Category: Jamaica

Jamaica is one of the Greater Antilles, bathed by the Caribbean Sea, and was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494. It was inhabited, for centuries, by the Taino people. Colombo called the Island of Santiago, but the name that remained was the indigenous one, derived from Xaymaca (land of springs). The Spanish colonized the island in the early 16th century, and the English dominated it in 1655, establishing sugar, cocoa and coffee plantations, with slave labor. In 1958, Jamaica was incorporated into the Federation of the West Indies, which included other British colonies in the West Indies. Independence was achieved in 1962, but remained linked to the United Kingdom as a member of the British Commonwealth. The population is 3 million (2016) and the capital is Kingston.