Jamaica Culture

Jamaica has natural resources, primarily bauxite, adequate water supplies, and climate conducive to agriculture and tourism. The discovery of bauxite in the 1940s and the subsequent establishment of the bauxite-alumina industry shifted Jamaica's economy from sugar and bananas. By the 1970s, Jamaica had emerged as a world leader in export of these minerals as foreign investment increased. ...

Minister of Education, Youth and Culture--Maxine Henry-Wilson ... [Read More]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
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This site, from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, underscores and explains the extraordinary diversity of African Americans living in the United States today. For the first time in history all the components of the African Diaspora are gathered together. The United States is the only place, the present time the only time. African Americans, Africans, Afro-Caribbeans, Central Americans and South Americans of African descent, as well as Africans and Afro-Caribbeans born in Europe live side by side, each group bringing its specificities, culture, and sense of identity. The ethnic and cultural diversity of the black population has never been greater, and richer. And it is all part of the African-American migration experience. This site gives the opportunity to African descended peoples to trace their own histories and the histories of the other groups that form the African Diaspora. It is a resource for discovering their common and not-so-common histories and exploring fu ... [Read More]

Jamaica

No laws provide protection against discrimination for persons living with HIV/AIDS. Human rights NGOs reported severe stigma and discrimination for this group. Although supplies of universal precautions were adequate in health care facilities, health care workers neglected patients with HIV/AIDS. Women Social and cultural traditions perpetuate violence against women, including spousal abuse. Violence against women was widespread, but many women were reluctant to acknowledge or report abusive behavior, leading to wide variations in estimates of its extent. During the year, the number of reported incidents of rape increased by 2 percent; however, NGOs stressed that the vast majority of rapes were not reported. The JCF rape investigative and juvenile unit, which was headed by a female deputy superintendent, handled sex crimes. The Domestic Violence Act provides remedies for domestic violence, including restraining ord ... [Read More]

Jamaica

A National Youth Development Center, established in 2000 as part of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Culture, coordinates youth programs. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Agriculture generates approximately 7.0 percent of GDP and employs over 20 percent of Jamaica's employed work force.  Major traditional export crops include sugar, bananas, coffee, and citrus, while major non-traditional crops include yams, tropical fruits and vegetables, and horticulture.  Agriculture faces several challenges, including the loss of preferential markets for bananas and sugar, high production costs, and susceptibility to the elements (flooding and drought).  Following the 2004 hurricane season, weather-related damage to agriculture was estimated at USD 1 billion. ... [Read More]

Jamaica

d. Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign Travel, Emigration, and RepatriationThe Constitution provides for these rights, and the Government generally respected them in practice. The Government provided asylum or refugee status in accordance with the provisions of the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. The Government cooperated with the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in assisting refugees. The Government established a committee and formal procedures to review claims to refugee status. In November 2001, a group of 128 Haitians arrived in the country. According to immigration officials, 122 were judged to be economic migrants and were not considered for asylum. The other six Haitians were considered for asylum; their appeals were heard on September 2, and they were granted asylum. The committee de ... [Read More]

Jamaica

The law prohibits homosexual relationships, and a culture of severe discrimination persisted. There were numerous cases of violence against persons based on sexual orientation, including by police and vigilante groups (see Section 5). ...

The Government was committed to improving children's welfare. The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Culture was responsible for implementation of the Government's programs for children. Public primary education was free, universal, and compulsory for students between the ages of 6 and 11, and the Ministry of Education reported that 99 percent of children in that age group were enrolled in school. However, economic circumstances obliged thousands of children to stay home to help with housework and avoid school fees. As a result, attendance rates at primary schools averaged 78 percent, although some rural areas reported attendance as low as 50 percent. More than 70 percent of children between the ages of 12 and 16 had access to secondary school, and UNICEF reported that most children completed secondary education. ... [Read More]

International Students – Educational Information and Resources

Minister of Agriculture ...

Minister of Agriculture and Coops (former) ...

Minister of Culture and Tourism (former) ... [Read More]

Jamaica
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