The third island of the Greater Antilles
With an area of 10,990 km2, 235 km from east to west, 82 km maximum width, 35 km minimum width and 1,082 km of coastline, it is the third largest island in the Caribbean, and the largest of the English-speaking islands. Collapse of a part of Central America ? Emergence of land following tectonic movements? Consequence of continental drift? Theories on the origin of the Caribbean Arc are conflicting and remain hypothetical. Jamaica belongs to the quartet of the Greater Antilles, which it composes with Cuba, the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and Puerto Rico. This archipelago forms the Northern Arc of the Antilles (or West Indies as the British call them).
Jamaica first appeared about 140 million years ago. It was engulfed a hundred million years later and reappeared about 20 million years ago, covered by a thick limestone mantle which explains the surprising and tormented topography of this land of multiple landscapes. Located in the center of the Caribbean, the island is only 144 km away from Cuba (to the north), while 160 km separate it from Hispaniola (to the northeast), its closest neighbors
A land that touches the sky
More than half of the country exceeds 300 m in altitude. A central mountain range running from east to west forms a backbone in the middle of the island. The Blue Mountain Peak culminates at 2256 m, barely 16 km from the sea (as the crow flies). On either side of this axis, small chains stretch from north to south, shaping the country into a very tumultuous geography. The interior of the island is sculpted by deep valleys carving out these tropical ranges.
Cockpit Country is a high karst plateau that extends over 1,300 km2. Its rugged relief is explained by the softness and porosity of the limestone, subject to erosion. The Cockpit is a chaos of buttes and hills where deep depressions draw circular arenas and where elevations suddenly rise in the form of plump domes. It is covered by an impenetrable carpet of scrubby vegetation, which in fact remains one of the most poorly known areas of the island.
These interior heights quickly collapse to form a narrow coastal plain, surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The northern coast is protected by coral reefs and the southern coast, with its jagged cliffs, is rich in striking contrasts. The southern coast, under the wind and spared by the trade winds, enjoys an arid climate while the northern coast, much more humid, has developed a dense tropical vegetation. A few uninhabited islets are scattered in the waters of the south coast, the Pedro Cays and the Morant Cays, off Morant Point
The Blue Mountains, a natural jewel
The Blue Mountains are Jamaica's most spectacular mountainous landscape, rising 2,256 m above the city of Kingston and the eastern part of the island. They extend over 45 km. Five peaks, John Crow (1,725 m), Saint John's Peak (1,899 m), Mossman's Peak (2,010 m), High Peak (2,043 m) and the highest, Blue Mountain Peak (2,220 m), form the Grand Ridge, the main backbone of this asymmetrical range. From Port Royal or Morant Bay, the peak stands out from the fringe of hills that serve as its backdrop. From Port Antonio, its northern slope stands out against the roundness of the rainforest. From Spanish Town, it can be seen from an even different angle.
The main range is bordered by coastal hill formations to the north and south, and the John Crow Mountains to the west. Dating from the Cretaceous period, its soils are shaken by frequent earthquakes and dotted with mineral springs, some of them very hot. These are all signs that this mountain is still in the process of formation! The river valleys cut deeply into the flanks of the massif. Nickel, chromium, iron, manganese, silver and copper are found in large quantities. Some quarries of a remarkable marble are exploited in the south. The Blue Mountains have always suffered from the violence of the elements: cyclones, rains or landslides that gully their sides. The erosion, which is the result of four centuries of logging, is accelerating with the growth of the population in the communities and the use of modern agricultural methods. The success of extensive coffee cultivation has led to the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides, which has had an impact on the fragile ecosystem of the region. Measures have been taken to safeguard this exceptional nature with its rich wildlife. The John Crow and Blue Mountains National Park now occupies some 80,000 ha protected from destructive initiatives. It is open to reasonable ecotourism.
Rivers and springs galore
Despite its 120 rivers, the country regularly suffers from drought and the water supply of certain regions is sometimes uncertain. Indeed, many rivers only appear during the heavy rains of the wet season. Of the 12 main rivers, few are navigable. Most of them flow in deep beds, the course often interspersed with rapids and waterfalls. The Black River is the most important of the country with its 70 km, of which only 27 are navigable from its mouth. The Rio Grande, made famous by the bamboo rafting trips which, before delighting tourists, were the pride of the English colony, runs down the slopes of the Blue Mountains through particularly wild and spectacular landscapes. The Wag River and the Hope River supply the city of Kingston with water. Other rivers, such as the Milk River or the Cabaritta, allow the irrigation of the Jamaican plains. Sulphurous, radioactive, saline, many mineral springs spring up all over the island, providing their medical virtues to the many bathers. Among the most popular are Rockfort, near Kingston, Bath in the east, and Milk River and Black River in the south
