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1. Small Snake Population There are very few snakes on the island of Jamaica. The mongoose was imported to Jamaica to rid the cane fields of rats in 1872. As an added benefit, the mongoose has killed off almost the entire population of snakes. So running across a snake is a rare occurrence in Jamaica but when you and if you do, they look something like this. 2. Foreign Crops  The original inhabitants of Jamaica, the Arawak, grew corn and yams. Today, the major crops of Jamaica include sugar cane, bananas, and mangoes. None of these crops are native to the island; they were imported to the island at varying times in the island’s history. Coconut Palms, breadfruit, and bamboo were also imported to the island. 3. Bond, James Bond British writer, Ian Fleming is famous for his 007 James Bond character. After designing his dream home, Ian Fleming choose to have it built in Jamaica and name it Goldeneye. In Jamaica, he wrote ten of his world renowned James Bond spy thrillers. 4. Olympic Winners In 1988, Jamaica became the first tropical country to enter a Winter Olympic event. It was the bobsled event. The movie, Cool Runnings, tells the story of the Jamaica’s first foray in to the Winter Olympics. Only the United States has won more Olympic and World medals than Jamaica. 5. Flags of the World  Jamaica is one of only two countries in the world that has no colors in common with the flag of the United States of America. The other country is Mauritania (green and yellow). Libya used to have a solid green flag but has since changed it to include red and white. The Jamaican flag is green, yellow, and black. Two yellow stripes intersect in an X with green filling in the top and bottom and black on either side. 6. Innovative Jamaica  Jamaica was the first country in the Western world to build a railroad. They built their railroad a mere 18 years after Britain built theirs. AT&T copied Jamaica’s telephone system because it was so well developed. In 1994, Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to launch its own website. 7. Blue Mountains and Moons The stunning Blue Mountains in Jamaica are named for the mist that covers them. From a distance, the mist appears blue. A second moon in a month is called a blue moon; however, there have been half a dozen sittings of sapphire colored moons in the past 40 years. 8. Orchids Everywhere Over 200 species of Orchids grow wild on the island of Jamaica. 73 of the species are unique to Jamaica. There are a 1,000 species of trees and 500 species of ferns. Jamaica is the best place to see wild flora and fauna.  

Efforts are underway for the establishment of a library and museum to honour reggae great Dennis Brown. The foundation set up to preserve the work and legacy of the singer, popularly referred to as the Crown Prince of Reggae, has commenced. Brown's contemporary and close friend, Freddie McGregor, shared the update with a massive audience gathered on the Kingston waterfront on Sunday for the annual tribute concert dedicated to Brown.   Speaking to the Jamaica Observer following his performance, McGregor noted that the foundation's efforts were previously concentrated on the concert. Now that the event is on its feet, the next project is a library and museum. Click Here to Read More.

Mia Dailey, the one-year-old who was shot by gunmen as they slaughtered a man at West Street in downtown Kingston Sunday morning, is responding after surgery, a relative told the Jamaica Observer yesterday. “She’s responding, but there is no feeling in her legs,” the relative said. “The X-ray suggests that there is some injury to her spine, so they are doing further tests to determine the extent of the damage, and they’ve brought in a specialist to consult on the matter.” Mia, who had been seated on a chair outside her house awaiting her bottle, was shot in her abdomen and spine when gunmen attacked and murdered 43-year-old Andon Robinson, shortly after 7:00 am. Click Here To Read More.