Jamaica belongs to the group of Caribbean islands in the Central America. The islands of the Caribbean look like stepping stones stretching in an arc from the western end of Venezuela in South America to the peninsula of Florida in North America. The islands are actually summits of a submarine mountain range, which in prehistoric times perhaps formed one large landmass connecting Central America to Venezuela in South America. Today these islands together with the northern coast of South America bound the Caribbean Sea.
The eastern end of the arc consists of the smaller islands, which together form the Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles consists of four large islands of Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico and form the northern part of the arc. The islands vary widely in size, Jamaica being the third largest after Cuba and Haiti. Measuring 235 km from east to west and 80 km at its widest north to south point, Jamaica has a total area of about 10,990 sq km and boasts a coastline of about 1000 km. The island is strategically situated between Florida and Panama Canal on the world's major shipping and airline routes. Almost at the center of the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica lies 150 kilometers south of Cuba and 160 kilometers west of Haiti, its two closest neighbors.
The island has a scenic and diverse surface due to its volcanic origin. Jamaica's landscape varies from coral sands and dramatic steep shore cliffs of the coastline, through coastal wetlands, plains and highlands to the misty peaks of the Blue Mountains. Numerous springs, streams and rivers run in deep beds of the mountain slopes, sometimes forming into sparkling waterfalls. The rivers are generally not navigable, but are perfect for rafting.
The island's inland is mostly mountainous and heavily wooded. The central mountain chain, formed by igneous and metamorphic rocks, starts on the island's west, runs through its middle and culminates in the 2256 meters high Blue Mountain Peak near its eastern end. Subordinate ridges run north and south of the main range, further branching in different directions and cutting up the island's surface into ridges and valleys. Limestone formations are present all over the island, but especially in the western areas with the famous Cockpit Country. This eerie terrain formed of white limestone encompasses conical hills, steep-sided circular arenas, underground caves and deep sinkholes.
The coastline is long and irregular, particularly in the south, fringed with coral reefs and tiny offshore islands. It is pitted with spectacular bays and has a number of brilliant natural harbors, including those at Kingston, Saint Ann's Bay, Montego Bay and Port Maria. The north coast, with its popular resort areas of Montego Bay, Runaway Bay, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio, features fine coral sugar-white sand beaches backed by broad plains, where sugar cane, coconuts and citrus fruits are grown. The southern coastline is rugged with majestic mountains dramatically plunging into the sea. |
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Name: Jamaica |
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Area: 11,425 sq km |
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Capital City: Kingston |
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Population: 3 million |
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Language: English, Creole |
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Currency: Jamaica Dollar |
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Time Zone: GMT - 5 hrs |
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Religion: 80% Christian |
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