Introduction: The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain. In 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it...

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Economic and Trade Policy Directions: Jamaica has an open economy that is dominated by services. Production of bauxite/alumina and remittances also continues to be its source of foreign exchange. Tourism, along with other services sectors, has grown considerably, following a decline in manufacturing over the past decade. Accounting for around 60 per cent of economic activity, tourism is now the backbone of Jamaica's economy. Mining, the other significant contributor to Jamaica's GDP, is based around the country's large commercial deposits of mineral resources such as limestone, bauxite, gypsum, marble, silica sand and clays. Jamaica competes with Australia in alumina/bauxite ...

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