Do you want to go sightseeing in Jamaica? Do you want to know more about the island of Jamaica? Here we are going to give you a brief summary of the history of Jamaica so that when you go sightseeing in Jamaica you can understand a little more about the country. General information about Jamaica, a good start to prepare your vacation to this fantastic island located in the Caribbean Sea.
Tourism in Jamaica
Jamaica is an island belonging to the Greater Antilles located south of Cuba and surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. The surface of the island is 10,992 km2 of which 1,023 km are coasts of the Caribbean Sea. In the island live 600,000 people in a stable way, any way, the total population is 2,735,530 registered inhabitants.
The capital is Kingston and the official language is English, yet it is a dialect a little different from the standard.
Jamaica became independent in 1962, anyway, it is still part of the Commonwealth, therefore the executive power is not only in the hands of the Prime Minister of Jamaica but also the Queen of England.
A brief history of Jamaica
Pre-Columbian period: the island of Jamaica was inhabited for many years by emigrants from other areas of the Caribbean. There is evidence that the last native Indians of Jamaica were the Arawak Indians.
Columbian Period: Jamaica was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the Arawak Indians ended up exterminated because of the conditions of slavery imposed by the colonizers and the diseases that the Spaniards brought.
The English colonization: in 1654 the English went to Jamaica with special colonizing interest for trying to counteract the Spanish domination. The mismanagement of the Spanish troops in Jamaica caused that in 1960 they lost all the fights and went to Cuba. The English colonization remained until 1962.
Pirates in Jamaica: The entire Caribbean region, and Jamaica included, was famous for piracy and one of the most famous pirates, Henry Morgan also acted on this island. The piracy supported by the English remained in the territory until about 1970, because when Spain recognized the British colonies they dismantled the pirates who had both in Jamaica and in the Turtles.
The revolution of slaves: In 1834 slavery was abolished in Jamaica, as a group of rebellious slaves began a revolution against the British colonists that ended up giving freedom to the slaves of Jamaica.
Independence: In 1960 Alexander Bustamante, political leader, began to declare his opposition to British colonization. Finally, the political party of the moment, People's National Party, held a referendum in which they voted for the independence of the country. The positive result led in 1962 to the independence of Jamaica.
