Our Jamaica What's Right With Jamaica
Throughout time and space there exists a place where one is completely surrounded by beauty and all the ills of the world are forgotten. A place where art is not created, but naturally born; a place where God himself came down and dwelled amongst men. Sounds like heaven, well, it pretty much is. The place of which I speak is none other than our own Jamaica. Our climate makes us enjoy sunshine almost 365 days of the year. Our winter season, from January to the end of March, does not drop below 80 degrees except rarely, unless you are high up in the hills. Although a relatively small island, Jamaica has the features of any other much larger and older country. We are known internationally for our music, from the early beginnings of ska and mento, to reggae and dancehall. Worldwide, at the mention of Jamaica, immediately people say "Bob Marley", especially in Japan where not much English is spoken. Even dreadlocks have taken on international appeal. The debate now rages about our colorful language, Patois, and there is even talk of a Patois Bible. In the field of sports, we have world-class athletes and Olympic gold medalists. How many other countries can boast this? 2008 - : World fastest man and woman are Jamaicans [Usain Bolt and Sherry-Ann Fraser]. Jamaica is the first Caribbean Country to gain Independence. The Manchester Golf Club in Jamaica, established in 1868, is the oldest in the western hemisphere. Jamaica is the first team from the English-speaking Caribbean to qualify for the Football World Cup. This was the 1998 championship. Jamaica stands strong in third place on the list of countries to win the Miss World titles the most. Jamaica was the first country in the Western world to construct a railway, even before the United States! This was only 18 years after Britain! On his second voyage to the New World in 1494, the tip of the Blue Mountains in Jamaica was the first land sighted by Christopher Columbus. Jamaica was the first commercial producer of bananas in the Western Hemisphere. Jamaica also was the first island in the Caribbean to produce rum on a commercial basis. Jamaica was the first country to impose economic sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa. Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean. Jamaica was the first Caribbean island to enact legislation, 'The Motion Picture Industry (Encouragement) Act' to promote the making of films. Jamaica is the first country to sign a Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grant agreement. Jamaica was the first tropical country to enter the IOC Winter Olympics. The bobsleigh team's efforts inspired the film Cool Runnings. Jamaica was the first colony England acquired by conquest. This was in the year 1655 when the Spanish were driven from the island. We have the second largest butterfly in the world (the Giant Swallowtail). Another of the interesting facts on Jamaica is that it was the first British colonial territory to establish a postal service (in 1688). Jamaica was the first Caricom country to liberalize the telecommunications sector. Since then, other Caricom countries have opened up to competition. And if you know none of the above, I expect you at least to know that Jamaica is the birth place of the great Robert 'Bob' Marley. Although crime has given us a negative image overseas, the majority of our people are friendly and warm. Visitors who get to know us will attest to the fact that we are the first to offer help and always have a cheerful smile and a quick handshake. You tell me, what's wrong with Jamaica that is not wrong anywhere else? What an ideal place to vacation year round! Resource: Jamaica Gleaner/Jamaica Observer