15 Interesting Jamaica Facts That You Won't Believe

Jamaica lies in the Caribbean sea and is known for its beautiful scenery and geography.

The official language of Jamaica is English, but the common Jamaican language is Jamaican Creole. The country is bilingual with both English and Jamaican Creole being spoken commonly and it is also known as Jamaican Patois which is made up of African and English forms with foreign words mixed into it.

The country has its own currency in the Jamaican dollar. The city of Kingston serves as the capital of the country and is the largest city in the country.

The important Discovery Bay and some of the important ports are situated in Kingston. Jamaica is one of the hottest tourists destinations in the world because of the many beaches found on the island.

Jamaica is home to one of the most richly diverse communities in the world as it includes various religions coexisting in a mindful and peaceful way. Jamaica's place in history has been cemented because of the many events that occurred from its establishment to modern-day events.

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Jamaica History

Jamaica lies in the island chains of the Caribbean and is one of the most historically rich countries in the world.

Jamaica was once populated by the Taino, an Arawak sect that migrated to the island from the regions of South America. The island was named “Xaymaca", which meant "Land of Wood and Water" in the Arawakan language.

Christopher Columbus docked in Jamaica in the year 1494. He was informed of the island's existence from the Tainos residing in Cuba.

After Christopher Columbus came to Jamaica, Spain colonized Jamaica in 1509 and ruled the island until 1655 after they were defeated by the British.

After their victory against the Spanish, the African slave populace was freed by the British who brought their slaves that would end up working on plantations. The liberated slaves founded their independent group and called themselves the Maroons.

Captain Morgan, the famous rum brand, was named after Henry Morgan, a British pirate who was officially appointed as Jamaica's deputy governor.

Nanny, also known as Nanny of the Maroons, is Jamaica's only national heroine. She led the slave rebellion remembered as the Maroon War, where the revolters raided plantations and freed slaves.

Jamaica was the initial Caribbean country to achieve an independent status after achieving freedom from the United Kingdom. The country chose to remain a division of the Commonwealth, hence making Queen Elizabeth II their leader. Jamaica was also the first colony under British rule to install a postal service.

With the growing fights against apartheid in South Africa and southwest Africa, Jamaica achieved its status as the only country in the world at that time to force sanctions, mostly economically, against South Africa.

Jamaica's Port Royal was one of the busiest trade hubs in the country after it was established as a port by the Spanish invaders in 1509. However, after being conquered by the British, Port Royal became safe haven for pirates.

The port was a lawless city and earned the title of “the wickedest city on Earth”. The port was destroyed by an earthquake that saw most of the area disappearing into the seas and oceans. A small village is the only remnant of the once particularly busy Port Royal.

It is assumed that the port now lies under Kingston Harbor. The port was actually affected by two tsunamis, one in the year 1692 and one in 1907.

What is Jamaica famous for?

Jamaica is famous for various reasons that include interesting facts like the country being home to the invention of reggae, hip-hop, and rap music. The country is also famous for producing some of the most dominant athletes in modern history.

The Doctor's cave beach in Montego Bay is a famous tourist spot and is one of the most famous beaches in all of Jamaica.

Jamaica ranks high on the list of countries with the highest church number per capita in the entire world. There are an estimated 1,600 churches on the island.

Jamaica actually started using electricity before the United States! The small county of Trelawny Parish had electricity even before New York City started making use of electricity!

Jamaica is known as tropical heaven because of the various beaches and amazing tourists spots that can be found scattered across the island. The towns of Montego Bay, New Kingston, Kingston, and Spanish Town along with Negril, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio see some of the largest gatherings of tourists.

Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Kingston, and Falmouth are some of the port cities.

Jamaica's longest river is the Black River. Most of the rivers can be seen flowing outwards of the central mountain ranges. The Black River is the longest and widest river on the island.

Jamaica ranks as the third-largest island in the Caribbean sea. The first and second ranks are held by Cuba and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic)

Jamaica, despite being known as a third-world country, actually made railroads in 1845 before the United States!

Jamaica has maintained its rank among the busiest tourist hotspot as the island is among the top five tourist destinations on all of Earth.

Jamaica Culture

Like the majority of Caribbean islands, Jamaica has a rich culture that is made up of people from all around the world.

Jamaican schools teach religious knowledge to the children as a part of their school curriculum. Public prayers are a part of daily school life and during national events.

Jamaica also has a thriving population of people from different religious sects like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism. Rastafarians, a religion that grew out of a civil rights movement in 1930 are also followed in the country.

Jamaica's motto of "Out of Many, One People" is a tribute to the various ethnicities that can be found on the island. An estimated 3 million people are of European, Chinese, East Indian, and African descent. The multi-cultural and multi-racial history of Jamaica is one of its attractive qualities.

Many Jamaicans are direct descendants of African slaves that populated the island after being freed by the British and Spanish colonists in the 19th century.

The popular music genre of Reggae originated in Jamaica in the 1960s. Bob Marley, a Rastafarian, is regarded as the founder of Reggae music. Bob Marley is considered to be one of the most impactful individuals to come from Jamaica.

Jamaica is also attributed to the invention of hip-hop and rap music! Kool Herc, a Jamaican, is credited with the birth of Hip Hop.

Both the Reggae music founded by Bob Marley and Hip-hop and rap founded by Kool Herc has gained recognization among music fans all around the world.

The African slave population introduced the voodoo method of Obeah. It is used to bring bad or good luck depending on how it is used. Obeah, despite being illegal, is still practiced on the island.

The Red-billed streamertail, a hummingbird species, also referred to as the "Doctor Bird", is the national bird of Jamaica. The bird can only be found on the island.

Jamaicans have a tradition that allows children to learn about responsibilities from a young age. In Jamaica, after a child is born, the umbilical cord and the placenta are buried underground and a tree is planted at the spot. It is the child's duty to take care of the tree.

Jamaica Food Facts

Jamaican cuisine is diverse in nature because of the many elements it takes from various cooking styles from various countries.

The Arawak tribe, the original residents of Jamaica, grew yams and corn. However, today Jamaica grows plenty of other crops like sugar cane and bananas which are non-native crops. These crops were brought into Jamaica by the various settlers that occupied the island.

Jamaica became the leading commercial exporter of bananas in the Western world. The industry was established in 1866 and banana is still a major export from the Caribbean sea because of Jamaica. Other exports include mangoes and sugarcane that come from the sugar plantations.

Speaking of interesting facts, Jamaica is the largest consumer of cranberry per capita! The popularity of cranberry is credited with its medical characteristics. Cranberry is used to boost the immune system, treat flu, and heighten concentration.

The national dish of Jamaica is Ackee and Saltfish. It is a breakfast food that is served alongside boiled or fried dumplings.

Mountain coffee is a highly demanded product because of how rare it is and Jamaica produces enough to satisfy the tastebuds of those who can afford it.

Pineapple was brought to Jamaica from Hawaii! The fruit was brought to Jamaica from South America. The Jamaican Coat of Arms displays five golden pineapples that have been used on it since the 1600s. Today, pineapples are island-wide cultivation.

The national fruit of Ackee is believed to be the best delicacy in all of Jamaica.

Allspice, also known as pimento, or Jamaican pepper is one of the most important exports of Jamaica. At one time in history, the spice was thought to only grow in Jamaica. Today, allspice is grown in small quantities in some central American countries.

The "Jerk chicken" is one of the most famous dishes that originated in Jamaica. The dish is made with scotch bonnet peppers and allspice that give the dish its exquisite taste.

Did You Know...

Jamaica was the largest producer of sugar in the 17th and 18th centuries. Jamaica in the modern-day is one of the leading exporters of alumina and bauxite.

Jamaican rum, made from sugarcane, is the popular drink of the Jamaican population. The country has the highest number of rum bars per square mile.

Jamaica became the first tropical country from the Caribbean sea to participate in the Winter Olympics in the bobsled competition. Their participation was seen as a joke because the dominant countries in the Winter Olympics as the countries that got a lot of snow usually participated in the games.

The Jamaicans borrowed spare sleds from other countries that participated. Jamaica has, since then, won the gold medal at the World push championship in 2000.

The Blue Mountains in Jamaica are one of the most beautiful tourist attractions. The mountain is named so because of the blueish mist that blankets the peak of the mountain. The mountain range stands at a height of 7,402 ft (2256.1 m).

British author Ian Fleming, best known for his James Bond novel series wrote the world-renowned novels in his house in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

The Jamaica flag consists of the colors yellow, black and green. The national flag of Jamaica came from a national competition. The green stands for agriculture and hope, black stands for hardship, and the yellow stand for inherited wealth that the country has.

Jamaica has a low snake population and these creatures are almost rare in the country. Based on Jamaica's history it is known that Jamaica imported mongoose from India in the year 1872 as a way to put a stop to the rapidly growing rat population. However, the introduced mongoose also exterminated almost the entire snake population in Jamaica.

Milk River is the most radioactive spa in the world. Based on stories by the local Jamaica population the spa has healing capabilities that can help people suffering from nerve problems, sciatica, and arthritis. Tourists are allowed to only spend 10-20 minutes of the spa because of its high temperature.

If you are an American tourist, then paying for your accommodations, food, and various souvenirs is quite simple as Jamaica accepts US dollars alongside the usual Jamaican dollar.

Jamaica is home to over 550 different types of ferns and over 200 orchids. Native plant species make up one-quarter of the 3,000 species of plants found on the island. Animals like the iguana, manatee, and the American crocodile have become rare in the region as they were hunted for hides and meat.

The giant swallowtail butterfly is found only in Jamaica! The world's largest centipede, the Amazonian giant centipede, is native to Jamaica.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for jamaica facts then why not take a look at Hungary facts, or Iceland facts.