Tourism, centered on the north coast, is the biggest earner of exchange. Along with the alumina made from it, bauxite accounts for almost half of Jamaica's foreign exchange. Mining is a major source of wealth since large, easily accessible deposits of bauxite were discovered in 1942, Jamaica has become one of the world's leading suppliers of this ore. Small farms also produce ginger, cocoa, pimento, ackee, chickens, and goats. Most of these crops are grown on large plantations. coffee, bananas, citrus fruits, and yams. The nation's other agricultural exports include the famed Blue Mt. Jamaica's most important export crop is sugarcane, from which rum and molasses are also made. The chief religion is Protestantism, although there is considerable religious variety (including Roman Catholic and spiritualist minorities) on the island. Although English is the official language, most Jamaicans also speak a creole English. Afro-Europeans and such Middle Eastern and Asian groups as Lebanese, Syrians, Chinese, and Indians, make up the rest of the population. The small upper class is largely of European descent. People of African descent predominate in Jamaica. Slightly more than one half of the population is urban, and migration to the cities continues the greatest urban concentration is around Kingston. In addition to Kingston, important cities are Spanish Town and Montego Bay. The coastal bands widened by broad river valleys, as well as the mountain slopes, support the bulk of Jamaica's export crops. The Rio Grande and the Black River are the country's chief waterways, but neither is navigable for long distances. The north coast also has fine beaches and is the focus of the tourist industry. A narrow plain along the northern coast and several larger plains near the south shore are Jamaica's major agricultural zones. The heart of the plateau, known as the Cockpits, is used mostly for livestock grazing. Rainfall is heavy in this region (where there are extensive timber reserves) but diminishes westward across the plateau, which is a rugged area deeply dissected by streams and underlain by subterranean rivers. Land and PeopleĪlthough largely a limestone plateau more than 3,000 ft (914 m) above sea level, Jamaica has a mountainous backbone that extends across the island from the west and rises to the Blue Mts. The capital and largest city is Kingston. Jamaica is the largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba and Hispaniola.
2,872,000), 4,232 sq mi (10,962 sq km), coextensive with the island of Jamaica, West Indies, S of Cuba and W of Haiti. Jamaica (jəmāˈkə), independent state within the Commonwealth (2015 est.
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