Geography of Jamaica - Key Facts

Key Facts

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates
18°15′N 77°30′W / 18.25°N 77.5°W / 18.25; -77.5
Map references
Middle America and the Caribbean
Area
  • Total: 10,991 km2 (4,244 sq mi)
  • Land: 10,831 km2 (4,182 sq mi)
  • Water: 160 km2 (62 sq mi)
Area – comparative
(Australia) About 2½ times as big as Kangaroo Island
(Canada) About twice Prince Edward Island's size
(UK) About half Wales's size
(USA) Slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut
Land boundaries
0 km
Longest River
Rio Minho (Jamaica) 92.8 km (57.7 mi)
Coastline
1 022 km (635 mi)
Maritime claims
  • Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
  • Continental shelf: 200 m depth (656 ft) or to the depth of exploitation
  • Exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
  • Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
Climate
Tropical Marine; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain
Mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plains
Elevation extremes
  • Lowest point: Caribbean Sea, 0 m
  • Highest point: Blue Mountain Peak, 2256 metres (7402 ft)
Natural resources
Bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use
  • Arable land: 14%
  • Permanent crops: 6%
  • Permanent pastures: 24%
  • Forests and woodland: 17%
  • Other: 39% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land
350 km2 (140 sq mi) (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
Hurricanes (especially July to November)
Environment—current issues
Heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
Environment—international agreements
  • Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  • Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements
Geography—note
Strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal

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