Jamaica Research Paper

Jamaica is an island located in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba. It is one of the Greater Antilles. The first settlers of Jamaica called the land “Xaymaca” which means “Land of springs” (Pillai, 2013). It is said that this is where the name of the country came from. Jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. Jamaica has a mix of people from different races, religions, and countries so its culture is varied. Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica in 1494, but people have in habited the island for thousands of years before. The Arawaks and Tainos are said to be the first tribes to settle on the island, between 4000 B.C. AND 1000 B.C. (Pillai, 2013). From 1494 to 1655, Jamaica was a Spanish colony. It was a British colony from 1655 to 1962. Jamaica was granted a new constitution in 1944 and gained universal suffrage. The country gained independence August 6, 1962 (Purcell, 2013). The population of Jamaica is 2,909,714 (FindTheData, 2013). 16.5% of the population lives below the poverty line. Africans make up most of the Jamaican
A common birth rite is to bury the umbilical cord of a newborn baby, and usually a tree is planted over it, signifying that they are always connected to their birth place. Funerals are an important ritual to the Jamaicans. A big funeral is a sign of a good life (Purcell, 2013). Nine Night is a Jamaican ceremony or funeral where friends and family sing, dance, and drink for eight nights then sing farewell songs on the ninth night. They rearrange the room of the deceased so their spirit will not recognize it and return. A last meal is set out under the silk-cotton tree, a hiding place for the spirits, for the diseased spirit (Pillai, 2013). Jamaican weddings are big, lavish, and family-oriented. Both families of the bride and groom meet before the wedding and friends start sending gifts like eggs for the cake (Pillai,