Jamaica: Island & People
The Island
- Location: Caribbean Sea, West Indies
- Size: 11,000 sq. km
- Approximate flight time Minnesota to Jamaica: 3.5 hours
- Population: Approx. 2.6 million, 52% live in urban areas
- Economy: 50% of Jamaica's total $1.2 billion in annual exports comes from bauxite and alumina exports.
- Jamaica has more churches per square mile than any other nation in the world.
- National fruit is ackee, pronounced ah-kee.
- The Jamaican flag is green, gold and black.
- Click here to find out the current value of the Jamaican dollar.
The People
- Literacy: 89%
- Official Language: English
- Religious affiliation: 86% are Christians (70% Protestant, 336 different denominations, 12% Catholic), 10% Rastafarian or Spiritist, 4% other or non-religious
- About 55-60,000 children are born in Jamaica every year, 85% of them are born out of wedlock.
- Unemployment in Jamaica is around 16%
- Official Motto: "Out of Many, One People"
Sources: Statistical Institute of Jamaica, National Library of Jamaica, Operation World by Patrick Johnson © 1993.