Language and Education
This is the official language of Jamaica, which is a direct result of British colonization.
What is English?
This popular Jamaican tea tradition, often enjoyed in the afternoon, is influenced by British culture.
What is afternoon tea?
This genre of music, a precursor to reggae, was heavily influenced by British military brass bands and local mento music.
What is ska?
Jamaica is a member of this political association of former British colonies.
What is the Commonwealth of Nations?
This style of large, colonial-era houses in Jamaica, with wide verandas and wooden structures, was influenced by British plantation architecture.
hat is the Georgian style?
This system of schooling, including the curriculum and structure, in Jamaica was modeled after the British education system.
What are grammar schools?
Jamaican bakeries commonly serve this sweet bread, originally introduced by the British, often served with butter or cheese.
What is bun and cheese?
This traditional British folk dance was adapted in Jamaica and is known locally as "quadrille."
What is the quadrille?
Jamaica's legal system is based on this type of law, which was inherited from Britain.
What is common law?
This famous clock tower in Half-Way-Tree, Kingston, was modeled after British clock towers and is a well-known landmark.
What is the Half-Way-Tree Clock Tower?
In Jamaica, this traditional English subject, which includes works by Shakespeare and Chaucer, is a significant part of high school education.
What is English Literature?
This dish, known as a "Sunday roast" in the UK, has been adapted in Jamaican households as part of their traditional Sunday meal.
What is roast beef or roast chicken?
During British colonial rule, this type of music, characterized by the use of the banjo and guitar, became popular in Jamaica.
What is mento?
The structure of Jamaica's government, with a Prime Minister and a parliamentary system, is modeled after this country's system.
What is the United Kingdom (or Britain)?
This important Jamaican building, home to the country's legislative body, has its roots in British colonial governance.
What is Gordon House?
Jamaican students take this exam, which is similar to the British O-Levels, as part of their secondary education.
What is the CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate)?
This Jamaican Christmas tradition, involving a rich fruit cake soaked in alcohol, was influenced by British plum pudding.
What is Jamaican Christmas cake?
British influences led to the development of this dance in Jamaica, which involved precise footwork and was similar to English country dances.
What is ballroom dancing?
This legislative body, which existed during British rule, was established in 1664 to represent the colonial government of Jamaica.
What is the Jamaican House of Assembly?
This estate, once a British colonial governor's residence, is now a museum and a significant part of Jamaica’s architectural history.
What is Devon House?
This university, formerly known as the University College of the West Indies, was established under British rule in 1948.
What is the University of the West Indies (UWI)?
The British introduced this practice of brewing and consuming this drink, which has now become a staple in Jamaican homes and social gatherings.
What is tea (particularly black tea)?
The use of orchestral instruments, such as the violin, in Jamaican folk music is an influence from this British musical tradition.
What is classical music?
Jamaica retained this ceremonial figurehead, who is the head of state, even after independence in 1962.
Who is the British monarch (currently King Charles III)?
The design of this famous military fortress in Kingston Harbor reflects British military architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries.
What is Port Royal?