21 Jolly Facts about Jamaica

Want to learn a little more about the countries of the world? Take a look at these 21 interesting facts about Jamaica!

  1. Jamaica is a luscious country in the Caribbean Sea.
  2. As an island it has no borders, however, its nearest countries are Cuba to the north, Dominican Republic to the east, South America to the south and Central America to the west.
  3. This rainforest-rich country has an area of 4,244 square miles (10,991 square kilometres).
  4. Jamaica’s population was 2.89 million in 2017.
  5. The capital city is called Kingston; it covers an area of 185 square miles (480 square kilometres) and has a population of 666,041 (2012).
  6. The terrain here is mostly mountainous with coastal plains.
  7. For sun, sand and rum punch head for 18.1824° N, 77.3218° W, the coordinates of Jamaica.
  8. Jamaica enjoys a tropical climate with hot and humid weather on the coastline and a more temperate heat inland.
  9. The average life expectancy here is a sunny 75.97 years (2016).
  10. The currency of Jamaica is the Jamaican Dollar.
Facts of Jamaica

Flag of Jamaica

  1. Conveniently, English is the official language of Jamaica! Patois is widely spoken, however, which is a mix of English and African Creole.
  2. Ophidiophobes (those who are scared of snakes) will be pleased to know that, thanks to the introduction of the Mongoose in 1872, snakes are a rare sight in Jamaica!
  3. Did you know, Ian Fleming wrote the majority of the James Bond novels in Jamaica? We didn’t!
  4. Ever seen the film ‘Cool Runnings’? The film was based on a true story of how, in 1988, a Jamaican bobsleigh team was formed, making it the first tropical country to enter a winter event!
  5. Apparently, Jamaica was the first commercial producer of bananas in the Western Hemisphere!
  6. If you’re lucky enough, you may experience a ‘blue moon’ during your trip to Jamaica. It’s said that a sapphire coloured moon has been observed around half a dozen times over the last 40 years!
  7. They grow sugarcane, bananas, coffee beans and citrus fruits and rear poultry here.
  8. The country’s industry consists of tourism, textiles, food processing and bauxite.
  9. Jamaica exports bauxite, alumina, sugar, rum and bananas. Yum!
  10. The national dish of Jamaica is Ackee and Saltfish.  It’s made from the local fruit ackee and dried and salted cod. It is usually served with bread, fried dumplings or roasted breadfruit.
  11. The international dialling code for Jamaica is +1876.

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