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Jamaica

Climate

Two types of climate are found in Jamaica; an upland tropical climate and a semiarid climate.

The upland tropical climate prevails on the windward side of the mountains, whereas a

semiarid climate predominates on the side that is sheltered from the wind.

There are four seasons, two rainy seasons from May to June and September to November as

well as two dry seasons from July to August and December to April.

In general, Jamaica’s climate is tropical with consistent warm to hot temperatures all year

round. Temperatures are fairly constant throughout the year, averaging 25 to 30°C degrees

Celsius in the lowlands and 15 to 22°C at higher elevations, like the mountainous areas. The

lowest temperature might dip below 10°C, which is in the peak of the mountains.
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Population

As in 2017, the population of Jamaica is 2,892,650. The 5 main cities,

ranging by the largest number of population, are Kingston, Spanish

Town, Portmore, Montego Bay, Mandeville. Jamaica’s capital is

Kingston, which is its largest city with the population of 666,041.

Topography

The lands are mostly mountainous, with a narrow, discontinuous coastal plain. The country

island is encircled by numerous bays, low banks of coral reef and white-sand beaches that

stretch for miles in some areas.

The most elevated area is the Blue Mountains in eastern Jamaica ( which is also the coldest

area in the island), which peaks at 7,402 feet.

The limestone plateau covers two-thirds of Jamaica, and there caves, caverns, sinkholes and

valleys are scattered about in large numbers.

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There are over 100 rivers in Jamaica, mostly small and unexplored.

Currency

The currency used in the country is Jamaican Dollar, often abbreviated as J$. As in October

11th, 2017, the currency rate from Canadian dollar to Jamaican dollar is 1 Canadian dollar =

103 Jamaican dollars

Language

Jamaica is regarded as a bilingual country, and the majority of the people speaks one of the

two languages, either Jamaican Standard English (which is an official language ) or an

English-based creole called Jamaican Patois ( or Patwa). Patois is often known as “bad

English.”

For the country’s ethnic makeup, about 97% of the population is of partial or total African

descent. This population is comprised of blacks, mulattos, and black-East Indians or black-

Chinese. Other ethnic groups include East Indians ( 1.3%), Chinese(0.2%), Europeans (0.2%)

and other ( 0.6%).

Culture

 Music: Without Jamaica, the world would never have known the sounds of ska,

reggae or even hip-hop, all of which were born on this tiny country island. Jamaican
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music had spread

throughout the world, with

famous artists like Bob

Marley and the Wailers

having set the trends. Most songs have lyrics with religious themes and messages of

love and positivity. With its own uplifting charm, a lot of people are drawn to

Jamaican easy-going music.

 Food:

Some of traditional Jamaican dishes include jerk chicken, curry goat, ackee and saltfish, fried

dumplings, rice and peas. They also like to indulge in sweets occasionally, as pictured above.

Their cuisine can be described as a fusion of many cultures.

 Tradition:

The most popular Jamaican traditions are

for national holidays, such enjoying as

Sorrel drinks during Christmas, lending

fried fish at Easter time, etcetera. Rituals

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such as Nine Night after the death of a loved one are also a popular Jamaican

tradition. Jamaicans like to use primary colors for their clothing and often use cotton

as part of the fabrics.

Sources

 Website Title: Get Jamaica

 Article Title: Jamaican Culture

 Date Accessed: October 12, 2017

 Author: Frank Scott

 Website Title: Indiana Jo

 Article Title: What to Eat in Jamaica: Traditional Jamaican Food

 Electronically Published: June 02, 2017

 Date Accessed: October 12, 2017

 Author: www.facebook.com/indianajoblogs

 Website Title: Green Global Travel

 Article Title: Jamaican Music: History & Influence

 Electronically Published: February 07, 2017

 Date Accessed: October 12, 2017

 Authors: April D. Thompson

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 Website Title: Jamaican alphabet, prounciation and language

 Article Title: Jamaican (Jimiekn/Patwa/Jamaican)

 Date Accessed: October 12, 2017

 Website Title: World Atlas - Maps, Geography, travel

 Article Title: North America/

 Electronically Published: April 07, 2017

 Date Accessed: October 12, 2017