Small Country Profiler: Jamaica

Day 619, 06:42 • Published in Ireland Cuba • by Harrilal

Sorry for the delay in printing articles, friends. Without further ado, the following is an article mostly written by PimpDollaz (a leader in the campaign for eJamaica’s implementation), concluded by NAR Henry (yet another strong eJamaica voice) and polished up by myself with only slight alterations.

To start with, PimpDollaz will have the same article and it will be put in his paper in a few hours or so: PimpDollaz Daily Holla. Please visit it, subscribe and vote the article up (when it goes up) as that is the article that the eJamaican campaigners will be focusing on.

The eJamaican forum where the campaign is being organized can be found at this link: Click here!

Sources for the article include:
CIA Factbook: Jamaica
Wikipedia: Jamaica
CARICOM



Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean. It is situated in the Greater Antilles, just south of Cuba and west of Hispaniola (that’s the island on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated). It is 11,100 square kilometers and 4,444 square miles. The Taíno (original inhabitants), called it Xaymaca which means “Land of Springs”. This small country is quite possibly the most well known Caribbean island. Despite the island stereotype (and its successful tourist industry), it has a lot more to offer than just sun, sea and sand.

Jamaica’s culture is undeniably strong and spreads much further than the Caribbean region. For anyone that thinks otherwise, I have two words for you; Bob Marley. While he is not the be all and end all of Jamaican culture, Marley has penetrated deep into the hearts and souls of people worldwide with his message of curing the world with positive vibrations and music. In doing so, he made reggae, the Rastafari movement and Jamaica itself widely known. Staying with that theme, reggae music (that billions enjoy) originates in Jamaica. Ska, dancehall/ragga and several other internationally known styles of music began in Jamaica as well.

The Rastafari movement also has its beginnings in Jamaica. Three Jamaicans who witnessed the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia returned to the island and began the movement that saw Selassie as the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Grounation Day (the day Haile Selassie landed in Jamaica) is the second most holy day to the movement.

Jamaicans in general, have a large interest in sports and their athletes have often graced the podiums of the world stage. Many Jamaicans (Frank Worrell, Courtney Walsh, and Chris Gayle to name a few) have played on the West Indies cricket team, some even achieving the captaincy. Usain Bolt is the world record holder in the men’s 100m and 200m sprint. The Jamaica national bobsled team, laughed at in their first trials, quickly developed into a serious contender in the Winter Olympics, beating many well-established teams. During the 1980s the island produced world class athletes in boxing, including Trevor Berbick and Mike McCallum. The Jamaican football team also qualified for and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. These are but a few of their many illustrious athletes and teams.

Jamaica is one of the founders of the political entity known as CARICOM (Caribbean Community) and thanks to its success in economics/industry; it has a fair amount of political clout in the Caribbean region. As with fellow regional leaders Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica has great influence over decisions being made by the regional political bloc (CARICOM).

Jamaica has a mixed economy with both state enterprises and private sector businesses. Major sectors of the Jamaican economy include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism, and financial and insurance services. Tourism and mining are the leading earners of foreign exchange. Jamaica\'s agricultural exports include sugar, bananas, coffee, rum and yams. Jamaica is the third largest producer and exporter of Bauxite in the world, third only to the much larger countries of Australia and Guinea.

Jamaica has a wide variety of industrial and commercial activities. The aviation industry is able to perform most routine aircraft maintenance, except for heavy structural repairs. There is a considerable amount of technical support for transport and agricultural aviation. Jamaica has a considerable amount of industrial engineering, light manufacturing, including metal fabrication, metal roofing, and furniture manufacturing. Food and beverage processing, glassware manufacturing, computer software and data processing, printing and publishing, insurance underwriting, music and recording, and advanced education activities can be found in the larger urban areas. The Jamaican construction industry is entirely self-sufficient, with professional technical standards and guidance.

On top of mining and agriculture, Jamaica’s tourism industry is quite strong. With numerous beaches, hotels, resorts and dive locations it is a perfect destination for many looking to get away from the humdrum everyday routine. For those looking for a more cultural experience, there are many historical sites such as the notorious Port Royal which sank after a devastating earthquake or sites of slave rebellions/colonial plantations and of course, the home of Bob Marley is now a museum.

Politically, economically and culturally Jamaica is a powerhouse in the Caribbean region and an important player on the world stage because of its bauxite mining and cultural contributions. Furthermore, it has the added advantage of being one of the more well known island destinations around the world.

Military / Foreign Relations: Fierce fighting has reached North America from both oceans, but the rest of the hemisphere is at stalemate between Fortis in North America and AHA/PEACE in Latin America. Adding Caribbean countries, that share borders with both sides would add interest to the game.

Economic: The game is populated by Western developed countries and emergent economies in Eastern Europe and Asia. There are few if any developing countries. It also features only one micro-state (Singapore). Therefore the game currently lacks fundamental realities of the global economy.

Social: RL Caribbean people of all countries will be drawn to the game if there is at least one Caribbean country. There are almost 9 million internet users in the Caribbean and internet penetration is on par with the world average. Also, most of the Caribbean speaks English or Spanish, the two languages of eRepublik which will facilitate rapid recruitment of eCitizens.
Again, please subscribe to PimpDollaz paper and vote up the real eJamaican article when it is put up. If you have any questions about the eJamaican campaign, please visit their forum (link is in the intro) and join the discussion!

Together we aspire! Together we achieve!