Dominated by high peaks shrouded in mist, Jamaica is impossibly fertile, with greenery sprouting on mountainsides and through deep river valleys. The highest point is Blue Mountain Peak, where the coffee of the same name is grown. Up here in the mountains, isolated villages grow coffee and profitable marijuana, whilst down on the coastal plains, crops of coconuts, sugarcane, bananas, cocoa, rice and citrus fruit flourish.
Black River is the longest of the 120 rivers that cross Jamaica, and along the north coast you'll find plenty of rafting and hiking tours along the lush river valleys. Mineral springs bubble to the surface in many places, some of them hot, and streams have eroded deep caves and caverns, where Maroons used to take refuge from the British.
Along the north coast, swaying palms shelter white sand beaches, and just offshore a reef comes close enough to the coast in some places to snorkel. In the west, imposing cliffs back the seven mile beach at Negril, where holidaymakers bask on the hot sand.
The climate is reliably warm and sunny, with an average temperature of 27ºC at sea level. Rainy seasons run from May to June and from September to November, when there can be sudden deluges turning roads into rivers, and causing flooding. Full-scale hurricanes are few and far between, with only 20 occurring between 1886 and 1991.
The population of 2.6 million are mainly of African descent, thanks to the slave trade, and there's a strong African influence on Jamaican culture. This is a poor country with high inflation and a quarter of the population unemployed. Tourism is the biggest money-spinner, bringing hard cash into the country, but the mining of bauxite and agriculture are also valuable to Jamaica.
Jamaican Holiday Destinations
Destination name
Jamaica
Capital City
Kingston
Population
2,652,689
Time difference
-6 hours
Languages
English (official)
Religion
Christian
Currency
Jamaican Dollar
Jamaica's dialling code
876
