Kingston is the capital of Jamaica. It was founded in July 1692, and it is the largest city of the island - covering an area of 185.3 square miles. The estimated population of the capital is 651,880.
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Where is Jamaica located? Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea, bordered by Cuba on the south, and on the west by Hispaniola. It has a total coastline of 634 miles. The total area covered by the island is 4,244 square miles. Who are the political leaders of Jamaica? Monarch - Elizabeth II Governor - General Patrick Allen Prime Minister - Bruce Golding What are the administrative divisions of Jamaica? The island is divided into fourteen parishes, which are grouped into three historic counties. The parishes are: Clarendon, Kingston, Portland, Hanover, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Manchester, Westmoreland and Trelawny. What is the official language of Jamaica? English is the official language of Jamaica. Creole is an English-African language spoken by a large number of Jamaicans and, is also known as Jamaican patois. What currency is used in Jamaica? The Jamaican dollar, denoted by the ISO 4217 code JMD, is the official currency of Jamaica and is abbreviated as J$. It has been the national currency since 1969. One Jamaican dollar equals 100 cents. What is the official religion of Jamaica? Christianity is the official religion of Jamaica. It is also the largest religion of the island. The various denominations of Christianity include Protestantism, Baptism, Roman Catholicism, Methodist Church. Baha'i, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jehovah's Witnesses are some of the other religions practiced. Rastafarianism is another religion practiced in Jamaica; it is influenced by the African spiritual cults. The Rastas believe in the teachings of the King James Bible, that they are the lost tribes of Israel and must return to Ethiopia, which they consider heaven on earth; they eulogize former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie as their religious leader. Services sector is the most important in Jamaica's economy, accounting for sixty percent of the nation's GDP. Agriculture, mining, financial and insurance services, and manufacturing are major sectors. Agriculture contributes 6.1 percent to the GDP; vegetables, sugarcane, yams, coffee, citrus, rum, bananas, poultry, mollusks, milk and goat are the major agricultural products. Tourism is vital to the nation's economy, with most tourist activity centered on the northern coast of the island; Montego Bay, Port Royal, and Kingston are the major tourist destinations. About 1.3 million foreign tourists visit Jamaica every year. Textiles, agro processing, wearing apparel, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications are some of the other industries. United States of America, France, Canada, The Netherlands, China, United Kingdom, Norway and Germany are its export partners. The import partners of Jamaica are: Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, France and Japan. The nation exports bauxite and aluminum.; it is the world's third-largest producer of bauxite, after Australia and Guinea, having an estimated reserves of more than 1.9 billion metric tons. When did Jamaica gain independence? Jamaica gained full independence from the political subjugation of the United Kingdom on August 6, 1962 and became a member of the British Commonwealth. The Independence Day is celebrated every year with lot of festivities. There is a parade held at Kingston, where people dress up in multi-colored costumes to represent their cultural heritage. A festival known as Jamaican Festival is organized, which provides an opportunity to the Jamaicans to showcase their talents, culture and history. The mandate of the Jamaica Festival is to focus on the Things Jamaican - the cultural awareness of the Jamaicans. Besides the merry-making, the Jamaicans also pay homage to the people who had an indispensable role to play in the fight for independence. What was Jamaica earlier known as? Jamaica was known as 'Xaymaca' in the past, which means Land of Wood and Water or the Land of Springs. The name was given by the indigenous inhabitants of Taino. What is the national bird of the country? The doctor bird or swallow-tail humming bird is the national bird of Jamaica. It is found only on this island. The humming bird has been immortalized in Jamaican folklore and song for a very long time. |
