kingdom · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Jamaica

1962 CE – present · capital Kingston

The largest English-speaking island of the Caribbean, independent since 1962 and a parliamentary monarchy famed worldwide for reggae and athletics.

Origins

After Jamaicans voted to leave the West Indies Federation in 1961, the Colony of Jamaica became independent on 6 August 1962 as a Commonwealth realm, with the British monarch as head of state and Alexander Bustamante of the Jamaica Labour Party as prime minister.

Rule and society

Politics has been a contest between the Jamaica Labour Party and the People's National Party. Michael Manley's democratic socialist government of 1972 to 1980 raised the bauxite levy and allied with Cuba, while political violence culminated in about 800 deaths around the 1980 election, won by Edward Seaga. Bauxite, tourism, remittances and agriculture are the main economic pillars. Rastafari and reggae, led by Bob Marley, made Jamaican culture globally influential.

To the present

Jamaica remains a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, although governments have pledged to become a republic. It has faced high debt and violent crime, while its athletes, such as Usain Bolt, have dominated world sprinting.

Lineage

Colony of Jamaica 1655 CE – 1962 CEJamaica

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Jamaica. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/jamaica
MLA
“Jamaica.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/jamaica. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Jamaica.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/jamaica.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Jamaica’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/jamaica (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻