Jamaica Researched via: http://wikipedia.org Student Name: Envia R. Date: 11.23.09
Where is Jamaica located? It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about 145 km (90 mi) south of Cuba, and 190 kim (120 mi) west of Hispaniola, the island harboring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Flag, Motto, Anthem: < Flag Motto: “Out of Many, One People.” Anthem: “Jamaica, Land We Love”
Sports: The most popular local sport is cricket, however on the international stage Jamaicans tend to do particularly well at Track and Field. Jamaica has also produced several world class amateur and professional boxers including Trevor Berbick and Mike McCallum. Association football and horse-racing are other popular sports in Jamaica. The Jamaica national bobsled team was once a serious contender in the Winter Olympics, beating many well-established teams. Chess, and Basketball are widely played in Jamaica which are supported by the Jamaica Chess Federation (JCF), and the Jamaica Basketball Federation (JBF). Netball is also very popular on the island, with the National Netball Team called The Sunshine Girls consistently ranking in the top five in the world.
Government and Politics: Jamaica has traditionally had a two-party system, with power often alternating between the People's National Party and Jamaica Labor Party (JLP). However, over the past decade a new political party called the National Democratic Movement (NDM) emerged in an attempt to challenge the two-party system, though it has become largely irrelevant in this system, as it garnered only 540 votes of the over 800,000 votes cast in the 3 September elections. Jamaica is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Famous people/role model: Trevor Berbick Mike McCallum Arthur Wint Donald Quarrie Merlene Ottey, Delloreen Ennis-London Shelly-Ann Fraser Kerron Stewart Aleen Bailey Juliet Cuthbert, Veronica Campbell-Brown Sherone Simpson Brigitte Foster-Hylton Yohan Blake, Herb McKenley
What do you like the most about Jamaica? The Beaches.