Jamaica is located in the Caribbean, Island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba. The absolute location is 18 15 North, 77 30. Jamaica is 885.1 km (550 miles) south of Miami, Florida, and 144.8 km (90 miles) south of Cuba. Kingston is Jamaica's capital and its major commercial centre. It is located on the south coast of the island. Together with the adjoining suburb of St. Andrew, it covers approximately 258.9 sq. km (100 square miles). Kingston's natural harbour is the seventh largest in the world.
Tropical climate conditions prevail in the costal lowlands of Jamaica. The mean annual temperature in this region 27 C (81 F), but northeastern trade winds frequently moderate the extremes of heat and humidity. Mean annual temperatures the plateau and mountain areas average about 22 C (72 F) at elevations of about 900 meters and are considerably lower at greater elevations.
Annual precipitation is characterized by wide regional variations.
Jamaica, 1971
The aftermath of the 1882 Kingston fire.
English: Kingston, JamaicaMore than 200 inches of rain are deposited annually in the mountains of the northeast. In the vicinity of Kingston, the annual average 813 inches. The months of maximum precipitation May, June, October and November. This island is subject to hurricanes in the late summer and early autumn.
The capital of Jamaica is Kingston population is 97,424 and largest city of Jamaica. The country's chief port, it has one of the finest harbors in the West Indies and exports sugar, rum, molasses, and bananas. The city's industries include tourism, food processing, and oil refining. Kingston was founded in 1693 on a deep, landlocked harbor. The former capital, Port Royal, at the tip of the long, narrow peninsula forming the harbor, was inundated after an earthquake in 1692. The capital was then moved to Spanish Town and, in 1872, to Kingston. After fire destroyed the new...