Jamaica gained its independence on 6 August 1962. The majority of the population (90 per cent, 2006 Census) is of Jamaica is of West African origin. The rest are people of mixed heritage with combinations that include European-African, Afro-indigenous, Chinese-African and East Indian-African.

What race are native Jamaicans?

The majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, with significant European, East Asian (primarily Chinese), Indian, Lebanese, and mixed-race minorities.

Which ethnic group came to Jamaica first?

Jamaica's first inhabitants, the Tainos (also called the Arawaks), were a peaceful people believed to be from South America. It was the Tainos who met Christopher Columbus when he arrived on Jamaica's shores in 1494.

Where did Caribbean slaves come from?

The majority of those who were enslaved and transported in the transatlantic slave trade were people from Central and West Africa that had been sold by other West Africans to Western European slave traders, while others had been captured directly by the slave traders in coastal raids; Europeans gathered and imprisoned ...

Who brought African slaves to Jamaica?

In the 18th century, sugar replaced piracy as Jamaica's main source of income. The sugar industry was labour-intensive and the British brought hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans to Jamaica.

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Who started slavery in Africa?

The transatlantic slave trade began during the 15th century when Portugal, and subsequently other European kingdoms, were finally able to expand overseas and reach Africa. The Portuguese first began to kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to Europe.

Why did Chinese come to Jamaica?

Migration history

The two earliest ships of Chinese migrant workers to Jamaica arrived in 1854, the first directly from China, the second composed of onward migrants from Panama who were contracted for plantation work. ... The influx of Chinese indentured immigrants aimed to replace the outlawed system of black slavery.

When did the African came to the Caribbean?

Between 1662 and 1807 Britain shipped 3.1 million Africans across the Atlantic Ocean in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Africans were forcibly brought to British owned colonies in the Caribbean and sold as slaves to work on plantations.

Who were the original natives of Jamaica?

The original inhabitants of Jamaica were the indigenous Taíno, an Arawak-speaking people who began arriving on Hispaniola by canoe from the Belize and the Yucatan peninsula sometime before 2000 BCE.

What are the 6 ethnic groups in Jamaica?

Our main ethnicities are: Groups of Indigenous peoples, Africans, Indians, Europeans, Chinese and Portuguese.

What was Jamaica before?

Although the Taino referred to the island as "Xaymaca", the Spanish gradually changed the name to "Jamaica". In the so-called Admiral's map of 1507 the island was labeled as "Jamaiqua" and in Peter Martyr's work "Decades" of 1511, he referred to it as both "Jamaica" and "Jamica".

When did the Indian came to Jamaica?

One of the oldest and most enduring cultures in the world was introduced to Jamaica when Indians came to work as indentured labourers. The first ship, SS Blundell, carrying 261 Indians arrived at Old Harbour Bay on May 10, 1845, and from 1930 onwards, Indian merchants and professionals have made Jamaica their home.

Where did the first Jamaicans come from?

The original inhabitants of Jamaica are believed to be the Arawaks, also called Tainos. They came from South America 2,500 years ago and named the island Xaymaca, which meant ““land of wood and water”.

How much land does China own in Jamaica?

It is the single biggest investment by the Chinese in the Caribbean. In return for expertise and investment, the Jamaican government has handed over 1,200 acres of land around the road to the Chinese, who plan to build three luxury hotels with 2,400 rooms.

Why do Jamaicans have Scottish names?

Jamaican/Scottish surnames

The original cause of this is that Scottish prisoners of war from both the Cromwellian wars and the Jacobite rebellions were exiled to Jamaica, as were some of the Covenanters. Many of these exiles were indentured servants working alongside slaves of African descent in the sugar plantations.

Does slavery still exist in Africa?

Slavery persists today with thousands of people still held in servitude; however, an active social movement called Temedt (which won the 2012 Anti-Slavery International award) has been pressuring the government for ending slavery in the country.

How were slaves captured in Africa?

The capture and sale of enslaved Africans

Most of the Africans who were enslaved were captured in battles or were kidnapped, though some were sold into slavery for debt or as punishment. The captives were marched to the coast, often enduring long journeys of weeks or even months, shackled to one another.

When did slavery end in Canada?

Slavery itself was abolished everywhere in the British Empire in 1834. Some Canadian jurisdictions had already taken measures to restrict or end slavery by that time. In 1793 Upper Canada (now Ontario) passed the Anti‐slavery Act.

What religion is Jamaican?

Religion of Jamaica

Freedom of worship is guaranteed by Jamaica's constitution. Most Jamaicans are Protestant. The largest denominations are the Seventh-day Adventist and Pentecostal churches; a smaller but still significant number of religious adherents belong to various denominations using the name Church of God.

What was Jamaica's original name?

Christopher Columbus, who first sighted the island in 1494, called it Santiago, but the original indigenous name of Jamaica, or Xaymaca, has persisted. Columbus considered it to be “the fairest isle that eyes have beheld,” and many travelers still regard it as one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.

Why did the Spaniards came to Jamaica?

The arrival of Spaniards in Jamaica began in 1494, with the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the island in search of gold (as in Cuba and the Spanish, where he had reported the existence of the island, calling it Xaymaca, intending to say, in the indigenous language, "place of gold blessed"), but then discovered that ...