World Factbook
Jamaica
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
10,831 sq km
water
160 sq km
total
10,991 sq km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Land use
other
5.3% (2023 est.)
forest
56.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
38.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 11.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 6.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 21.1% (2023 est.)
Location
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Coastline
1,022 km
Elevation
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
mean elevation
18 m
Irrigated land
250 sq km (2012)
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
note
note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
hurricanes (especially July to November)
Geography - note
third largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola); strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
Natural resources
bauxite, alumina, gypsum, limestone
Area - comparative
about half the size of New Jersey; slightly smaller than Connecticut
Geographic coordinates
18 15 N, 77 30 W
Population distribution
population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel