Jamaica is where languages, culture and cuisine meet and blend into one of the most unique places on the planet. The island nation’s innovators and visionaries were responsible for a myriad of ‘firsts’ that transcended development in other countries and its rich history continues to make a mark on the global stage. Despite millions of visitors each year, there’s a myriad of facts unique to the island of which many people are unaware. Here are 50 interesting facts about Jamaica.
- Jamaicans are the fastest runners on earth and most come from the Trelawny area – including Usain Bolt
- The nation has an active bobsled team and was the basis of the movie “Cool Runnings”
- Author Ian Fleming owned land in Jamaica and where he wrote his James Bond novels
- Reggae music originated there
- Music superstar, Bob Marley, was born in Jamaica
- Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc originated hip-hop and rap music
- Port Royal was called the “wickedest city on earth” in the 17th century due to pirate activity
- AT&T copied the Jamaican phone system for use in the U.S.
- Jamaica built its first railroad in 1845
- There’s a thriving aviation industry on the island
- The country had electricity and running water before the U.S. in 1893
- One of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Port Royal, Jamaica
- The Historic Cast Iron Bridge spanning the Rio Cobre River is the oldest of its kind in the western hemisphere
- The ackee is the country’s national fruit and it’s the only place people eat it
- Residents drink more cranberry water and cranberry juice per capita than any other country
- Over 200 orchids grow wild in Jamaica
- The world’s second-largest butterfly, the Giant Swallowtail, lives in Jamaica
- It was the first Caribbean country to have its own website
- The mongoose was introduced in 1872 to kill rats and they also killed off most of the native snake species
- Blue Mountain Coffee is grown in Jamaica and is one of the most expensive and highly-sought
- Ginger ale was created in Jamaica
- Fourth Jamaican women have won the Miss World title
- Several top models have come from Jamaica or descent from Jamaicans, including Naomi Campbell and Grace Jones
- Jamaica has the most rum bars per square mile
- It was the first British colonial territory to create a postal system – in 1688
- The Manchester Golf Club, established 1865 in Jamaica, makes it the oldest in the western hemisphere
- The ortanique fruit, developed in Jamaica, is a cross between an orange and a tangerine
- The most expensive rum in the world is produced in Jamaica
- It has the most radioactive mineral spa in the world – Milk River Bath
- On a clear day, the outline of Cuba can be seen from Jamaica’s Blue Mountain range
- The island has the largest cell phone penetration per capita in the world
- It was the first in the western world to produce bananas commercially
- The country is recognized by Guinness World Records as having the most churches per square mile. There are over 1,600 “churches” all over Jamaica.
- The “Doctor Bird” hummingbird is found only in Jamaica and is its national bird
- Jamaica is home to several natural, thermally-heated mineral springs that are Jamaica National Heritage Trusts
- The first newspaper was the “Weekly Jamaica Courant” published in 1718
- Jamaica’s national anthem is the only one in the world that’s also a prayer
- It’s the fourth-largest producer of bauxite needed to make aluminum
- The nation has more multiple live births than any other country
- It’s socially unacceptable to use a person’s first name unless invited
- Nickels were first used in 1869
- Jamaican-born Tessa Sanderson was the first black British woman to win Olympic gold in 1984
- The country has over 952 identified caves
- The nation has more than 120 rivers
- Jamaica perfected the game of Dominoes
- The nation is ranked third in the world as a tourist destination
- Commercial radio broadcasts began on July 9, 1950
- Jamaican-born aviator, Capt. Barrington Irving, Jr., broke round-the-world solo flying records
- The first settlers were the Taino, an Arawak people, and the name Jamaica is a translation of their word Xaymaca which means “Land of Wood and Water”
- Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh is the longest-reigning Miss World in history
Feel free to add in the comments more Facts About Jamaica.
Photo – Deposit Photos
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