Country · Americas
Jamaica
Jamaica is a country in the Caribbean. About 2.9 million people live there, in an area of 10 991 square kilometres. Its capital city is Kingston.
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Where is Jamaica?
Jamaica lies in the Caribbean, on the continent of Americas.
It sits in the northern half of the world, roughly 2 032 km from the equator.
Its coastline is about 1 022 km long.
It has no land neighbours — every border it has is with the sea.
How big is Jamaica?
Jamaica covers 10 991 square kilometres.
That is about 4.3 times the size of Luxembourg.
Among the world's countries that makes it the 159th largest.
If everybody spread out evenly, there would be about 267 people on every square kilometre.
That is busier than the world average of roughly 60 people per square kilometre.
Who lives in Jamaica?
About 2.9 million people live in Jamaica.
That is the 134th biggest population in the world.
People here speak English and Jamaican Patois.
They pay with the Jamaican dollar ($).
On average, people born here can expect to live about 75 years.
The land of Jamaica
The land of Jamaica sits on average 18 metres above sea level, which makes it one of the flatter countries on Earth.
Its coast runs for about 1 022 km. Walking it end to end, at twenty kilometres a day, would take roughly 51 days.
It lies inside the tropics, which is the single biggest reason its weather is the way it is.
What makes Jamaica different?
Dishes the country is known for: Ackee and Saltfish and Jamaican patty.
Websites from here often end in .jm.
Jamaica and the rest of the world
Out of every thousand people alive on Earth, about one lives in Jamaica.
It takes up about 0.01 % of all the land that countries stand on.
Within Americas the country ranks 27th of 35 by size, and 23rd by population.
Nature and animals
The highest mountain in the country is Blue Mountain Peak, at 2 256 metres. The longest river in the country is the Rio Minho. The largest lake in the country is Wallywash Great Pond.
How big is Jamaica compared with the United States?
- The United States is about 853 times as big as Jamaica: 9 372 610 km² against 10 991 km². See both on one map
- The United Kingdom is about 22 times as big as Jamaica: 242 900 km² against 10 991 km². See both on one map
Questions children ask
What is the capital of Jamaica?
The capital of Jamaica is Kingston. It is the city where the country's government works from.
How many people live in Jamaica?
About 2.9 million people live in Jamaica, which makes it the 134th most populated country in the world. (Source: World Bank, 2018.)
How big is Jamaica?
Jamaica covers 10 991 square kilometres, making it the 159th largest country in the world. That is about 4.3 times the size of Luxembourg.
What is the highest mountain in Jamaica?
The highest mountain in Jamaica is Blue Mountain Peak, 2 256 metres above sea level. It is the country's highest point.
What is the longest river in Jamaica?
The longest river in Jamaica is the Rio Minho, about 93 kilometres long.
What is the largest lake in Jamaica?
The largest lake in Jamaica is Wallywash Great Pond. It covers about 0.76 km².
Which continent is Jamaica in?
Jamaica is in Americas, in the part called the Caribbean.
Where these numbers come from
Borders and outlines: Natural Earth. Names, capitals, areas, languages and currencies: ISO 3166 data (world-countries). Population: World Bank, 2018. Every derived figure on this page (ranks, density, distance from the equator) is calculated from those values.
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