Name
The name Jamaica comes from the Arawak word "xaymaca", meaning "Land of Wood and Water" or possibly "Land of Springs".
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Country
Jamaica
18.14° N, 77.32° W
No land border at all — every neighbor is across water, along 1,022 km of coast, the 83rd longest on Earth.
land borders 0 km · 164th/230 · coastline 1,022 km · 83rd/229
CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value
- Population
- 2,948,279
- Natural Earth population estimate.
- Area
- 10,991 km²
- Official total area (land + water) from the CIA World Factbook. Computed from the Natural Earth boundary: ≈ 10,898 km².
- Population density
- ≈ 271 / km²
- Population divided by the computed boundary area.
- ISO codes
- JM · JAM
- GDP (nominal)
- $19.93 billion
- Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP per capita (PPP)
- $10,300
- Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Jamaica 10,991 km²Brunei 5,765 km²
geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area
Where Jamaica sits in the world
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
- Median age28.8 years144th of 224 · median 32.6 years
- Life expectancy76.3 years109th of 224 · median 76.2 years
- Fertility rate1.86 children per woman123rd of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
- Population2,948,279139th of 235 · median 5,454,073
- Total area10,991 km²165th of 228 · median 83,736 km²
- Coastline1,022 km83rd of 229 · median 402 km
Overview
Geography
South of Cuba, Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica is mostly mountainous, with a narrow, discontinuous coastal plain.
Its strategic location lies between the Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal. Jamaica's natural resources include bauxite, alumina, gypsum, and limestone. Blue Mountain Peak is Jamaica's highest point. The Caribbean Sea is Jamaica's lowest point.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Flag and symbols
A diagonal yellow cross divides Jamaica's flag into four triangles: green at the top and bottom, and black at the left and right. Green stands for hope, vegetation, and agriculture; black stands for hardships overcome and to be faced, while yellow stands for sunshine and natural resources. The national symbols are the green-and-black streamertail (bird) and guaiacwood ( Guiacum officinale ).
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Key figures
CIA World Factbook
Economy
- GDP (nominal)
- $19.93 billion
- Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP (PPP)
- $29.13 billion
- Field “Economy → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP per capita (PPP)
- $10,300
- Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP growth
- -0.7%
- Field “Economy → Real GDP growth rate → Real GDP growth rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Inflation (consumer prices)
- 5.4%
- Field “Economy → Inflation rate (consumer prices) → Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Unemployment
- 4.9%
- Field “Economy → Unemployment rate → Unemployment rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Exports
- $7.12 billion
- Field “Economy → Exports → Exports 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Imports
- $9.52 billion
- Field “Economy → Imports → Imports 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
People
- Life expectancy
- 76.3 years
- Field “People and Society → Life expectancy at birth → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Median age
- 28.8 years
- Field “People and Society → Median age → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Birth rate
- 16.08 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Birth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Death rate
- 7.37 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Death rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Fertility rate
- 1.86 children per woman
- Field “People and Society → Total fertility rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Population growth
- +0.25% a year
- Field “People and Society → Population growth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Urban population
- 57.4%
- Field “People and Society → Urbanization → urban population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Languages
- English
- Jamaican patois
- Field “People and Society → Languages” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Religions
- Protestant64.8%includes Seventh Day Adventist 12.0%, Pentecostal 11.0%, Other Church of God 9.2%, New Testament Church of God 7.2%, Baptist 6.7%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.5%, Anglican 2.8%, United Church 2.1%, Methodist 1.6%, Revived 1.4%, Brethren 0.9%, and Moravian 0.7%
- Roman Catholic2.2%
- Jehovah's Witness1.9%
- Rastafarian1.1%
- other2.3%
- Field “People and Society → Religions” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land
- Total area
- 10,991 km²Land 10,831 km² · Water 160 km²
- Field “Geography → Area → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Coastline
- 1,022 km
- Field “Geography → Coastline” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Land borders
- 0 km
- Field “Geography → Land boundaries → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Mean elevation
- 18 m
- Field “Geography → Elevation → mean elevation” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Highest point
- 2,256 m Blue Mountain Peak
- Field “Geography → Elevation → highest point” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.
Connections
Natural geography 4
Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID
Seas 1
Islands 1
Island groups 2
Largest cities 14
Population · Natural Earth
- Kingstoncapital937.7K
- Spanish Town432.7K
- May Pen135.1K
- Montego Bay126K
- Half Way Tree96.5K
- Mandeville47.1K
- Savanna-la-Mar30K
- Port Antonio14.4K
- St. Ann's Bay13.7K
- Port Morant11.5K
- Port Maria7.9K
- Falmouth7.8K