Jamaica Blog

In addition to Nicaragua, I will also be taking a tour of Jamaica, and keeping you updated over the next couple of weeks. Jamaica is located in the Caribbean, and is the southern-most island of the main group of islands.

Day 1

One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Jamaica was the lack of what I would have thought the average Jamaican would look like. There is actually quite a mixture on the island, ranging from native Jamaicans, people with European descent, and even a few Asian people. I was thoroughly surprised by the diversity.  

                                                      

Jamaica's migration patterns have been that the Jamaican population will immigrate to the United States or European countries, due to the job opportunities available and the better standard of living. In the past, the majority of migration to the island of Jamaica was due to the slave labor trade when the Caribbean islands were colonies, and as a result, the population is mainly African and Asian descent. 

Recently, the tendency of the Jamaican population to migrate to the United States and European countries has continued, but not at as high of a rate as it has in the past. There has been very little migration to Jamaica recently, but most of the migration comes from other Caribbean Islands such as Haiti and Cuba.There is also a slow but steady flow of Asian immigrants coming to Jamaica and some of the other Caribbean islands. The migration is mainly caused by economic opportunities.

Some positive results of the migration in Jamaica is that the culture is spreading to other countries such as the United States, France, and Spain. Also, Jamaica will be able to be more successful economically due to the ideas flowing in from Asian immigrants and the migrants from other Caribbean islands. On the downside, many of the people who emigrate from Jamaica are unable to find jobs in the areas they move to, and end up stranded in the country. Also, Jamaica is losing its' talented laborers and athletes to other countries where they will be more successful and receive more money.

Day 2

Today I was walking around the streets of Jamaica and was able to witness the cultural aspects. The people go about their days very differently than we would do in the United States.

The political system in Jamaica appears to be a Parliamentary Democracy. There is some corruption in the government, as with all governments, but the people are still very well represented. The people involved in government can be seen on the streets interacting with the people.

Jamaican cuisine is a very interesting mix. The different styles involved in their cuisine come from many different European countries like Spain and France. Jerk spices play a very important role in their cuisine.

There are many different languages spoken in Jamaica. British English is the main written language and is used for oral communication as well. However, many indigenous languages, specifically Jamaican Patois are commonly used and spreading to other Caribbean nations.

VIDEO LINK (Jamaican Cuisine):

www.metacafe.com/watch/925805/jamaican_food/

                                                                                   Day 3

When I walked around the town today I realized that the general mood of the people was not as upbeat as I would have expected from an independent island nation. After thinking about the situation for a little while, I realized that since Jamaica gained its' independence from British rule, they have struggled politically and economically.

Back in the 1960's, Jamaica gained its' independence from British Rule. The citizens of Kingston celebrated by tipping over the Union Jack. However, there have been very few positive results of Jamaica gaining their independence. In fact, Jamaica may be worse off on their own because Britain was able to keep the country supported. Nowadays, many Jamaicans are feeling that they have accomplished very little since gaining independence. The same situation is true for many Latin American countries since they have gained their independence from British, French, and Spanish rule. 

Impact: Jamaica is struggling since gaining their independence from Britain. There is a shortage of natural resources available because of the overuse during colonial times. Also, Jamaica cannot keep its' skilled labor force because there are better opportunities in foreign countries.

 http://www.npr.org/2011/04/16/135417990/hopes-unrealized-in-independent-jamaica

Jamaica's economy cannot grow without industrialazation occuring. This is problematic for the government and the people because there is not enough money in Jamaica to start the process of industrialazation. The only way that they will be able to advance is if they get foreign aid from much more wealthy nations such as the United States and Britain. However, the people do not want to owe other nations anything out of fear of going back to colonialism.

Impact: The economy of Jamaica will not be able to keep up with the growing global economy, and the people will struggle to make a living. Jamaica will continue to lose all of its' skilled laborers because of economic opportunities elsewhere. Until, the economy is fixed in Jamaica, the country in general cannot improve.

Day 4

The first factor of Jamaica's social development is the education level and literacy rate. Education is readily available in Jamaica, and is very affordable. The literacy rate of Jamaica is 94.3%, which is one of the best rates in the world. The government has done a great job with providing affordable education to the citizens of Jamaica. Due to the high education levels, the people of Jamaica are able to make a decent living and enter into the skilled labor force.

The next factor of Jamaica's social development is the poverty level in Jamaica. While poverty is an issue in Jamaica, there is also a large sector of succesful people. The GDP per capita in Jamaica is $8727, which is very good compared to the other Caribbean island nations. As a result of the decent GDP per capita, the economy of Jamaica has been steadily growing in recent years, and Jamaica has been successful in the global market.

The final factor of Jamaica's social development is the life expectancy in Jamaica. With a life expectancy of 75.4 years, it is clear that there is an adequate access to medicine and a functioning healthcare sytem in Jamaica. Due to the high life expectancy, the citizens of Jamaica are able to contribute to society for a longer period of time, which will result in a faster growth rate of important economic and social factors.

Day 5

From what I have seen during my tour of Jamaica, everything functions smoothly and successfully. Therefore, I believe that Jamaica is a developed nation. The life expectancy of Jamaica, 75.4 years,  is much higher than most of the world, and is a clear sign that the healthcare system is functioning well in Jamaica. The literacy level is a huge indicatior of Jamaica's development. With one of the best literacy rates in the world, 94.3%, it is clear that Jamaica's education system is effective and affordable. Finally, the GDP per capita in Jamaica is not as impressive as you would expect from a developed nation, but it is growing at a good rate. At $8727, the GDP per capita could be improved, but it shows that people who get an education and make the right choices are able to be successful in Jamaica.

Nicaragua Blog

Nicaragua is located in Central America. It is just south of Honduras and north of Costa Rica. I will be touring Nicaragua and keeping you updated over the next couple of weeks.

Day 1

Upon my arrival in Nicaragua, I realized that there is very little diversity among the people here. Therefore, it seems that there is very limited immigration to Nicaragua nowadays. Also, the traditions of Nicaragua have not changed much as a result.

                  

Nicaragua has had a negative net migration rate for a very long time, and the people living in Nicaragua have not changed for many generations. The majority of emigrants who leave Nicaragua go to other Caribbean nations such as Honduras and Costa Rica, or go to Florida.

Recently the emigration from Nicaragua has slowed down, but the net migration rate is still negative and shows no signs of becoming positive in the near future. Nowadays, almost all of the emigrants from Nicaragua migrate to the United States, specifically Florida.

The emigration is mainly caused by better economic opportunites elsewhere. Historically, a large part of the emigration is also due to conflicts in Nicaragua. Most recently, hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans left Nicaragua because of the Sandista takeover in the late 1970's.

As a negative result of the migration in Nicaragua, the country has stayed mostly isolated from outside ideas, and all of the prime labor force is leaving for other countries. Also, the economy is suffering due to the declining amount of consumers in the country. Fortunately, some of the migrants come back to the country with new knowledge of other countries. As a result, Nicaragua is slowly becoming more culturally diverse.

Day 2

On my second day here in Nicaragua, I wanted to explore the cultural aspects of the people here. It would appear to be a mix of Spanish culture and a native influence. The people here are very proud of their culture, and it can be seen anywhere on the streets.

The political system in Nicaragua is a Presidential Republic. The president of Nicaragua is Daniel Ortega, and Jaime Carazo is the vice president.  The people seem to be satisfied by their current government, and their is very little conflict as a result.

Nicaraguan cuisine is an interesting mixture of Spanish food and Creole food. There are also some influences form other Jamaican nations mixed into the food. Local ingredients are considered a vital part of there cuisine, so fruits and corn can be found in almost all of their dishes.

There are many indigenous languages that can be found in Nicaragua, but Spanish is the only official language recognized by the government. All of the inhabitants also have the ability to speak English, and as a result can easily communicate even between groups with different main languages.

Day 3

The Nicaraguan government has not been functioning the way a government is supposed to. The legislative and executive branches are not working together. They have contradicted each other many times and it is causing problems with getting done what needs to be done. If the government cannot run smoothly, it becomes very difficult to pass laws and resolve the issues of the country in a timely manner. If this issue continues, Nicaragua will not be able to make necessary laws and the country will fall behind in regards to policy and the economy will fall behind as well.

In Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is very low, $2800, and the growth rate is low as well. Nicaragua has to be able to increase their GDP as a reasonable rate if they expect the economy to be successful. The people are living in poverty, and the majority of the money is with a very small percent of the population. If the GDP per capita does not increase, the economy will never improve, and Nicaragua cannot become a big player in the global market.

Day 4

In Nicaragua, the availability of education is not at the level it should be. While the government is working to improve upon the educational availability, many children are not able to read and write. The literacy rate is 68%, which clearly shows the lack of education. Resulting from the lack of education, is the low GDP per capita. Many of the people going into the workforce do not have the necessary education to make a good wage and live comfortably.

Another issue facing Nicaragua is poverty. The issues regarding poverty are a direct result of the lack of education that I mentioned before. It is going to be difficult for the government to find a way to get the country out of poverty until the education level is improved upon. Also, the poverty is a major factor in emigration from Jamaica to other nations.

The final issue I will cover in Nicaragua is the life expectancy. The life expectancy in Nicaragua is 71.8 years. That is not necessarilly a bad figure considering the other factors influencing Nicaragua, but it should grow in the future. The life expectancy shows that there is a poor access to medicine and the healthcare system in Nicaragua is not as good as it should be.

Day 5 (Final Post)

In my opinion, Nicaragua is clearly a nation in transition. The only factors holding Nicaragua back from being a developed nation are the GDP per capita and the literacy rate. With a GDP per capita of only $2800, the people of Nicaragua cannot make a comfortable living for themselves. The literacy rate in Nicaragua is only 68%, which shows that the education levels are extremely poor compared to other nations. On the upside, the life expectancy in Nicaragua is 71.8 years, which is incredibly good for a nation with such low education levels and a low GDP per capita. There are many nations that are worse of than Nicaragua, such as Haiti and Cuba, but Nicaragua has all of the necessary resources to become developed.