|
|||||||||||
|
CAUTION: The following links and
accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation
in Jamaica in the early years of the 21st Century. Some of
these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are
unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been
made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content. HOW TO USE THIS WEBPAGE Students If you are looking
for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on
this page and others to see which aspects of poverty are of particular
interest to you. You might be
interested in exploring the relationship between distribution of labor and
per-capita GDP, for example. Perhaps
your paper could focus on life expectancy or infant mortality. Other factors of interest might be
unemployment, literacy, access to basic services, etc. On the other hand, you might choose to
include some of the possible outgrowths of poverty such as Human Trafficking,
Street Children,
or even Prostitution. There is a lot to the subject of
Poverty. Scan other countries as well
as this one. Draw comparisons between
activity in adjacent countries and/or regions. Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources
that are available on-line. Teachers Check out some of
the Resources
for Teachers attached to this website. *** Extreme Weather *** Jamaica
is susceptible to devastating hurricanes that can leave behind significant
damage. These storms often bring strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm
surges. Recently, heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding and landslides in
Jamaica. While occasional showers from trade winds are normal, slow-moving
troughs have brought unusually intense rainfall. The
pendulum swings from one extreme to another, as Jamaica also faces severe
droughts. Between 2014 and 2015, the country experienced one of the worst drought
seasons in recent history. This had a devastating impact on the Jamaican
economy, especially rural livelihoods. Agricultural production declined by 30
percent, resulting in significant losses. – adapted from Microsoft BING Copilot *** ARCHIVES *** The World Factbook - Jamaica U.S. Central Intelligence Agency CIA www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/jm.html [accessed 31
December 2020] World Factbook
website has moved to ---> www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/jamaica/ [accessed 5 January 2021] Economic
growth reached 1.6% in 2016, but declined to 0.9% in 2017 after intense
rainfall, demonstrating the vulnerability of the economy to weather-related
events. The HOLNESS administration therefore faces the difficult prospect of
maintaining fiscal discipline to reduce the debt load while simultaneously
implementing growth inducing policies and attacking a serious crime problem.
High unemployment exacerbates the crime problem, including gang violence
fueled by advanced fee fraud (lottery scamming) and the drug trade GDP -
per capita (PPP): $9,200 (2017
est.) Labor
force - by occupation: agriculture:
16.1% industry:
16% services: 67.9% (2017 est.) Unemployment
rate: 12.2% (2017
est.) Population
below poverty line: 17.1% (2016
est.) Maternal
mortality rate: 80 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) Infant
mortality rate: total: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births Life
expectancy at birth: total population: 75.2 years Drinking
water source: improved: total: 96% of population Physicians
density: 1.31 physicians/1,000 population (2017) Sanitation
facility access: improved: total: 99% of population Electricity
access: electrification - total population: 98.2% (2016) The
Borgen Project - Jamaica borgenproject.org/category/jamaica/ [accessed 8 February
2021] The Borgen Project works with U.S. leaders to utilize the
United States’ platform behind efforts toward improving living conditions for
the world’s poor. It is an innovative,
national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign
policy. It believes that leaders of
the most powerful nation on earth should be doing more to address global
poverty. From ending segregation to providing women with the right to vote,
nearly every wrong ever righted in history was achieved through advocacy. The
Borgen Project addresses the big picture, operating
at the political level advancing policies and programs that improve living
conditions for those living on less than $1 per day. ~
Health Barriers Faced By The Elderly In Jamaica borgenproject.org/elderly-in-jamaica/ ~
5 Facts About Child Poverty In Jamaica borgenproject.org/child-poverty-in-jamaica/ ~
Obesity And Malnutrition In Jamaica: Causes And Potential Solutions borgenproject.org/obesity-and-malnutrition-in-jamaica/ ~
6 Facts About Homelessness In Jamaica borgenproject.org/6-facts-about-homelessness-in-jamaica/ ~
Improving Healthcare In Jamaica borgenproject.org/healthcare-in-jamaica/ The
World Bank in Jamaica www.worldbank.org/en/country/jamaica/overview [accessed 22 April
2021] As its neighbors
across the Caribbean, Jamaica is vulnerable to extreme weather events and
climate change. Over the last 30 years, Jamaica suffered high debt and low
growth. As the country continues implementing an ambitious program of
economic reforms, Jamaica’s economy has begun to revive. Looking
back a few years … Advameg, Inc., Encyclopedia of the Nations www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Jamaica-ECONOMY.html [accessed 8 February
2021] The
structure of the Jamaican economy has undergone extensive changes since 1945,
when it was primarily dependent on tropical agricultural products such as
sugar, bananas, coffee and cocoa. The island has since become of the world's
largest producers of bauxite, though the industry suffered severely in the
1980s from high local costs and low world prices. It has also developed into
a major tourist center for North Americans. Since 1983, tourism has been
Jamaica's primary foreign exchange earner. All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT
COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Prof. Martin
Patt, "Poverty - Jamaica", http://gvnet.com/poverty/Jamaica.htm,
[accessed <date>] |
