Jamaica
Geography
Jamaica is an island country located in the Caribbean Sea. The Taino Indians, said to be Jamaica’s indigenous people, named the island Xaymaca. The name is in the Arawakan language, and it means the “Land of Wood and Water” or the “Land of Springs”.
The country has a total area of 4,240 square miles (10,990 sq. km) and is situated about 90 miles (145 km) south of the island of Cuba, and 119 miles (191 km) west of the island of Hispaniola, which is home to the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The Blue Mountains rise to 7,402 feet (2,256 meters) at Blue Mountain Peak, the island’s highest point. Coastal plains encircle the island, and the largest alluvial plains are located in the south. Karst (limestone) landscapes characterize the hills and plateaus of the John Crow Mountains, the Dry Harbour Mountains, and cockpit country, a region in western Jamaica.
Jamaica is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles chain, and the fifth-largest island country in the Caribbean region.
The country has a total area of 4,240 square miles (10,990 sq. km) and is situated about 90 miles (145 km) south of the island of Cuba, and 119 miles (191 km) west of the island of Hispaniola, which is home to the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The Blue Mountains rise to 7,402 feet (2,256 meters) at Blue Mountain Peak, the island’s highest point. Coastal plains encircle the island, and the largest alluvial plains are located in the south. Karst (limestone) landscapes characterize the hills and plateaus of the John Crow Mountains, the Dry Harbour Mountains, and cockpit country, a region in western Jamaica.
Jamaica is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles chain, and the fifth-largest island country in the Caribbean region.
Population
The population has grown steadily through the centuries, despite the immigration wave, as the birth rate peaked in the 1950’s and 1960’s creating a baby boom generation. However, along with death rates, birth rates have been declining since the 1970s. According to the last estimates (July 2016), Jamaica ranks as the 139 country in the world with a population of 2,970,340.
Jamaica is the third most populous English-speaking country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. |