Jamaica

American  

[juh-mey-kuh] / dʒəˈmeɪ kə /

noun

1. an island in the West Indies, S of Cuba. 4,413 sq. mi. (11,430 sq. km).

2. a republic coextensive with this island: formerly a British colony; became independent in 1962, retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. Kingston.

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Jamaica British  

/ dʒəˈmeɪkə /

noun

1. an island and state in the Caribbean: colonized by the Spanish from 1494 onwards, large numbers of Black slaves being imported; captured by the British in 1655 and established as a colony in 1866; gained full independence in 1962; a member of the Commonwealth. Exports: chiefly bauxite and alumina, sugar, and bananas. Official language: English. Religion: Protestant majority. Currency: Jamaican dollar. Capital: Kingston. Pop: 2 909 714 (2013 est). Area: 10 992 sq km (4244 sq miles)

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Jamaica Cultural  

1. Nation in the West Indies, situated south of Cuba and west of Haiti, in the Caribbean Sea. Its capital and largest city is Kingston.

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Discover More

The country has a high level of poverty.

Tourism is a major industry.

It was the leading world sugar producer in the eighteenth century, when a large slave population grew up around sugar plantations.

A British colony from 1865 to 1962, Jamaica then became completely independent.

Example Sentences

He returned to competitive action with the Jamaica national team with three substitute appearances in June - his only football since the crash.

From BBC

"Jamaica supports constructive dialogue between Cuba and the United States aimed at de-escalation, reform and stability," he said.

From Barron's

Meanwhile, Mica Moore, who represented Team GB four years ago but has since opted to compete for Jamaica, sits 15th on 2:00:98 before Monday's medal-deciding heats.

From BBC

A decade on, the 37-year-old is at his third Winter Olympics, but his first for Jamaica's bobsleigh team, who he came out of retirement for last year.

From BBC

When the bobsled competition in Cortina begins Sunday, Trinidad will have teams in the two- and four-man events for the first time, while Jamaica will compete in both those events as well as the monobob.

From Los Angeles Times