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Daily Digest Archive for July 18, 2002

Q: FROM MENTEE ASHLEY P. IN MA
How was the island Jamaica formed?





July 18, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR NICOLE PERSKY. TO READ BIO. CLICK HERE.
Hey ashley,
I did a search on google, and had some
trouble finding comprehensive sites for the geology of Jamaica,
but from what I gathered,
it appears that many of the carribean nations,
including Jamaica, were formed by volcanoes, and in
fact are the very tips of these huge volcanoes,
currently inactive, submerged below the ocean, and
capped with corals.

July 17, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR GOPIKA CHANDRA, MD. MENTOR FROM UIC.

Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba and Puerto
Rico). It was first called Xaymaca meaning "Land of Wood and Water" by the
Arawaks. The Arawaks came from South America.In 1494, Christopher Columbus
came to Jamaica declared it "the fairest land his eyes had ever seen" giving
the island for the King and Queen of Spain. He named the island Jamaica
because he heard tthe natives call it Xaymaca.The spanish extinguished the
presence of Arawaks and the riches of the island.Later in 1655 the island was
invaded by Britishers. They transformed the island into largest sugar
producing colony by the 18th century.

END