Host Community Information
The national motto "Out of many, one people," speaks of the ethnic diversity that is Jamaican society as well as the national pride that unifies its citizens.
Members of the Arawak tribe were the aboriginal inhabitants of Jamaica. These sociable people greeted Christopher Columbus in 1494 and provided food and shelter for his expedition. Soon after his arrival, Jamaica became a colony of Spain. By 1650, almost all the Arawak people had died from new diseases brought from Spain and from the hard labor their conquerors forced on them.
The culture of Jamaica has been deeply influenced by the disparate societies that at various times colonized the island. Today, Jamaica's people blend traditions from African, European, Arabic, East Indian, Chinese, and East Mediterranean descent. Britain occupied the island for more than 300 years, and had the greatest influence on it's modern history.
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