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Jamaica
Introduction
Jamaica Hotels
Jamaica Restaurants
What's New
Planning a Trip
In Depth
A Cultural Primer
Dateline
Environment
Food & Drink
History
Recommended Music
Recommended Books
Today
Suggested Itineraries
Jamaica Events
Jamaica Maps
Message Boards
View More Places in Jamaica
Index
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In Depth

  • Jamaica is the third largest of the 51 inhabited islands in the Caribbean -- only Cuba and Hispaniola are bigger.

  • Ackee, though cooked and used as a vegetable, is actually a fruit that is poisonous until it bursts open and its gases escape. It is part of Jamaica's national dish, ackee and salt fish.

  • Blue Mountain coffee, grown on the slopes of Jamaica's loftiest mountain, is among the tastiest and most sought-after coffees in the world.

  • From 1503 to 1504, Christopher Columbus spent about a year off the North Coast of Jamaica because his worm-eaten vessels weren't seaworthy.

  • In the 17th century, the notorious privateer Henry Morgan presided over Jamaica's Port Royal, known as the "wickedest city on earth."

  • On August 6, 1962, England's Princess Margaret and U.S. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson watched as the British Union Jack was lowered and a new flag was raised as Jamaica attained independence. The new flag featured a gold cross on a black-and-green background.

  • Rastafarians, a Jamaican religious group, venerate the late Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie.

  • Some Jamaicans regard ganja (marijuana) as a sacred plant and testify to its healing power.


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    Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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