After visiting Jamaica last summer, I realized how different some countries can be from the United States. Jamaica wasn't terribly different from the United States, but the disparities made me further interested in researching the beautiful and culturally rich country of Jamaica. Although most facts about the history and culture of the United States and Jamaica are dissimilar, I was surprised to find some similarities between these two countries. Like the United States, Jamaica also gained independence from Great Britain. However, Jamaica only gained independence on August 6, 1962; practically 200 years after the United States gained independence on July 4, 1776. After Jamaica gained independence, they decided to pursue a constitutional parliamentary democracy, comparable to the government of Great Britain. So instead of having a President who governs the country, similar to the United States, Jamaica has a Prime Minister who governs the country. However, their government is made up of three branches, legislative, executive, and judicial, reminiscent of the United States. The executive branch consists of the governor general, the prime minister, and the cabinet. The legislative branch is a bicameral parliament composed of twenty-one appointed senators and sixty elected representatives. Finally, the judiciary consists of the Court of Appeal and the courts of original jurisdiction (Jamaica). Despite this, the Jamaican government is not required to govern as many people as the United States government is required to. The entire country of Jamaica has an area of only 4,244 square miles and a population of approximately 2,825,928, with...... half of the map......t of the State, 06 August 2011. Web . 19 September 2011. "Jamaican Patois". Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 09 September 2011. Web. 19 September 2011. "Unemployment rate in Jamaica - Economy". Index Mundi - Facts about the country. Index Mundi, March 2011. Web. 19 September 2011. "List of US states and territories by area." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, September 16, 2011. Web. September 19, 2011. "World Bank, World Development Indicators-Google Public Data Explorer." Google. World Bank, World Development Indicators, 28 July 2011. Web. 19 September. 2011. .
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