Map of Jamaica, Kingston

Jamaica is 240 km long and a maximum of 80 km wide, located in the Caribbean Sea, part of the Antilles. It is 630 km from Central American, 150 km south of Cuba and 180 km west of the island of Hispaniola, which is home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and about 621 km from Puerto Rico.

Jamaica was a Spanish possession known as "Santiago" between 1494 and 1655, when it was invaded by English troops. It then became an English possession and later a British colony, known as "Jamaica". The island achieved its independence on August 6, 1962. It is part of the Commonwealth of Nations (in English: Commonwealth of Nations); in accordance with the constitutional monarchy system. The official languages are English and Jamaican Patois. In 2018, the teaching of the Spanish language as the first foreign language at school level was reinforced.