Voodoo Doll
Reggae
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Jamaica
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| Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea. It is situated south of Cuba. Until 1962 it was a colony of the British Empire but it is now an independent country. Its Capital is Kingston Town, other important cities are Montego Bay and Spanish town. It is not a very large island. It is only 235km long and 80km wide, with a population of three million people it is the third most populous English-speaking country in America (After the United States and Canada). |
 Map of the island |
However, most people in
Jamaica speak a variety of English which is very different
from the standard. It is called creole and it includes
words and syntax from various African languages, Spanish,
French, Chinese, Portuguese...... and others! |
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The weather in Jamaica is tropical, that means very hot! but it is cooler in the mountains in the east of the island. It rains a lot in the mountains too. The wet months are May, June, October and November. They sometimes have hurricanes too! Jamaica is a poor country but it isn't as poor as it used to be some decades ago. Thanks to tourism, the economy of the island is quickly developing. Apart from tourism, Agriculture is another important economic sector. Jamaican produce sugar, tobacco, coffee and bananas. Although it is a small nation, Jamaica is rich in culture, and its music has a strong global presence. The musical genres reggae, ska, mento, rocksteady, dub, dancehall and ragga all were born in this island. Famous Jamaican musicians include Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Dennis Brown, Fab Five, Inner Circle and many others! The Rastafari movement was also founded in Jamaica. This Back to Africa movement believes that Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is God, the returned black messiah, who has come to take the lost Twelve Tribes of Israel back to live with him in Holy Mount Zion in a world of perfect peace, love and harmony. Rastafari is not only a religion but a way of life. Have a nice trip! |
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