A FREE NATION: JAMAICA’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM ENVIRONMENT: CONCERN OF POLLUTED WATER JAMAICA’S FASHION JAMAICA’S POPULATION TRAVELING TO JAMAICA
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Quiz
Find out what Jamaican you are.
Shades of Shady Water
The environmental concern of water pollution.
Travel Account
U.S. Embassy in Jamaica
See the remodeling plans for the brand new U.S. Embassy.
A firsthand experience in Balaclava, Jamaica.
A Freed Jamaica Jamaica’s fight for independence
Population
All the facts on Jamaica’s Population.
Snippet of Bob Marley
Jamaican Me Fashionable How to fit in with Jamaican Fashion.
A Jamaican musician that went global. You Said It! Letters to the Editor
Knowing the Basics
The tricks of the trade for traveling to Jamaica.
Geographer
Learn about David Barkers’ studies about Jamaican Agriculture.
Cook Jamaica
Recipes for the popular, native foods of Jamaica.
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Shades of Shady Water The clear blue water of Jamaica shown bordering beautiful beaches can be very misleading. A major environmental concern in Jamaica is the cleanliness of water and sanitation. Although the clear blue waters of more developed areas, such as Montego Bay, may seem fine this is not the condition of the water throughout the rest of Jamaica. Overall, access to safe water stands at only 80% and as many as 69% of households in Jamaica have untreated drinking water. Since Jamaica is a developing country they do have water treatment plans but only in the more developed areas. All piped water is treated to international standards.
Garbage thrown away in a gully in Seaview Gardens of Kingston, Jamaica
AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN
But, rural water services sometimes stop working or are non-existent. The squatter settlements, an area within a city where people illegally establish residences and erect homemade structures, are heavily affected by untreated water and drinking the water often leads to waterborne diseases. The settlements are unsanitary and contain large amounts of waste in the streets and water sources. Due to no access to water the residents catch rain that then needs to be boiled before consumption. Three main factors go into their polluted water; municipal sewage, water-using industries, and agriculture. Only 31% of the urban population is
Montego Bay Beach
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connected to sewers. During large storms, human waste floods down rivers to other water sources. Some beaches contain bacteria from the human waste such as Walter Fletcher Beach. The lack of control over industries and chemical spills also pollute the water, especially on the coast. Jamaica’s agriculture consists of growing crops, such as sugar cane, which would not seem like an issue but the farmers have poor farming techniques. They overuse fertilizers and pesticides that will then wash into rivers when it rains. When the fertilizers drain into the rivers they further contaminate the water.
Garbage piled up on shores of Kingston, Jamaica
U.S. Embassy in Jamaica
An embassy is a diplomatic mission that is set up permanently in a host country and helps to preserve and protect the relationship between the host country and the country represented by that particular embassy office. The embassy can be a point of contact, or base of communication, between two countries.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica is widely outdated and falling apart. The current location of the U.S. Embassy is in Kingston, Jamaica. But, due to violence and gang issues the U.S. has made the decision to relocate and redesign a new embassy. The new embassy has been relocated to the popular tourist location of Montego Bay, Jamaica.
To blend in with the local architecture the outside of the building will be painted a bright yellow much like the other colorful buildings throughout Jamaica. Also, the building will be built out of concrete which has become increasingly more popular as the amount of natural disasters and crime has increased. The inside will feature flags of both the U.S. and Jamaica to support both countries. Also, folk artwork and photography will cover the walls to reflect Jamaica’s beautiful culture. The landscape surrounding the new building will feature multiple fountains and a stone walk way. Also, the yard will be decorated in local plants and trimmed bushes in order to fit in with the beautiful surrounding tourist attractions and hotels. Montego Bay
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Population With endless sandy beaches and a turquoise sea, Jamaica is a desired location for tourists. Regardless of Jamaica being presented as a vacation destination, Jamaica has permanent residents, 2.8 million people, to be exact. Jamaica is part of the ecumene which is the proportion of the Earth’s surface occupied by permanent human settlement. Jamaica as a whole is referred to as a Stage 3 country in the Demographic Transition Model but differs among regions. Some areas have entered stage 4 while others are lagging behind, still stuck in stage 2. Stage 3 means that the country’s population is growing at a moderate speed and that the crude birth rate has dropped significantly while the crude death rate is
decreasing slowly. Crude birth rate (CBR) means the total number of live births in a year for every 1,000 people and the crude death rate (CDR) is the total number of deaths in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society. Stage 4 means that the CBR and CDR balance out to approaching a natural increase rate of zero. Stage 2 means the CBR is still very high but the CDR has dropped due to the medical revolution increasing life span. Many factors go into distinguishing what stage Jamaica is in. First off, the population pyramid of Jamaica is moving from an extended triangle to a column meaning that the crude birth rates and crude death rates are evening out to create a more equal dependency ration. A dependency ration is the number of people under the age of
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15 and over the age of 64 compared to the number of people active in the labor force supporting them. The crude death rate of Jamaica annually is 6.59 out of every 1,000 people die. Causes of earlier death include primary sector jobs and limited access to medical technology I rural areas. Primary sector jobs are jobs in which people extract natural resources from the environment such as mining, farming, and fishing. In some rural areas of Jamaica hand tools are still used by farmers. Working in the fields their whole life can put a strain on the farmers’ life span. The life expectancy, or how long an individual can expect to live in Jamaica, is 73.5 years. In the rural, farming areas of Jamaica many families have more kids to work on their farm which in return
creates an increase in the crude birth rate. The CBR in Jamaica is 15.2 births out of every 1,000 people alive, slightly higher than the more developed countries in stage 4 like the United Kingdom. Poverty hinders Jamaica’s ability to obtain a lower CBR. To fix this problem, further education for the poorer population is a necessity, including family planning and
contraceptives. Jamaica’s HIV/AIDS commonness is at 1.6% which is 2.5 times higher than the United States. The total fertility rate is 2.12, approaching zero population growth. Clearly, there are some women having more than 2 children in the less developed areas and women having less than 2 children in more developed areas.
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The natural increase rate, the percentage of population growth annually, is 1.0%. This means population growth is occurring but very moderately. The moderate growth is leading the country in the right direction for stage 4. In order to achieve this, women will need to join the work force and family planning must occur.
Jamaican Me Fashionable Jamaican attire is a blend of traditional and western culture but is also influenced by the climate. The traditional clothing is vibrant and striking. Rastafarian wear, which consists of Ethiopian colors such as gold, red, green, and yellow, is popular.
Typically, the women wear homemade dresses using calico cloth and also head scarves to keep their hair in place. The younger girls often wear their hair tightly braided with beads. The men take a western look of jeans with a lightweight top, most likely a tank top or t-shirt. Bathing suits are worn on
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the beach, and it is not uncommon to see locals walking around in them. Poorer people dress their children in few garments. For example, only shorts. Since they have adopted some of western clothing, fitting in will be simple. Wear vibrant colors and lightweight clothing to become a native.
Knowing the Basics If you are planning to travel to Jamaica it is a necessity to know the basics. This includes traveling, shopping, greeting, and safety. Getting around Jamaica is simple, they have planes, cars, boats, taxi’s, and buses. If you need to get somewhere by taxi, the color of the license will tell if the cars a taxi. It is fairly cheap to catch a ride in one; 20 miles cost less than a dollar.
Although Jamaica’s currency is the Jamaican dollar, the US dollar is also widely accepted. But be careful, many vendors will
try to sell it to you for a higher price if you use American money. ATMS are located around the island with an armed guard nearby to protect you.
Jamaicans are very respectful, so give them a proper greeting. The official language is English, but most Jamaicans have very thick accents. When greeting, a “good morning” or “good evening” is acceptable. The likelihood of being approached for money is quite high. Keeping your money out of sight is a good idea and responding with a confident “I’m
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alright” will do the trick if asked. Going to any foreign country, there is the risk of crime. Jamaica has the 5th highest murder rate in the world. Certain areas should be avoided during the day and especially during the night. Places like Spanish Town and some neighborhoods in Kingston (Trench Town) are very dangerous. Armed men may make threats or people selling drugs may approach you. A response such as “No thanks” will l send them away. Marijuana possession is illegal and the jails in a foreign country aren’t fun. Now that you know the basics you will be an expert when visiting the beautiful country of Jamaica.
Cook Jamaican
Cook up one of Jamaica’s traditional recipes; it will make you feel like you're in the tropical paradise!
Jamaican Jerk Chicken INGREDIENTS ¾cup packed light brown sugar ¾ cup ground allspice ¾ cup minced scallions ½ cup peanut or canola oil ⅓ cup ground black pepper ¼ cup kosher salt ¼ cup minced ginger ¼ cup fresh lime juice 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tbsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg ½ tsp. ground cloves 8 cloves garlic, minced 3 Scotch bonnet or habanera chilies, stemmed and minced 2 3-4-lb. chickens, each quartered
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Combine sugar, allspice, scallions, oil, pepper, salt, ginger, juice, soy sauce, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, garlic, and chilies in a bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat in jerk marinade. Cover with plastic wrap; chill at least 6 hours, or overnight. 2. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.) Add chicken, skin side down; cook, turning once, until marinade forms a crust on the outside, about 8 minutes. Cover grill; continue cooking until cooked through, about 40 minutes. (Alternatively, transfer chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet; bake in a 350° oven until done.) For more recipes visit: http://www.saveur.com
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Jamaican Festivals (Fried Dumplings) INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups flour 3 tablespoons cornmeal 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 2/3 cup water Vegetable oil (for frying)
INSTRUCTIONS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal and combine. Add the sugar and stir. Add the vanilla to the water, and then add the mixture to dry ingredients. Knead soft dough lightly. Leave covered for 30 minutes. Divide dough into eight portions. Flour hands and knead lightly. Then roll and pull each portion to form a 6” x 1 1/2” length or shorter and 1/8” thick. 7. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. For more recipes visit: http://www.food.com
Try these dishes at restaurants when visiting Jamaica Bammy- A flat floury pancake for breakfast that taste like cornbread Sugar cane- Cut off some pieces from a local farm and suck on them Coconut Water- Buy one sliced and sip on it in the blazing sun Curried fish/goat- An acquired taste, but very popular Ackee and saltfish-Ackee is a local fruit that is mixed with codfish and peppers.
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Geographer Geographer David Barker works as a professor at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica. Barker’s current research is focused on the connections between rural farmers and sustainable farming, agricultural innovations, and rural life. Also, Barker considers the decisions made by farmers and how climate variation influences them. Sustainable agriculture is farming methods that preserve long-term productivity of land and minimize pollution, typically by rotating soil restoring crops with cash crops and reducing inputs of fertilizer and pesticides.
Cultivated hills of the Cockpit Country
Barker’s ideas are simple and straight forward. They look at what local farmers do and also give an explanation as to why they do these things. Barker’s ideas say that Jamaican farmers use a traditional cropping system, which is the farming knowledge of their ancestors dating back to the slavery days.
Sometimes the cropping system can be useless
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because of the changing climate. With the differentiating land, the farmers need to know what kind of agriculture is acceptable. To answer this, research was conducted by David Barker at the University of West Indies focusing on the impacts of climate change on agriculture in Jamaica, more primarily crop suitability for Jamaica. He found that mainly the hilly areas are cultivated in the Cockpit Country. Studies have shown that crops like sugar, bananas, citrus, cocoa and coconuts grow best here due to Jamaica’s land and climate variety.
Travel Account By: Meg Thorison In the summer of 2012 in July I had the amazing opportunity to go on a mission trip with my youth group to Balaclava, Jamaica as a missionary, which is someone who helps to diffuse a universalizing religion. The day after we arrived in Jamaica was a Sunday. That morning we attended a four hour church service at the local Baptist church.
The Baptist religion is a branch of the universalizing religion, Christianity. That afternoon we spent walking through the local community talking to people and inviting them to the day camp that we were leading that week at the church. Above is a picture of our team walking with two of the local girls. The climate of Jamaica is tropical, supporting a diverse
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ecosystem with a wide variety of plants and animals. On the walk our local tour guides showed us many of the plants and animals that inhabited this area. One being Jamaica’s national fruit the ackee. Monday was the first day of our day camp and our theme was Christmas in July. Each person on our team was assigned an area to work, and I worked sports. Duck, duck, goose was one of the most popular games. Many of the local children had never played the game before so even the older kids enjoyed it. Monday afternoon we went to an orphanage about a half an hour away from the school that we were staying at. The orphanage was called New Hope Children’s Home. At the orphanage we played with the kids and infants. We also handed out stuffed animals. Many of the children there had
disabilities and some were paralyzed. One girl about age 7 could not walk and therefore had to be carried everywhere because they could not afford wheelchairs. Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty similar. Both days we continued our camp in the morning and in the afternoons we laid concrete at a local school. This was much needed so the kids didn’t have to play in the mud, and also so that when it rained they had a path to walk to the bathroom on. On Thursday morning we still had our camp, but we only did our lesson and then had to say good bye to the children and leave for Montego Bay. On our way to the airport we spent the afternoon at YS falls, a popular tourist attraction in Jamaica.
Little girl with cerbal palsy
Playing duck-duck goose
Concrete laid at local school
Local kids, my friend, and I at the day camp
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Make your choice. 15
A Freed Jamaica On the 6th of August in 1962, the British flag was lowered in Jamaica for the last time, and the Jamaican flag was raised. Jamaica’s 307 grueling years as a British colony had finally come to an end. Jamaica was first sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1494 and the Spanish colonists occupied the country by 1509. The British then occupied Jamaica in 1655, but the Spanish didn’t give up their control until 1670. In the 1700s Jamaica had an economic boom when they became the largest producer of sugar in the world. The economic
boom, however, also led to the growth of slavery. Slavery was later abolished in 1834 when the British colonists enacted the Emancipation Law due to growing revolts and uprisings of slaves. Then, a movement towards independence started to form. In 1958 Jamaica joined the Federation of West Indies, but withdrew in 1961. Finally, on August 6, 1962, Jamaica achieved freedom from British colonial rule. They story of Jamaica’s fight for independence and where their country is now can be related to the following major concepts of cultural
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landscape and globalization; language, religion, and ethnicity. Language is a prevalent part of Jamaica’s cultural identity. The official language of Jamaica is English, but the spoken language is Jamaican Patois. Although most Jamaicans speak both
English and Patois some only speak Patois. Patois is
a creolized language which is a language that results from the mixing of a colonizer’s language with indigenous language of the people being dominated. Patois is a mixing of British English, American, and African languages. The African languages are a mix of pidgin and creolized languages as well as the native isolated languages of African tribes. A pidgin language is a form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca. Religion is a prevalent part of Jamaica’s cultural identity. A universalizing religion is a religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those living in a particular location. Christianity, a universalizing religion, includes the branches Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox. A branch is a large and fundamental division within a religion. But, in Jamaica only Protestantism and Roman Catholicism are
prominent. The denominations of Protestantism are the 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%), and Moravian (1.1%). Protestantism is 61.3%, Roman Catholic is 4%, and other religions are 34.7% including spiritual cults. A denomination is a division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations into a single legal and administrative body. Some of the most widely adhered cults are, Pocomania, Kumina, and Rastafarianism. All of the following cults are considered to be ethnic religions. An ethnic religion is a religion with a relatively concentrated spatial distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the physical characteristics of the particular location in which its adherents are
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concentrated. The most prominent cult is Pocomania brought over by enslaved Africans. Its meetings include prayers, dances, and drumming. The members typically wear white robes and head scarfs of vibrant colors. Adherents of the religion often go into a trance using rum and marijuana. While in a trance some will have a spirit reside in them permanently. They believe that their ancestors and God is everywhere and that the spiritual world is experienced trough the physical natural world. Pocomania is viewed by many as a form of rebellion and protest against European religions. Another cult is the Kumina African cult. The adherents seek to appease the wandering spirits of the dead. They make sacrificial gifts of and vigorous drum beating is prevalent. This ethnic religion speaks a Bantu language that originated in the Congo. Another prominent cult is Rastafarianism which evolved through poor black
Jamaicans seeking fulfillment during the 1930s when nationalism was growing. Rastafarianism adherents generally have uncut, uncombed hair worn as dreadlocks. All Rastafarians accept Ethiopia as the black race’s spiritual home and that this is where their redeemer will bring them to when they die. They view the Christian God to be black with dreadlocks. They teach love and nonviolence and believe that marijuana is the ‘green herb’ of the Bible. They believe smoking ritually is a necessity as an aid to meditation. The religion is broken into sects based on regions. Ethnicity is also a prevalent part of Jamaica’s cultural
identity. The country was once involved in the triangular slave trade when they were under British rule from 1670-1962. The triangular slave trade is defined as a practice, primarily during the 1700’s, in which European ships transported slaves transported slaves from Africa to the Caribbean Islands, molasses from the Caribbean to Europe, and trade goods from Europe to Africa. Jamaica exported molasses to Europe and received slaves from Africa. The races of Africa include, black (90.9%), mixed (7.3%), East Indian (1.3%), white (0.2%), Chinese (0.2%), and other (0.1%). Nationalism is the loyalty and devotion to a particular nationality. The native Jamaicans have a strong sense of nationalism towards their Jamaican nationality. Take their flag for example, the colors yellow, green, and black, each represent something to the country. While green is the symbol of hope and
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agricultural abundance, the yellow is representative of natural resources and sunshine, and Black stands for creativity and courage of the people. Another proof of Jamaica’s nationalism is Jamaica’s Independence Day. Independence Day in Jamaica is a day of celebration; from paying respect to the fallen heroes who fought for the independence of the country to entertainment, music, dance, and parades with people attired in ethnic costumes. Jamaica’s nationalism is also evident in their pride of their
Olympic champion, Usain Bolt. Usain Bolt is pictured as a national hero for the Jamaican locals and serves as a role model to many.
Snippet of Bob Marley February 6th 1945 – May 11th 1981 Bob Marley is a famous singer and songwriter best known for his reggae music. He is known for helping to spread the Rastafari movement to a global audience. The Rastafari movement is defined as a religion but is considered a “way of life” by its adherents. Members that participate in this act are called Rastas. The Rasta people reject materialism and worship “Haile Selassie.” He was an emperor
of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. They view him as the Son of God instead of Jesus. Marley’s songs diffused Jamaican music to worldwide viewers. He wrote and sang mostly about the social problems and challenges in Jamaica. The troubles influenced his hits like "I Shot the Sheriff", "No Woman, No Cry", and "Could You Be Loved.”
His songs also reflect his beliefs as a Rastafarian. In “Worry Be Happy” Marley preaches the Rastafarian way of life which is laid-back, loving, and nonviolent. He had a profound effect in many parts of the world by diffusing not only his Rastafarian way of life but also his Jamaican culture.
You Said It! Letters to the Editor Tricks of the Trade
A Freed Jamaica
Thanks for all this great advice! I’m going there in August but I’m quite afraid to leave my resort since the murder rate is so high. It opened my eyes that everywhere isn’t as safe as Mystic Fall, VA, where I live. I’m going to carry pepper spray just in case I’m in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I was surprised to hear how many cults there actually are in Jamaica. My girlfriend Brooke is a Rastafarian and I didn’t know it was considered a religious cult. Good to Know!
-Elena
-Damon
Travel Account Woah! I loved the descriptive article about traveling to Jamaica. I’ve always wanted to see how life is away from just the tourist aspect. Behind all those high fences and hotels it must be a whole new scenery. Now I’m trying to convince my church to go there! -Stefan 19
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