Jamaica Facts

Jamaica is the largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean and the third largest overall. The island spans 4,400 square miles.

Jamaica is populated by over 2 million people, largely descendents of the freed African slaves brought over to the island by the Spanish and British. Jamaica is classified as a developing country. Tourism and mining are the two most profitable economic sectors along with agriculture and manufacturing. Jamaica has been an independent country since 1962 when it ceased to be a British colony but remains part of the British Commonwealth.

Population: 2,652,689 with a growth rate of 0.46%.

Official Language: English, Patois

Jamaican Religion: Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovahs Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%, Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7%

Ethnic Groups: black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%

Flag of Jamaica: A diagonal gold cross divides the flag into two black triangles and two green. Opposite triangles have the same colors. "Hardships there are, but the land is green and the sun shineth" is the flags theme.