Caribbean and Jamaican Geography

Jamaica is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the largest English-speaking territory.
Situated south of Cuba and west of Haiti in the North West region of the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica
has a maximum length, from east to west, of about 235 km

Recently regarded as an archipelagic state by the Maritime Areas Act, Jamaica’s territory extends
beyond its coastline to comprise some 66 islands, rocks and cays.

The island is divided into three counties – Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey and its Capital and
largest city is Kingston.

The official languages are English and Jamaican Patois (an English based creole with influences
from Spanish, French and Akan (Ghana)

History of Jamaica

The Arawaks

The original inhabitants of Jamaica are believed to be the Arawaks, also called Tainos. They arrived
in Jamaica from South America 2,500 years ago and named the island Xaymaca, which meant
““land of wood and water”.

They grew cassava (mandioca), potatoes, corn, fruits, vegetables, cotton and tobacco. Tobacco was
grown on a large scale and smoking was its most popular use.

Discovery
On May 5, 1494 Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colon) sailed west to get to the East Indies and
came upon the region now called the West Indies, landed in Jamaica.

This occurred on his second travel to the West Indies. Columbus had heard about Jamaica, from the
Cubans who described it as “the land of blessed gold”. Columbus was soon to find out that there
was no gold in Jamaica.

On arrival at St Ann’s Bay, Columbus found the Arawak Indians inhabiting the island. Initially,
Columbus thought these Indians were hostile, as they attacked his men when they tried to land on
the island.

He was determined to annex the island in the name of the king and queen of Spain, so Columbus
also needed wood and water and a chance to repair his ships. He sailed down the coast and docked
at Discovery Bay. The Arawaks there were also hostile to the Spaniards. Their attitudes changed
however, when they were attacked by a dog from one of the Spanish ships and Columbus’ cross-
bow men. Some of the Arawaks were killed and wounded in this attack. Columbus was then able to
land and claim the island.

Jamaica served mainly as a supply base: food, men, arms and horses were shipped there to help in
conquering the American mainland.

Settlement
Fifteen years later in 1509, after the first visit to the island, the first Spanish colonists went there
under the Spanish governor Juan de Esquivel. They first settled in the St. Ann’s Bay area. The first
town was called New Seville or Sevilla la Nueva.
Towns were little more than settlements. The only town that was developed was Spanish Town, the
old capital of Jamaica, then called St. Jago de la Vega. It was the centre of government and trade
and had many churches and convents.
The little attention the colony received from Spain soon led to a major reason for internal strife.
This contributed to the weakening of the colony in the last years of Spanish occupation. The
governors were not getting proper support from home and quarrels with church authorities
undermined their control. Frequent attacks by pirates also contributed to the colony’s downfall.

The English Attack

On May 10, 1655, Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables led a successful attack on
Jamaica. The Spaniards surrendered to the English, freed their slaves and then fled to Cuba. This
former slaves and their descendants are known as the Maroons.

This first stage of English settlement is charaterised by the Buccaneers established at Port Royal.
This town was the centre of shipping and commerce in the Caribbean, until it was destroyed by a
earthquake and a Tsunami in 1692. It was the homeport of the English and Dutch sponsored
privateers who attacked Spanish fleet.

Then, after the disaster, Kingston became the centre of commerce and the main port in the
Caribbean.

The Slave Trade

Sugar became the main industry in the island. Enslaved Africans filled the large labour force
required for this industry. The colonists were impressed with the performance and endurance of the
Africans, as well as the fact that African labour was cheaper.

The slave trade became a popular and profitable venture for the colonists. In fact the transportation
of slaves became such a regular affair that the journey from Africa to the West Indies became
known as the ‘Middle Passage’: the journey of a British slaver was 3-sided: from England to Africa
and then, the journey continued to the West Indies.

There were many rebellions of these slaves and The Maroons also rebelled towards the English.
This frequent slave rebellions in the Caribbean was one factor that led to the abolition of the slave
trade and slavery: On January 1, 1808 the Abolition Bill was passed.

XX century
Then, in the XX century, in 1958, Jamaica and ten (10) other Caribbean countries formed the
Federation of the West Indies. The concept of Caribbean unity was soon abandoned in 1961 when
Jamaicans voted against this Federation.

On August 6, 1962, Jamaica was granted its independence from England after almost 300 years of
British colonial rule.