Jamaica in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture Book

Jamica, like many Caribbean islands, is a territory of conflicting images. It can play up to its billing as a friendly, tropical paradise, it is a vibrant and innovative home to musical and sporting achievement, and its is a proudly independent, democratic society in a region where political stability is at a premium. It has natural riches and a lush beauty that are the envy of other Caribbean nations. Yet the nagatives are many, too, for Jamaica has a dark side that clouds its otherwise sunny dispostion. It is a land where tens of thousands live in desperate poverty and unemployment, crime and vilence, where the state struggles endlessly with debt and corruption, and where the economy forever seems on the verge of crisis. Jamaica is also the scene of intense cultural activity, a place where music, poetry and religion color everday life. Jamaica in focus is an authoritative and up-to-date guide to this fascinating country.