Jamaica (Discovering the Caribbean: History, Politics, and Culture)

Jamaica, the third-largest island in the Caribbean, is located about 580 miles (933 km) south of Florida. Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1494 and claimed it for Spain. However, Jamaica became a British colony in 1665 and remained under British rule for nearly 300 years. Today, the island has a population of more than 2.8 million, making it the third-largest English speaking country in the Americas after the United States and Canada. Jamaica is a beautiful island that each year draws millions of tourists to its tropical forests, colonial-era cities, and warm, sandy beaches. The island is also known for exports of its natural resources, from sugar, coffee, and bananas to bauxite, a mineral needed to make aluminum. Jamaican musical styles such as reggae and ska, which have become internationally popular, are a major cultural export. There's a lot to discover about Jamaica! Each title in this series contains color photos, maps, a chronology of events related to the country, recipes, list of festivals, ideas for projects and reports, and back matter including: an index, further reading lists for books and internet resources, and a series glossary. Mason Crests editorial team has placed Key Icons to Look for throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are then used in the prose throughout that chapter, and are emboldened, so that the reader is able to reference back to the definitions- building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars ar