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v i t a l s
Some basic facts about Jamaica (gleaned from Lonely Planet and Irie People).
the country: Over 4000 square miles of mountains and beaches; the third largest island in the West Indies. A spelunker's paradise with thousands of natural caves. Languages: English and patois (Jamaican English). Once a British colony, run by slave labor; slavery was abolished in 1834, and independence was gained in 1962. Jamaica is a constitutional parliamentary democracy. Major industries include tourism, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams and chemicals. The currency is the Jamaican dollar, also called "J"; the exchange rate is about $60J to $1 American.
the people: Population 2.65 million, mostly of African descent with a smattering of Chinese, Southeast Asian, and European-descended people (and a fair amount of mixed people; Jamaicans are really cool about skin color, it didn't bother most of the people I talked to). Religion: Mostly Christian. There are also "cults" like Pocomania and Rastafarianism (no, not all Jamaicans are Rastas!).
the weather: Tropical. Usually sunny and warm, ranging from the 80s to the high 90s; very humid with frequent rain. The rainy season runs from May to November. This is also the "low season" when tourism is not as frequent, so you can save money by going then. The weather makes it ideal to visit all year round.