Jamaica:
Geography

Pages for other countries and territories

Other pages in this profile of Jamaica:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and in 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.

Location	Definition Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Geographic coordinates	Definition 18 15 N, 77 30 W
Map references	Definition Central America and the Caribbean
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 10,991 sq km land: 10,831 sq km water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries	Definition 0 km
Coastline	Definition 1,022 km
Maritime claims	Definition measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Climate	Definition tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain	Definition mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Natural resources	Definition bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 15.83% permanent crops: 10.01% other: 74.16% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 250 sq km (2002)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 9.4 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 0.41 cu km/yr (34%/17%/49%) per capita: 155 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition hurricanes (especially July to November)
Environment - current issues	Definition heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Jamaica: Geography

Jamaica:
Geography