This desolate, mountainous volcanic island, partially covered in glaciers with some moss and grass, was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 earlier claims are inconclusive Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929 The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano 2,277 meters resumed activity in 1970; it is the northernmost active volcano on earth
Arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Most Jamaicans speak Jamaican Creole, also known locally as Patois Patwa Jamaican pronunciation and vocabulary are significantly different from English, despite heavy usage of English words or derivatives Jamaican Creole is used almost exclusively when Jamaicans speak between one another In all other cases especially around tourists English is used
Although all Jamaicans can speak English, Westerners may have trouble understanding them It's English but a heavily dialect version Even the billboards use the Jamaican phonetic slang, like "Eberyting is ah right" to mean "Everything is all right" Some Jamaicans speak a little bit of the other popular languages, like Spanish
You may hear some Jamaicans say "Waah gwan?", "Waah appen?", or "what tah gwan", the Patois variation of "What's up?" or "What's going on?" More formal greetings are usually "Good morning" or "Good evening"
Visit Nine Mile where Bob Marley was born and now buried The journey up into the mountains lets you experience the heart of the country Spend a day at Negril 7 mile beach and finish off at Rick's Cafe for a spectacular sunset and watch even more fantastic cliff diving
Hiking, camping, snorkeling, horse back riding, backpacking, swimming, jet skiing, sleeping, visiting the Giddy house, drinking and swimming with dolphins
Over the past several decades, with the rapid growth of the tourism industry, "hotel marriages" have become a significant contributor to the total number of marriages occurring in the island Hotel marriages are any marriage occurring in the island, performed by a certified marriage officer of the island
The following is what you need to know or provide for your marriage in Jamaica:
1 Proof of citizenship - certified copy of Birth Certificate, which includes father’s name
2 Parental consent written if under 18 years of age
3 Proof of divorce if applicable - original Certificate of Divorce
4 Certified copy of Death Certificate for widow or widower
5 French Canadians need a notarized translated English copy of all documents and a photocopy of the original French documents
6 Italian nationals celebrating their marriage in Jamaica must notify their embassy for legalization and translation
There is no economic activity on Jan Mayen Jan Mayen is a Norwegian tax free zone
Jamaican food is a mixture of Caribbean dishes with local dishes Although Jamaican food gets a reputation for being spicy, local trends lean towards more versatile food variety Some of the Caribbean dishes that you'll see in other countries around the region are rice and peas which is cooked with coconut milk and patties which are called empanadas in spanish speaking countries The national dish is Ackee and saltfish, and MUST be tried by anyone visiting the island It is made with the local fruit called Ackee, which looks like scrambled eggs, but has a unique taste of its own and dried codfish mixed with onions and tomatoes You probably won't get a chance to try this food anywhere else, and if you really want to say that you did something uniquely Jamaican, then this is your chance Freshly picked and prepared ackee is 100 times better than tinned ackee, but must be harvested only when the ackee fruits have ripened and their pods opened naturally on the large evergreen tree on which they grow: unripe ackee contains a potent toxin hypoglycin A which causes vomiting and hypoglycemia Another local food is called bammy, which was actually invented by the Arawak Taino Indians It is a flat floury cassava pancake normally eaten during breakfast hours that kind of tastes like corn bread There is also hard-dough bread locally called hard dough bread, which comes in both sliced and unsliced varieties Try toasting it, for when it is toasted, it tastes better than most bread you'll ever eat If you are looking for dishes with more meat in them, you can try the jerk flavoured foods The most popular is jerk chicken, although jerk pork and jerk conch are also common The jerk seasoning is a spice that is spread on the meat on the grill like barbeque sauce Keep in mind that most Jamaicans eat their food well done, so expect the food to be a bit drier than you are accustomed to There are also curries such as curried chicken and curried goat which are very popular in Jamaica The best curried goat is made with male goats and if you see a menu with curried fish, try it
You may even want to pick up a piece of sugar cane, slice off some pieces and suck on them
Fruit and vegetables in Jamaica are plentiful Many of the local varieties are unknown to visitors Locally grown fruits and vegetables are inexpensive Visitors may well find that imported produce tends to be more expensive than in their home country Grapes in particular tend to be very expensive on the island
Chinese food is available in many places from Chinese takeout stores and has a distant Jamaican taste
It is recommended to sample the local fruit and vegetables If unfamiliar with a particular fruit it can pay to ask a local about which parts can be eaten Local and imported fruits are available from road-side vendors If the fruit is to be eaten immediately the vendors can generally wash the fruit for you on request
Finally, there is the category of "ital" food Ital food is completely vegetarian and generally consists of a vegetable stew Ital food is not generally on the printed menus in the upscale tourist restaurants and can only be found by going to smaller places often just somebody's house Rastafarians are often vegetarians and eat and serve ital food
There are many drinks in Jamaica Standards such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola can be found, but if you want to drink local soda, you can try Bigga Cola, Champagne cola or grapefruit soda called "Ting" and also Ginger beer Also, try any soda by Desnoes & Geddes, typically labelled as "D&G" "Cola champagne" and "pineapple" are popular flavors that you won't find anywhere else Since the turn of the century, the majority of soft drinks are bottled in plastic instead of glass You can try the local lager called Red Stripe which is exported to many countries in the west, so there is a good chance you have already tasted it and Dragon Stout Most beers can be found in Jamaican pubs and hotels A local hard drink is Jamaican Rum, which is made from sugar cane It normally tends to be overproof and drunk with cola or fruit juice DRINK WITH CAUTION! It's not designed for someone who is drinking for the first time Since Jamaica was colonized by Britain, the drinking laws are 18 and over, but they don't generally enforce it as strictly as it would be in the Western countries minus the ones with no drinking laws, of course! Guinness is popular and the export 7% proof has a kick
There are no public accommodations on Jan Mayen
Work in Italy is not easy to find The unemployment rate is high compared to other major European countries Many young adults, especially females, are without a job Starting salaries in shops, offices, etc range from EURO 800 to EURO 1,400 a month There's a huge underground black market though, where you'll find many people working This doesn't mean working in some kind of obscure crime syndicate: most "black" workers can be found in small business such as bars, pubs and small shops, or as construction workers Although this kind of job is illegal but legal consequences are most on the employer they're probably the easier thing to find if you're looking for a temporary job
If you're thinking about establishing a small business be sure to get in contact with local Chamber of Commerce and an accountant and they will help you to sort out the mess of Italian laws
