Jamaica Country Overview
Where is Jamaica located? The independent island state of Jamaica is located in the Caribbean and is part of the Commonwealth of Nations. Jamaica was a colony and still faces social and economic problems. The time zone map, which divides countries into time zones along lines of longitude, shows that Jamaica belongs to a world time zone where the standard offset from coordinated universal time (UTC) is 5 hours. The time zone is called “Eastern Standard Time” and clocks in this time zone are always 5 hours ahead of Universal Time (UTC-5).
Bordering Countries of Jamaica
According to abbreviationfinder, Jamaica is an island nation located in the Caribbean Sea, bordered by the United States and Cuba to the north and south respectively. It has a total land boundary of 1,073 km which includes 745 km with Cuba and 328 km with the USA.
Jamaica borders Cuba in its northern region where a line drawn between its Westmoreland Parish and Cuba’s Isla de la Juventud forms their shared border. The two countries have had strong ties since Jamaica’s independence from Britain in 1962 and have since worked towards strengthening their relationship through joint initiatives such as agricultural projects within their shared boundaries.
To Jamaica’s northwest lies the United States; this border is formed by a line drawn between Jamaica’s Portland Parish and USA’s Florida state. The two countries have had friendly relations since 1867 when they signed a treaty of commerce but have since worked towards improving their ties through economic cooperation such as joint infrastructure projects within their shared boundaries.
Jamaica also shares maritime borders with Haiti to its east; this border is formed by a line drawn between Jamaica’s Portland Parish and Haiti’s Nord-Est Department. Despite having tense relations at times due to territorial disputes over fishing rights within their shared waters, both countries have been working together for years now on issues such as renewable energy projects within their shared coasts.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Jamaica is 2,808,570, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 2,808,570 |
| Population growth rate | -0.07% |
| Birth rate | 17.90 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall life expectancy | 73.44 years |
| Men life expectancy | 71.81 years |
| Women life expectancy | 75.15 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 26.01% |
| 15-64 years | 65.28% |
| 65 years and above | 8.71% |
| Median age | 25.30 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 0.98 |
| Population density | 255.53 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 52.10% |
| Ethnicities | |
| Jamaicans – last census 2011: 2,697,983 people – over 90% of African descent, minorities of European, Indian and Chinese origin | |
| Religions | |
| Protestants 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptists 8.8%, Anglicans 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodists 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah’s Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%), Catholics (Roman Catholic) 4%, others, including some spiritual cults 34.7% | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.726 |
| HDI ranking | 96th out of 194 |
People in Jamaica
Most Jamaicans (98 percent) are descended at least in part from slaves who were brought into the country primarily in the 17th and 18th centuries. The native Taino had been exterminated by the Spanish conquerors. Minorities come from Asia and Europe. Most of the Asians are Indians and Chinese, whose ancestors were brought here as workers.
More than half (56 percent) of all nearly three million Jamaicans live in the city. Most cities can be found on the coast, there are hardly any inland. Almost a million people live in the capital Kingston alone.
Languages in Jamaica
The official language in Jamaica is English. So it is used officially, on television, in newspapers, on government offices and in forms and also in class. Most Jamaicans speak Jamaican Creole on a daily basis. This creole language is based on English. It is also called a patois. Examples are: Mi a go would be I’m going in English and Me tink dem see we would be I think they see us. The English th is not spoken and becomes a t or d. Reggae from Jamaica is mostly sung in Jamaican Creole.
Religions in Jamaica
64 percent of Jamaicans belong to a Protestant church. This is a consequence of decades of British rule. The believers are spread across different churches, for example Adventists, Pentecostals, Baptists or the Protestant Church of God. Only 2 percent of the population are Catholic. Jehovah’s Witnesses are 1.9 percent and Rastafarian 1.1 percent.
What is Rastafarian?
The Rastafarian belief originated in Jamaica in the 1930s. Her followers see the former emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassi as the Messiah, a savior. Rastafarian followers often wear dreadlocks, thick strands of matted hair. This is supposed to give them strength and power, but it was also a protest against the British colonial power.
In addition to dreadlocks, reggae music also became a symbol of the Rastafari. The supporters also fight for equality for the black population. Green, yellow and red, as the colors of a united Africa, are often the colors of their clothes. The most famous Rastafarian supporter was the singer Bob Marley.