10 interesting facts about Jamaica

The name comes from Xamayca (which means “land of forests and water”), which is given to Jamaica by two nations Arawak and Taino, the original settlers of South America from the period of 1000 BC and 400 BC.
In the 7th and the 8th century, Jamaica was the center of pirates. 1494 Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica, and in 1655 the country was occupied by the Brits. During that period the country became the largest exporter of sugar in the world.
Although slavery was abolished in 1838, Jamaica obtained it’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1958 and full independence in 1962.
The most common religions in this island country, from the group Greater Antilles, are: Protestantism, Roman Catholicism and Rastafarianism.
Jamaica is known by many musical genres: reggae, ska, rocksteady, dancehall, ragga and ragga jungle, Bob Marley, and by the big music hit from UB-40 “Kingston town “.
Jamaica is a constitutional monarchy within the British community, led by Queen Elisabeth II. National currency is the Jamaican Dollar. The official languages are English and Spanish. Creole or patois (or broken English mixed with several other languages) is the spoken language, and British English is used in formal situations, such as school or work.
Tourism, fishing and mining are the main agricultural activities.
The climate is equatorial, moist and warm with an average temperature of about 25 °C.
The most important attractions in Jamaica are: Kingston-the capital with its botanical garden with orchids, ancient fortresses Port Royal, Spanish Town (the former capital of the Spanish colonizers), birthplace of Bob Marley, and the North Shore mountains in the interior of the island with the highest peak Blue Mountain Peak (2256m).
Based on research from Happy Planet’s from 2009, Jamaica is the third happiest country in the world, whose inhabitants are distinguished by their fits of loud laughter, for example in trains, planes or, even, in hospitals.