Land of Wood and Water

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The skyscraping mountains, deep valleys, flat plateaus, and rolling waters on the coast of Jamaica, certainly make this island a sight to see. The word “Jamaica” originates from the word “Xaymaca,” meaning “land of wood and water,” (Witherbee). But, this island is not limited to its beautiful scenery. It is a country full of life and happiness. Although Jamaica is a small island, its fascinating culture is thriving through storytelling, music, cuisine, and even more.

Geography

Located about 90 miles south of Cuba, Jamaica and it’s beautiful geography is one of the main reasons people love visiting this fantastic island, (Witherbee). Jamaica is completely surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and positioned on both the northern and western hemispheres, (“Jamaica”). Even though it is a small country, it is still the third largest island in the Caribbean, (Witherbee). Although, it can be divided geographically into three sections: the eastern mountains, the central valleys and plateaus, and the coastal plains; overall, the majority of the country is mountainous. The limestone plateau covers two- thirds of the land area. Other than Jamaica’s very diverse geography, its climate is a huge attraction to many tourists. Jamaica has warm weather year round, which allows many tourists to choose it as their vacation destination, no matter what time of the year it is. The consistent temperatures, annually ranging between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, are caused because of Jamaica’s close location to the equator, (“Jamaica”).

Culture

The people of Jamaica are not as diverse as the people of the United States. The first settlers most likely came from the Andes Mountains in South America around 700. Now, Jamaica is one of the most densely populate...

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"Literature." Caribya. Web. 19 May 2014.

Morier, Robert. "THE DREAD LIBRARY." Children's Literature in Jamaica. The Dread

Library, n.d. Web. 12 May 2014.

Morris, Mervyn. "Chapter 2: Louise Bennett The Poet." Is English We Speaking & other

Essays. 17-24. n.p.: Ian Randle Publishers, 1999. Literary Reference Center Plus.

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Morris, Mervyn. "Chapter 4: Mikey Smith." Is English We Speaking & other Essays. 30-

35. n.p.: Ian Randle Publishers, 1999. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 12

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Witherbee, Amy. Jamaica. Rep. N.p.: Great Neck, 2011. Our World. Student Research

Center. Web. 9 May 2014.

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