Beautiful
beaches, lush foliage, exotic wildlife, clear waters, blue skies,
fragrance of poinsettia flowers, rhythm of reggae music, and zest of
marijuana, Jamaica is a country that has it all. Situated in the
Caribbean Sea, Jamaica is the third-largest country in the Greater
Antilles group of islands. Greater Antilles contains four more island
nations, which include Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Puerto
Rico. Jamaica is also the fifth-largest country in the whole of
Caribbean. The name of the country is said to have been coined by its
indigenous Taíno inhabitants. They called the land by the name Xaymaca,
meaning 'Land of Springs' or 'Land of Wood and Water'. Jamaica is a
relatively young country that achieved independence in 1962. Earlier
known as Santiago by the Spanish colonizers, it is now a Commonwealth
nation, with Queen Elizabeth II as its current head of state.
