Jamaica

Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea. With an area of ​​10,990 square kilometers (4,240 square miles), it is the third largest island in the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean Sea (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica is approximately 145 km (90 miles) south of Cuba and 191 km (119 miles) west of Hispaniola, an island that includes the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The British Overseas Territories of the Cayman Islands are approximately 215 km (134 miles) northwest.

Originally inhabited by the indigenous Taino, the island came under Spanish control after the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Many indigenous people were killed or died of illness. Since then, the Spaniards have brought many African slaves to Jamaica as workers. .. The island was the property of Spain until 1655 when Britain (later Britain) conquered Spain and renamed it Jamaica. Under British colonial rule, Jamaica became a major sugar exporter, and the plantation economy relied on African slaves and their subsequent descendants. The British completely liberated all slaves in 1838, and many liberated slaves chose to have self-sufficient farms rather than working in plantations. From the 1840s, the British began working on plantations using the apprenticeship of China and India. The island achieved independence from Great Britain on August 6, 1962.

With a population of 2.9 million, Jamaica is the third most populous English-speaking country in the Americas (after the United States and Canada) and the fourth most populous country in the Caribbean. Kingston is the capital and largest city of the country. The majority of Jamaicans are of sub-Saharan African descent, with Europeans, East Asians (mainly Chinese), Indians, Lebanese, and mixed-breed minorities. Due to the high migration rate to work since the 1960s, there are many Jamaican immigrants, especially in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The country has a global influence that believes in its small size. It is the birthplace of Rastafari religion, reggae music (and related genres such as dub, ska and dancehall) and is internationally renowned for sports, especially cricket, sprint and athletics.

Jamaica is a middle-income country whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism. There are an average of 4.3 million tourists annually. Jamaica has an advantage in measuring press freedom and democratic governance. Ranked # 1 in the Caribbean in the 2021 World Happiness Report. Politically, it is the Commonwealth Realm with Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen. The representative she has appointed in her country is the Governor-General of Jamaica, who has been Patrick Allen since 2009. Andrew Holness has been Prime Minister of Jamaica since March 2016. It consists of a Jamaican appointed Senate and a directly elected House of Representatives.