!Jamaica Jamaica is a country, Region - Caribbean, Capital - Kingston, Population in 2003 - 2,651,000, Population density - 241 per sq km, Surface area - 10,991 sq km, and Currency - dollar. Jamaica literally means a "Land of Springs". It is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea, comprising the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles. It lies some 90 m. S. of the eastern end of Cuba; its greatest length E. and W. 144 m.; is traversed by the Blue Mountains (7400 ft.), whose slopes are clad with luxuriant forests of mahogany, cedar, satin-wood, palm, and other trees; of the numerous rivers, only one, the Black River, is navigable and that for only flat-bottomed boats and canoes; there are many harbours (Kingston finest), while good roads intersect the island; the climate is oppressively warm and somewhat unhealthy on the coast, but delightful in the interior highlands. The chief trade-products are dye-woods, fruit, sugar, rum, coffee, and spices. Formerly, it was a British crown colony, the largest and most important of the British West India Islands. It was discovered in 1494 by Columbus, and in 1670 became a possession of England. For administrative purposes, Britishers divided the land area into three counties, Surrey, Middlesex, and Cornwall. Jamaica attained independence in 1962.