Jamaica

C

Plants and Animals

Jamaica has a high degree of biodiversity. Three thousand species of plants grow on the island, and about one-quarter of them are found nowhere else on Earth. More than 200 species of flowering plants have been classified. Among indigenous trees are cedar, mahoe, mahogany, logwood, rosewood, ebony, palmetto palm, coconut palm, and pimento (allspice). Introduced varieties, such as the mango, breadfruit, banana, and plantain, also flourish on the island and are widely cultivated.

The Jamaican animal life, as that of the West Indies generally, includes highly diversified birdlife. Parrots, hummingbirds, cuckoos, and green todies are especially abundant. No large indigenous quadrupeds or venomous reptiles exist.

D

Environmental Issues

The absence of a clear environmental policy combined with a steadily growing population has brought about an inevitable ecological deterioration of the island. Soil degradation and water shortages are common. Coastal waters are polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills. Automobile traffic in Kingston causes significant air pollution. Safe drinking water is generally available, although access to sanitation is still low.

Jamaica’s biodiversity has suffered with environmental deterioration. Natural habitats are threatened by rapid deforestation. Government policy encourages conversion of “idle” land into fields and pasture. Once completely forested, about 31 percent of Jamaica’s surface was forested in 2005. The deforestation rate at 0.1 percent per year during 1990–2005 was high, pushing the remaining stands of trees into small mountain enclaves. In the late 1980s the country began to work with nongovernmental and foreign-aid organizations to consolidate potential protected areas into national parks.

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III

People

Jamaica is a multiracial society, with a population primarily of African or mixed African-European origin. Many people are descended from slaves brought to the island between the 17th and 19th centuries. Among the established minorities are East Indians, Europeans, and Chinese.

The population of Jamaica (2007 estimate) was 2,780,132, giving the country an overall population density of 257 persons per sq km (665 per sq mi). The annual rate of population increase, formerly high, declined to 0.78 percent by 2007. Emigration, primarily to the United States, Britain, and Latin America, has been substantial.

A

Political Divisions and Principal Cities

Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes. Of these, 12 parishes are administered by popularly elected councils, and the remaining parishes are administered by elected commissions.

The population of greater Kingston in 2001 was 577,623 and the population of Spanish Town was 131,060. In 2005, 52 percent of the population lived in urban areas.

B

Language and Religion

English is the official language, although many Jamaicans speak a local dialect of English that incorporates African, Spanish, and French elements. Among the Christian majority, the Church of God, Baptists, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostalists, and Roman Catholics predominate. Several well-established Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu communities exist. A number of popular sects, such as Pocomania and Rastafarianism, are a significant and famous feature of the national religious life.