Jamaica's+population

In 1996 the population on Jamaica was about 2,5 millions. Lots of people has emigrated from the island mostly to The United Kingdom, USA and Canada, because there. Actually there live more Jamaicans in other countries than on Jamaica.
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The natives on Jamaica, the arawaks, was reduced after the Spanish colonization. The population on Jamaica today is mainly descendants after the slaves that came to Jamaica in the late 1600s. Besides is it immigrants from Europe and Asia on the island.

The population on Jamaica is unevenly distributed on the island. The most people live along the coast and in the valleys. More and more settles down in the cities, especially in the capital Kingston. In 1991 587 800 people lived in Kingston.

The dominant religion on Jamaica is Christianity. About 80% of the population is Christians. 70% of these are Protestants and 11% is Catholics. The Rastafari Movement has also an effect on the religious on Jamaica, and it is close attached to the Christianity. The Rastafaries thinks that Ethiopias emperor Haile Selassie I was the living Christ. Their most familiar way to show their religion is the reggae music and a hairdo called Dreads.

The official language on Jamaica is English, but the most usual is Patwa, a Creole with a vocabulary mainly from English. Patwa has some loanwords from West-Africa, and strange pronunciation. The written language and administration language is English.

Expected age for women is average 75,8 years, and for men is it 71,4 years. The most usual causes of death are cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The unemployment is high, especially in the slum areas in the cities. These areas are growing because of the growth in the cities, and it is a lot of crime there. Many people are very poor and that doesn’t seem to change.

For many people marihuana is a part of the culture, the same way as alcohol is in many other societies. The drugs are illegal, and it is mostly the criminal that uses it. Bribery is normal among the criminal and it is huge social differences on the island.

Jamaican music is a mix of African and European traditions. The most important is reggae. The reggae music is inspired of the Rastafarian Movement, and it developed in the 1960’s. The characteristic of the reggae music is slow rhythms and lyrics critical to the society. Bob Marley was an important person for this music. He and many other reggae-musicians have made a huge success in Europe, and have since the 1970’s been an important part of the hit music.

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