Ethnicity, Language, & Religion of Jamaica
Ethnicity
Most of Jamaica's population considers itself of African descent, although many of these people have scant traces of European or American Indian blood. The slaves who arrived to Jamaica came from all parts of Western and Southern Africa, but it seems most were from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast, and further south as many were Bantu speaking. There are also a small number of people that claim a combination of ethnicities.
Language
English and English patois are the languages of choice in Jamaica. English tends to be spoken in more formal settings, such as schools and in business interactions, but the locals prefer the more relaxed and natural English patois when speaking amongst themselves. This language is essentially a dialect of English, however with numerous introductions from other languages and with an accent commonly referred to as the "Jamaican accent." Outside standard English few foreign languages are taught in Jamaica