Jamaica (pronounced /dʒəˈmeɪkə/) is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 234 kilometres (145 mi) in length and as much as 80 kilometres (50 mi) in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is about 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 the "Land of Wood and Water", or the "Land of Springs".[3][dead link] Formerly a Spanish possession known as Santiago, it later became the British Crown colony of Jamaica. It is the third most populous anglophone country in North America, after the United States and Canada. It remains a Commonwealth realm with Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State.
Contents
- 1 History
- 2 Government and politics
- 3 Geography
- 4 Demographics
- 5 Religion
- 6 Culture
- 7 Sport
- 8 Education
- 9 Economy
- 10 Infrastructure
- 11 Military
- 12 Crime
- 13 See also
- 14 References
- 15 Further reading
- 16 External links
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