The streets of Kingston, the capital and largest city of Jamaica. *Photo from Wikipedia
August 6 is Independence Day of Jamaica, celebrates the independence of Jamaica from the United Kingdom in 1962.
Inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Taíno peoples, the island came under Spanish rule following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Early inhabitants of Jamaica named the land ‘Xaymaca,’ meaning “Land of wood and water.” Many of the indigenous people died of disease, and the Spanish imported African slaves as laborers. Named Santiago, the island remained a possession of Spain until 1655, when England (later Great Britain) conquered it and renamed it Jamaica.
Under British colonial rule Jamaica became a leading sugar exporter, with its plantation economy highly dependent on slaves forcibly transported from Africa. The British fully emancipated all slaves in 1838, and many freedmen chose to have subsistence farms rather than to work on plantations. Beginning in the 1840s, the British imported Chinese and Indian indentured labour to work on plantations.
The island achieved independence from the United Kingdom on August 6, 1962.
In commemoration of the day, we introduce you to a Jamaican gentleman who works at a Japanese startup company.
*Click a photo below to see his interview!
What are your views on giving to charities?
*Reference: Wikipedia
