Jamaica

[juh-mey-kuh] /dʒəˈmeɪ kə/
noun
1.
an island in the West Indies, S of Cuba. 4413 sq. mi. (11,430 sq. km).
2.
a republic coextensive with this island: formerly a British colony; became independent in 1962, retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.
Capital: Kingston.
British Dictionary definitions for Jamaica

Jamaica

/dʒəˈmeɪkə/
noun
1.
an island and state in the Caribbean: colonized by the Spanish from 1494 onwards, large numbers of Black slaves being imported; captured by the British in 1655 and established as a colony in 1866; gained full independence in 1962; a member of the Commonwealth. Exports: chiefly bauxite and alumina, sugar, and bananas. Official language: English. Religion: Protestant majority. Currency: Jamaican dollar. Capital: Kingston. Pop: 2 909 714 (2013 est). Area: 10 992 sq km (4244 sq miles)
Word Origin and History for Jamaica

West Indian island, from Taino (Arawakan) xaymaca, said to mean "rich in springs." Columbus when he found it in 1494 named it Santiago, but this did not stick. Related: Jamaican. The Jamaica in New York probably is a Delaware (Algonquian) word meaning "beaver pond" altered by influence of the island name.

Jamaica in Culture

Jamaica definition


Nation in the West Indies, situated south of Cuba and west of Haiti, in the Caribbean Sea. Its capital and largest city is Kingston.

Note: It was the leading world sugar producer in the eighteenth century, when a large slave population grew up around sugar plantations.
Note: A British colony from 1865 to 1962, Jamaica then became completely independent.
Note: The country has a high level of poverty.
Note: Tourism is a major industry.