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Jamaica is an island country of the West Indies. It is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, after Cuba and Hispaniola. Jamaica is about 146 miles (235 km) long and varies from 22 to 51 miles (35 to 82 km) wide. The national capital is Kingston. Learn more about Jamaica in this article.
The following history of Jamaica focuses on events from the time of European contact. For treatments of the island in its regional context, see West Indies and history of Latin America. Early period. The first inhabitants of Jamaica probably came from islands to the east in two waves of migration.
The following history of Jamaica focuses on events from the time of European contact. For treatments of the island in its regional context, see West Indies and history of Latin America. Read More
History. When Christopher Columbus landed in Jamaica in 1494, the island was inhabited by the peaceful Arawak people. During 150 years of Spanish rule, the Arawak were virtually exterminated, and African slaves were brought to the island. A British force invaded successfully in 1655. Jamaica remained a British colony until 1962.
Jamaica gained independence in 1962. It stayed a member of the Commonwealth, a group of nations with ties to Great Britain. The island nation of Jamaica is part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica is known for reggae, a type of popular music created in the 1960s. The capital is…
Jamaica became a haven of privateers, buccaneers, and occasionally outright pirates: Christopher Myngs, Edward Mansvelt, and most famously, Henry Morgan. England gained formal possession of Jamaica from Spain in 1670 through the Treaty of Madrid.
On August 6, 1962, Jamaica was granted its independence from England. Jamaica now has its own constitution which sets out the laws by which the people are governed. The constitution provides for the freedom, equality and justice for all who dwell in the country. The Jamaican Constitution