Jamaica | History, Population, Flag, Map, Capital, & Facts | Britannica

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Jamaica, island country of the West Indies. It is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, after Cuba and Hispaniola. Jamaica is about 146 miles (235 km) long and varies from 22 to 51 miles (35 to 82 km) wide. It is situated some 100 miles (160 km) west of Haiti, 90 miles (150 km) south of Cuba, and 390 miles (630 km) northeast of the nearest point on the mainland, Cape Gracias a Dios, on the Caribbean coast of Central America. The national capital is Kingston.

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Quick Facts Jamaica See article: flag of Jamaica Audio File: National anthem of Jamaica Head Of Government: Prime Minister: Andrew Holness (Show more) Capital: Kingston (Show more) Population: (2025 est.) 2,757,000 (Show more) Head Of State: British Monarch: King Charles III, represented by Governor-General: Sir Patrick Linton Allen (Show more) Form Of Government: constitutional monarchy with two legislative houses (Senate [211]; House of Representatives [63]) (Show more) Official Language: English (Show more) Official Religion: none (Show more) Official Name: Jamaica (Show more) Total Area (Sq Km): 10,949 (Show more) Total Area (Sq Mi): 4,227 (Show more) Monetary Unit: Jamaican dollar (J$) (Show more) Population Rank: (2025) 140 (Show more) Population Projection 2030: 2,806,000 (Show more) Density: Persons Per Sq Mi: (2025) 649.6 (Show more) Density: Persons Per Sq Km: (2025) 250.8 (Show more) Urban-Rural Population: Urban: (2024) 57.8% Rural: (2024) 42.2% (Show more) Life Expectancy At Birth: Male: (2022) 74 years Female: (2022) 77.6 years (Show more) Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate: Male: (1999) 74% Female: (2022) 91% (Show more) Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000): (2023) 17,606 (Show more) Gni Per Capita (U.S.$): (2023) 6,200 (Show more)
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Christopher Columbus, who first sighted the island in 1494, called it Santiago, but the original indigenous name of Jamaica, or Xaymaca, has persisted. Columbus considered it to be “the fairest isle that eyes have beheld,” and many travelers still regard it as one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. The island’s various Spanish, French, and English place-names are remnants of its colonial history. The great majority of its people are of African ancestry, the descendants of slaves brought by European colonists. Jamaica became independent from the United Kingdom in 1962 but remains a member of the Commonwealth.

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