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Facts
Geography: Jamaica is the third largest island in the Greater Antilles. With a length of 235 kilometers and a width of between 35 and 82 kilometers, the main island covers an area of 10,991 square kilometers.
Capital: Kingston
Largest cities: Kingston, Portmore, Spanish Town, Montego Bay, May Pen, Mandeville, Old Harbour, Savanna-la-Mar
Population: 2.8 million (information from 2018)
Languages: English, Jamaican Patois/Patwa
Government: Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy under the British Crown with a monarch (Governor General: Patrick Linton Allen since 2009), a prime minister (Andrew Holness since 2016), and a bicameral system (House of Representatives and Senate).
Ethnic groups: See ‘Formation of Jamaican Culture’
Religions: Religious affiliations in Jamaica are a complex issue. 69% identify as 'Protestant,' although in Jamaica's case, a more precise distinction has to be made. 2% of the Jamaican population identifies with the Roman Catholic Church. 8% of the Jamaican population identifies religiously as Rastafarian, Muslim, Hindu or Bahai. 21% of the Jamaican population do not identify with any religion. More information can be found here.
Source: Morse, Kimberly J. (ed.) (2022): The Americas. An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society, Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
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