JAMAICA. - By area (11,525 sq km), the third of the Greater Antilles, situated S. of Cuba. Largely mountainous, it has a hot tropical climate (especially in the S.) and a humid one (rainfall over 2500 mm. annually in the N., less abundant in the S.) and luxuriant vegetation. Negroes (78%) and mulattoes (17%) make up almost the entire population (1.3 million inhabitants in 1947; 113 per sq km); whites number about 15,000, Indians 21,000 and Chinese 7,000.
The island produces above all sugar cane (from which the famous rum is distilled), bananas, fruit (oranges, grapefruits), cocoa, coffee, coconuts, timber and dye extracts. Stock raising (cattle and pigs) is also of considerable importance.
The island has constituted (since 1670) an English colony, governed by a governor, who is assisted (since 1944) by an executive council, partly elective. Administratively dependent on J. are the Turks and Caicos Islands (429 sq km, with 6,148 inhabitants), the Cayman Islands (220 sq km, with 5,311 inhabitants) and the guano islets of Pedro and Morant Cays (5.2 sq km).
Bibliography2 works
Giuseppe Caraci
APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF JAMAICA
The island of G., discovered in 1494 by Christopher Columbus, was immediately colonized by the Spaniards. The first evangelizers were the Franciscans and the Dominicans, and it seems that, from the very beginnings of Spanish rule, G. had an abbey. When it was occupied by the English (1655), Catholicism was already flourishing: there were 6000 faithful, of whom 4500 were white and
1500 black. England prohibited Catholic worship there and persecuted those who professed it.
Thousands of slaves and political convicts were brought into the territory. Only in 1792 could Catholic priests sent by the vicar apostolic of London return permanently; the real missionary work was, however, resumed in 1837 with the arrival of the Jesuit Fathers. On 10 Jan. 1837 the vicariate apostolic was also erected, comprising the whole island of G., the Bahamas and British Honduras.
These last two territories were later constituted as autonomous vicariates. The mission has an area of 11,525 sq km with a population of about 1,365,000 inhabitants, of whom 83,513 are Catholics, 682 catechumens, 1,120,657 Protestants, 1277 Jews and the rest pagans or atheists. The spiritual care of the faithful is attended to by 63 Jesuit priests, 3 lay brothers, 176 sisters, 41 catechists, 259 teachers. The vicariate is divided into 22 primary stations and 49 secondary stations. There are 5 churches and 66 chapels. The works of charity consist of one hospital with 45 beds, 2 orphanages with 416 boys and 265 girls, 1 home for the aged, 1 leprosarium, 1 hospice for women with 36 places and 2 for young people and boys with 24 places. The schools are distributed as follows: 44 elementary with 5664 boys and 6254 girls; 9 middle with 358 boys and 1023 girls; 1 higher with 250 male pupils and 150 female pupils; 1 normal with 45 female pupils. There are also 9 private elementary schools. These statistical data refer to 1949.
Bibliography3 works
Antonio Mazza