Jamaica was inhabited by Arawak Indians prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Although Columbus was in the habit of declaring that each new island he chanced upon was more beautiful than the last, he seems to have maintained a lifelong enthusiasm for the beauty of Jamaica.
A few years later, it was formally colonized by the Spanish whose rule lasted until 1655. They were displaced by the British who turned Jamaica into the most important of the British Caribbean slaving colonies. Within 100 years, virtually the whole island had been divided up into large plantations owned by absentee landlords and worked by forced labor imported from West Africa.
After the abolition of slavery in 1834, Jamaica became relatively prosperous under orthodox colonial rule until the early 20th century when a spate of natural disasters, compounded by the depression of the 1930s, sent the economy into decline.
The 1930s also saw the rise of black political activity and trade union organization, forming the rivalries that characterize modern Jamaican politics in the process. Jamaica became independent in 1962.
Everybody knows Jamaica as the home of Bob Marley, but there is more to it than just reggae and Rastafarians. The third-largest island in the Caribbean offers excellent tourist facilities. It has wonderful white sand beaches, mountains, waterfalls, wildlife and the best coffee in the world. The island’s luxuriant tropical and subtropical vegetation is probably unsurpassed anywhere in the Caribbean. Kingston is its lively capital, surprising visitors with elegant, old colonial houses against the stunning backdrop of the Blue Mountains.
Jamaica has gained a reputation for violence, and there certainly are no-go areas in Kingston, but most Jamaicans are overwhelmingly friendly and fun-loving.
The two main tourist resorts are Negril and Montego Bay, Jamaica’s second city – known to one and all as Mo’ Bay. Negril boasts one of the longest beaches in the country, some 11km (7 miles) of it, with all the watersports one would expect in a lively resort. But just a little way along the coast, one will find ‘the real Jamaica’ with fishing villages like Treasure Beach, Port Antonio and Oracabessa providing quieter retreats.
Tourism grows, encouraged by the governing People’s National Party. Many visitors return as they succumb to Jamaica’s charms, the beautiful scenery, the warmth of the people; and of course, wherever you go, there is always music, music, music.
Geography
Jamaica is the third-largest island in the West Indies and is a narrow outcrop of a submerged mountain range. The island is crossed by a range of mountains reaching 2,256m (7,402ft) at the Blue Mountain Peak in the east, and descending towards the west with a series of spurs and forested gullies running north and south. Most of the best beaches are on the north and west coasts. The island’s luxuriant tropical and subtropical vegetation is probably unsurpassed anywhere in the Caribbean.