[
juh-mey-kuh] 
| 1. | an island in the West Indies, S of Cuba. 4413 sq. mi. (11,430 sq. km). |
| 2. | a republic coextensive with this island: formerly a British colony; became independent in 1962, retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. 2,615,582. Capital: Kingston. |
Ja·mai·ca (jə-mā'kə)  (click for larger image in new window) An island country in the Caribbean Sea south of Cuba. Originally inhabited by Arawaks, it was discovered by Columbus in 1494 and settled by the Spanish in 1509. The British captured the island in 1655, and it was formally ceded to Great Britain in 1670, becoming a crown colony in 1865. Jamaica became independent in 1962. Kingston is the capital and the largest city. Population: 2,780,000. Ja·mai'can adj. & n. |
Nation in the West Indies, situated south of Cuba and west of Haiti, in the Caribbean Sea. Its capital and largest city is Kingston.
Note: It was the leading world sugar producer in the eighteenth century, when a large slave population grew up around sugar plantations.
Note: A British colony from 1865 to 1962, Jamaica then became completely independent.
Note: The country has a high level of poverty.
Note: Tourism is a major industry.