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Jamaica
island state in the Caribbean Sea / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean; it is part of the Greater Antilles. The island, 10,990 square kilometres (4,240 sq mi) in area, lies about 140 kilometres (87 mi) south of Cuba, and 191 kilometres (119 mi) west of Hispaniola. Its capital city is Kingston; other towns include Montego Bay, St. Ann's Bay and Spanish Town. The island is divided into three counties – Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey – which are subdivided into 14 parishes: Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James, Trelawny, St. Ann, St. Mary, Portland and St. Thomas.
Jamaica | |
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Motto: "Out of Many, One People" | |
Anthem: | |
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Capital and largest city | Kingston 17°59′N 76°48′W |
Official languages | Jamaican English |
National and primary language | Jamaican Patois |
Ethnic groups (2011[1]) | |
Religion |
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Demonym(s) | Jamaican |
Government | Unitary parliamentary representative democracy under constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
Patrick Allen | |
Andrew Holness | |
Legislature | Parliament |
Senate | |
House of Representatives | |
Independence from the UK | |
• Granted | 6 August 1962 |
Area | |
• Total | 10,991 km2 (4,244 sq mi) (160th) |
• Water (%) | 1.5 |
Population | |
• 2021 estimate | 2,827,695[3][4] (139th) |
• Density | 268/km2 (694.1/sq mi) (49th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $26.446 billion[5] (2017) |
• Per capita | $9,297[5] |
GDP (nominal) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $14.556 billion[5] |
• Per capita | $5,117[5] |
Gini (2004) | 45.5[6] medium · 84th[7] |
HDI (2014) | ![]() high · 99th |
Currency | Jamaican dollar (JMD) |
Time zone | UTC-5 |
Driving side | left |
Calling code | +1-876 +1-658 (Overlay of 876; active in November 2018) |
ISO 3166 code | JM |
Internet TLD | .jm |
Jamaica is the third-largest island country in the Greater Antilles. Its Taíno name is Xaymaca, meaning "Land of Springs".[9] Jamaica is part of the West Indies.