Jamaica: Caribbean and Jamaicans
Ashley Reid
January 30, 2013
Informative Speech Outline
If you could pick your dream vacation, where would it be? Which city, state, or country? Mine would be to the beautiful country of Jamaica. As I stated at the beginning of the semester, I am Jamaican. I was not born there, however, Jamaican is my heritage and both of my parents were born there, so technically being born in the U.S doesn’t have an effect on my background or culture. There are many reasons why I know I would want my dream vacation there, but are you aware of Jamaica’s culture, language, its landscape or anything of the sort? By the end of this speech, you will know these things and will probably consider taking a vacation to Jamaica.
Mapsoftheworld.com states that Jamaica's population of more than 2.5 million is equally divided between urban and rural dwellers. Jamaicans are mostly descendants of Africans but there are also East Indians, Chinese, Europeans, and Arabs. Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean Sea and since 1870 the capital has been Kingston, now with a population of more than 645,000. The climate is tropical and tourists flock to Jamaica for its beautiful beaches. Jamaica has been called the Island of Springs, and the vegetation is striking. The island is prone to hurricanes. It suffered serious damage during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 when nearly 25 percent of the population was left homeless and property damage was more than $300 million.
According to Everyculture.com the official language is English, most Jamaicans who live in the rural areas speak a Creole dialect. Patois, as it is called, is influenced mostly by West African languages. It also contains elements of Spanish and French. Religion is an important part of life for Jamaicans. More than 80 percent are Christian. The Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu, religions are also practiced, as is Rastafarianism. Nearly one hundred thousand Jamaicans are Rastafarians who are members of a Jamaican messianic movement
January 30, 2013
Informative Speech Outline
If you could pick your dream vacation, where would it be? Which city, state, or country? Mine would be to the beautiful country of Jamaica. As I stated at the beginning of the semester, I am Jamaican. I was not born there, however, Jamaican is my heritage and both of my parents were born there, so technically being born in the U.S doesn’t have an effect on my background or culture. There are many reasons why I know I would want my dream vacation there, but are you aware of Jamaica’s culture, language, its landscape or anything of the sort? By the end of this speech, you will know these things and will probably consider taking a vacation to Jamaica.
Mapsoftheworld.com states that Jamaica's population of more than 2.5 million is equally divided between urban and rural dwellers. Jamaicans are mostly descendants of Africans but there are also East Indians, Chinese, Europeans, and Arabs. Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean Sea and since 1870 the capital has been Kingston, now with a population of more than 645,000. The climate is tropical and tourists flock to Jamaica for its beautiful beaches. Jamaica has been called the Island of Springs, and the vegetation is striking. The island is prone to hurricanes. It suffered serious damage during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 when nearly 25 percent of the population was left homeless and property damage was more than $300 million.
According to Everyculture.com the official language is English, most Jamaicans who live in the rural areas speak a Creole dialect. Patois, as it is called, is influenced mostly by West African languages. It also contains elements of Spanish and French. Religion is an important part of life for Jamaicans. More than 80 percent are Christian. The Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu, religions are also practiced, as is Rastafarianism. Nearly one hundred thousand Jamaicans are Rastafarians who are members of a Jamaican messianic movement