Jamaica is the third-largest country in the Caribbean, situated about 150 km south of Cuba. The 11,000 sq.km. island is dominated by mountains on the interior, with most of the cities along a narrow coastal plain. Originally settled by the Arawak people between 1000 and 400 BCE, the island was claimed by Spain after Columbus landed there in 1494. Columbus must have really like the island, since he used it as his family's private estate. The British siezed the island in 1655 and over the next two centuries developed it into the world's largest sugar exporter. This was achieved through the use of massive amounts of slaves brought in from Africa. By the early 19th century, the slaves outnumbered their white "masters" by 20 to 1 which lead to the inevitable: abolition of slavery in 1834 and full emancipation four years later. It would take Jamaica until 1962 to gain full independance as a nation. Today, 90% of the population of Jamaica is of black descent and the main language is English. Despite being a small country, Jamaica is extremely rich in culture and known around most of the world. In particular, its musical culture is a major "export" and includes reggae, ska, mento, rocksteady, and dub, among other genres.
Jamaica on Wikipedia
