 | | Island description | Jamaica is the largest English-speaking Island in the Caribbean and the third largest in the region. Jamaica is a peaceful tropical paradise
rich in culture, with a total land area of 4442 square miles (10991 sq. km.), the island is 146 miles long with widths varying between 22 and 51 miles (35 and 82 km).
Jamaica is an independent country, completely self-governed since 1962, when the island ceased to be a British colony. After Independence, Jamaica chose to be apart of the British Commonwealth, and to keep the Queen of the United Kingdom as the constitutional monarch, the titular head of the country. The Government of Jamaica was patterned on the Westminster model of government, and is composed
with The Queen as head of state, and a bicameral Parliament. In Jamaica, the Governor General, who is appointed by Her Majesty upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, represents
The Queen.
Jamaica’s first inhabitants were the Tainos, an Arawak-speaking people, believed to be originally from South America. The Tainos called the island “Xaymaca” meaning “land of wood and water”. These peaceful, seafaring people greeted Columbus when he first visited the island in 1494.
As the birthplace of reggae music and the late great legendary reggae superstar Bob Marley, the music provides the rhythm for the Tropical
Island Paradise with its Sun, Sand, Sea and unbelievably perfect weather. Like many destinations, travelers must
be cautious and aware of their surroundings when traveling. Be sure to use escorted tours, or stay in tourist friendly locations when exploring. Play it safe and use common sense. | |
| | Travel
Facts | Flight times (nonstop) to Montego Bay
2.5 hours from Atlanta, 3 hours from New York City and Chicago
Flight times (nonstop) to Kingston
1 hour from Miami, 3 hours from Newark | | | | Places
to Go and see |
- Climb Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, a 590-foot cascading waterfall.
- Near Kingston, take a guided tour among the majestic peaks of Blue Mountains National Park.
- Visit Montego Bay and tour The Great Houses, 18th-century colonial plantation houses. Rose Hall is the most famous great house in Jamaica.
| |
|
