Will Jamaica Self-Destruct Essay - 3136 Words

Will Jamaica Self-Destruct? Jamaica is an island paradise, located in the northern Caribbean, approximately 145 km south of Cuba and 160 km west of Haiti, with a population of about 2,553,600 million people in 1997 and a land area of 11,000 km/sq. The country has had a low and steady population growth rate of 1.0 percent in 1997. Tourism is Jamaica’s most important industry besides the mining of bauxite (accounts for more than half of exports). It is the country’s largest foreign exchange earner, (generating approximately US$965 million annually) and is still one of its fastest growing industries. These profitable service industries depend on the island and its natural beauty–pure air, abundant sunshine, and clean sandy beaches. This†¦show more content†¦In a survey conducted by the OAS results indicate that the majority of visitor hours are spent in outdoor activities. These activities were listed in order of popularity from most to least: general sporting activities (running), sn orkeling/scuba diving, beach/sunbathing/swimming, and dance clubs/bars. Activities such as cultural exhibitions, handicrafts (painting, making dolls and straw hats) and shopping are available. But are less popular. The beaches in Jamaica are one of the most widely used natural resources. Public beaches, especially those that are well equipped and maintained have a steady number of users throughout the year and are heavily used on public holidays. Jamaica has about 28 significant offshore islands and cays, the majority of which are off the island’s south coast. The intensive development of the cays for recreational purposes have been curbed, due to the their soft and light environment. Only Lime Cay off the coast of Port Royal is used as a recreational site for sunbathing and picnics. Around the north coast and along sections of the south coast are long coral reef chains that provide habitat for numerous species of fish and other marine life. These excellent recreational areas are known for diving and glass-bottom boat viewing. The principal resort areas are located in the island’s north coast where wind and wave action, which smash down on the offshore coral reefs, help to develop and sustain the impressiveShow MoreRelatedThe Culture Of Black Poverty1596 Words   |  7 PagesWashington, D.C. Now, this may not seem like much of a transition considering the short distance, but if anyone has endured such a change eventually realized that it’s equal to traveling from a luxurious tourist site to the slums in the heart of Jamaica. Leaving a suburban low-crime atmosphere into a systematically poverty-ridden society was definitely my first culture shock because I didn’t understand how the youth could be behaving so much more violently and crude from the youth in the suburbsRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagesof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edmonds, Ennis Barrington. Rastafari : from outcasts to culture bearers / Ennis Barrington Edmonds. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-19-513376-5 1. Rastafari movement. 2. Jamaica—Religious life and customs. I. Title. BL2532.R37 E36 2002 299†².676—dc21 2002074897 v To Donnaree, my wife, and Donnisa, my daughter, the two persons around whom my life revolves; and to the ancestors whose struggles have enabled us to