Jamaica
CAPITAL: Kingston
FLAG: Two diagonal yellow gold bars forming a saltire divide the flag into four triangular panels. The two side panels are black, and the top and bottom panels are green.
ANTHEM: First line, "Eternal father, bless our land…"
MONETARY UNIT: The Jamaican dollar (J$) of 100 cents was introduced on 8 September 1969. There are coins of 1, 5, 10, and 25 cents, and 1 dollar, and notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollars. J$1 = US$0.01766 (or US$1 = J$56.6) as of May 2003.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: Both metric and imperial weights and measures are used.
HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Labor Day, 23 May; Independence Day, 1st Monday in August; National Heroes' Day, 3rd Monday in October; Christmas, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable religious holidays include Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter Monday.
TIME: 7 AM = noon GMT.
Location, Size, and Extent
Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea situated about 145 km (90 mi) S of Cuba. It has a total area of 10,990 sq km (4,243 sq mi) and extends, at maximum, 235 km (146 mi) N–S and 82 km (51 mi) E–W. Comparatively, the area occupied by Jamaica is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut.
