappy with their status, so they rebelled whenever they could. Many of them were successful in running away from the plantations and joining the Maroons in the almost inaccessible mountains.

Their slaves escaped into the mountains and formed their own independent groups, called Maroons. The Maroons were in time joined by other slaves who escaped from the English. For a long time, they fought against the English who sought to re-enslave them. So successful were the Maroons, fighting from their fortresses, that the English were forced to sign peace treaties granting the Maroons self-government and ceding to them the mountain lands that they inhabited.

The runaways periodically staged rebellions until the treaty in that gave them a measure of local autonomy that they still retain today. Every year on January 6, the Maroons celebrate the signing of this treaty and visitors are welcomed to partake in the lively song and dance within the sacred lands. Slavery was abolished in In the economic chaos that followed emancipation, one event stood out: the Morant Bay Rebellion of The uprising was led by a black Baptist deacon named Paul Bogle and was supported by a wealthy Kingston businessman, George William Gordon.

Monuments to all Jamaican heroes can be viewed in the National Heroes Park in Kingston where the Jamaica Defence Force performs an entertaining Changing of the Guards ceremony each day at noon.