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Concept
Geography of Jamaica
Summary
Jamaica lies 140 km (87 mi) south of Cuba and west of Haiti. At its greatest extent, Jamaica is long, and its width varies between . Jamaica has a small area of . However, Jamaica is the largest island of the Commonwealth Caribbean and the third largest of the Greater Antilles, after Cuba and Hispaniola. Many small islands are located along the south coast of Jamaica, such as the Port Royal Cays. Southwest of mainland Jamaica lies Pedro Bank, an area of shallow seas, with a number of cays (low islands or reefs), extending generally east to west for over . To the southeast lies Morant Bank, with the Morant Cays, from Morant Point, the easternmost point of mainland Jamaica. Alice Shoal, southwest of the main island of Jamaica, falls within the Jamaica–Colombia Joint Regime. It has an Exclusive Economic Zone of .
Geology of Jamaica
Jamaica and the other islands of the Antilles evolved from an arc of ancient volcanoes that rose from the sea millions of years ago. During periods of submersion, thick layers of limestone were laid down over the old igneous and metamorphic rock. In many places, the limestone is thousands of feet thick. The country can be divided into three landform regions: the eastern mountains, the central valleys and plateaus, and the coastal plains.
The highest area is the Blue Mountains range. These eastern mountains are formed by a central ridge of metamorphic rock running northwest to southeast from which many long spurs jut to the north and south. For a distance of over , the crest of the ridge exceeds . The highest point is Blue Mountain Peak at . The Blue Mountains rise to these elevations from the coastal plain in the space of about , thus producing one of the steepest general gradients in the world. In this part of the country, the old metamorphic rock reveals itself through the surrounding limestone. To the north of the Blue Mountains lies the strongly tilted limestone plateau forming the John Crow Mountains. This range rises to elevations of over .
Official source
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