“Jamaica” is usually associated with their bobsled team, jerk chicken, and reggae, but there’s far more to it than that. These six facts showcase what an interesting country Jamaica really is:
The Name Went on a 150-year Hiatus
The name is derived from the native Taino name for the island. Roughly spelled as “Xaymaca,” the word meant “land of wood and water,” a pleasant description of the natural bounty which Jamaica preserves today. Christopher Columbus renamed the island “Santiago” after conquering it. However, in 1655, England invaded the colony, forced out the Spanish, and renamed it Jamaica. It is because of this conquest that Jamaicans speak English today, although the Taino name of the island still bears witness to its beauty and long history.
A James Bond Film Site is Still There, Open for Business
If you visit Falmouth, part of Trelawny Parish on the northern coast, you can visit the Falmouth Crocodile Farm, also sometimes called Charles Swaby’s Swamp Safari. The area is most famous for its crocodiles, especially ever since Roger Moore, playing James Bond, ran across the backs of live crocodiles in the film Live and Let Die. However, the two-acre nature preserve boasts other species too, including iguanas and owls.
Jamaica may be the most appropriate place to film a Bond movie–Sir Ian Fleming wrote most of his Bond novels, including Mr. No, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun while in Jamaica!
Over 75 Animal Species are Unique to Jamaica
Jamaica is a nature-lover’s dream, not just because of its gorgeous natural fauna, but also because it features a wide array of animals not found anywhere else! These include birds with such colorful names as white-eyed thrush, red-billed streamertail, orangequit, yellow-shouldered grassquit, and more! Amphibians with musical names roam about the island, such as the Jamaican laughing tree frog and the Jamaican snoring tree frog. There are over six endemic species of butterfly! This is just a short sampling—multiply it by four and you can imagine the entirely unique mélange of sights and sounds that must accompany a nature walk in Jamaica.
Jamaica Boasts Healing Waters
Like Vichy, France and Baden, Switzerland, Jamaica is famous for its natural springs, which many claim to be good for your health. There are at least five such springs on the island—and perhaps some which have yet to be discovered. In southern Clarendon is Milk River Bath, perhaps the most famous. The spring is a toasty 95 degrees Fahrenheit and highly radioactive. The baths are believed to be good for arthritis, rheumatism, and more.
If you’re not near Clarendon, though, consider Nanny Falls in Moore Town, on the eastern side. The beautiful hike to get there is, in and of itself, wonderful for physical and mental health. Further south, in St. Thomas, you’ll find Bath Springs. Doctor’s Cave lies in Montego, on Jamaica’s north shore. And in Kingston, you’ll find a National Heritage Site, Rockfort Mineral Baths, which even hosts aqua aerobics classes. Wherever you are, you’ll have a chance to sample these Jamaican wonders.
Jamaica Has the Most Churches Per Square Mile of Any Country
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, no country is more church-dense than Jamaica. Unlike many places settled by the Spanish, however, Roman Catholicism is not the dominant denomination. Many denominations have a home in Jamaica, almost all of them Christian. Church of God has the highest proportion at 24%, but many others are represented in their population. If you never miss a Sunday, Jamaica has you covered.
Jamaica Boasts a Wide Variety of Foods
If you want to expand your palate, Jamaica is the place. Plenty of different kinds of seafood are popular on the island, and combined with some popular spices in Jamaica cooking, give a taste combination you won’t find anywhere else. Other delicacies may remind you of any number of other places–their cornmeal pudding and callaloo might remind you of American Southern cooking, while Jamaican patties might remind you of the pasties of Ireland with their crust or the tacos of Mexico with their rich, pungent flavors. Whatever the case, you’re sure to find something you like!
