About Jamaica...

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 234 kilometres (146 mi) in length and as much as 80 kilometres (50 mi) in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is about 620 kilometres (385 mi) northeast of the Central American mainland, 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Cuba, and 190 kilometres (120 mi) west of the island of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated. Its indigenous Arawakan-speaking Taíno inhabitants named the island Xaymaca, meaning either the "Land of Springs," or the "Land of Wood and Water." Formerly a Spanish possession known as Santiago, it later became the British West Indies Crown colony of Jamaica. It is the third most populous anglophone country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada.

Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes, which are grouped to three historic counties that have no administrative relevance.
Surrey (county) in the east, containing the following parishes:

• Kingston
• Portland
  
• Saint Andrew
  
• Saint Thomas
  

Middlesex (county) in the centre, containing the following parishes:

• Clarendon
  
• Manchester
  
• Saint Ann
  
• Saint Catherine
  
• Saint Mary
  

Cornwall (county) in the west, containing the following parishes:

Hanover

• Saint Elizabeth
  
• Saint James
  
• Trelawny
  
• Westmoreland

Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean, and the most populous English speaking island. The island of Jamaica is home to the Blue Mountains inland and is surrounded by a narrow coastal plain. Most major towns and both cities are located on the coast. Chief towns include the capital city Kingston, Portmore, Spanish Town, Mandeville, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, and the city of Montego Bay.
The climate in Jamaica is tropical, with hot and humid weather, although higher inland regions have a more temperate climate. Some regions on the south coast, such as the Liguanea Plain and the Pedro Plains are relatively dry rain-shadow areas.

Ethnic Origins

Jamaica's population consists mainly of people of West-African descent, comprising about 90.9% of the demographics. The Akan people of Ghana's influence is evidenced by the town of Accompong (Achiampong is a common family name in Ghana). Other populations on the island are as follows: East Indian 1.3%, White 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%,Lebanese 0.1%,Multiracial 7.3%. Immigration from countries such as China, Colombia, St. Lucia and many more areas of the Caribbean and South Asia have seen a steady rise.

Language

The official language of Jamaica is English. Informally Jamaican Creole, known locally as patois (pronounced patwah), is more commonly spoken by a majority of the population. British English or "The Queen's English" is the most obvious influence on patois, but it includes words and syntax from various African languages (including Akan and Yoruba); European languages (Spanish, Portuguese and French); Pre-Columbian Caribbean languages (Arawak); and Asian languages (Hindi and Mandarin) which is evidence of the long standing mixing of the people. In general, patois differs from English in pronunciation, grammar, nominal orthography and syntax, having many intonations to indicate meaning and mood.

Religion

65.3% of Jamaica's population are Christians, the majority being Protestant, which is primarily due to the influence of British colonialism, and the later influence of denominations from the U.S. Today, the five largest denominations in Jamaica are: Church of God, Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, Pentecostal and Anglican.
The largest non-Christian religion is the Rastafari, which was founded on the island and reveres the late Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.
Other non-Christian religions in Jamaica include: Bahai, Buddhism, Islam. Practisers of Spiritism can also be found on the island.The West African folk cult of Obeah is found in poor urban and rural areas of Jamaica.