Where Is Jamaica Kingston Cuba Cayman Islands Did you know Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba and Hispaniola It is still smaller than the state of Connecticut Caribbean Sea Jamaica Jamaica is an island country It rises from the clear blue Caribbean Sea off the southeastern coast of North America Jamaica’s closest neighbor is Cuba to the north Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola to the east To the northwest are the tiny Cayman Islands N E W S 4
HaitiDominican Republic Across a larger stretch of the Caribbean lies Central America to the west There the closest point of land to Jamaica is Cape Gracias a Dios on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras Jamaica’s closest neighbor to the south is Colombia in South America Kingston is the island’s capital It was built along a natural harbor on Jamaica’s southeastern coast 5
The Land Most of Jamaica is ridged with mountains covered in lush forests The Blue Mountains in the east boast the tallest peaks Lower mountains spread across the center of the island from east to west In the northwest limestone has eroded into a pattern of hills and pits This region is known as Cockpit Country The only flat land is found on the coast where soft sand beaches meet clear ocean waves Rivers cascade from the mountains toward the sea The longest are the Rio Minho the Rio Cobre and the Black River Many rivers trickle into caves or rush over waterfalls before flowing into the Caribbean Swirling storms called hurricanes often hit the island in summer and early fall 6
Did you know Jamaica is warm year-round The mountain air is cooler and ocean breezes fan the coast Rain comes in the spring and fall 7
