Jamaica's Geographic Location: Caribbean Island South of Cuba

Jamaica is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago. It lies approximately 145 km (90 mi) south of Cuba, 160 km (100 mi) west of Haiti, and 635 km (395 mi) northeast of Central America (Honduras/Nicaragua). The Cayman Islands sit ~380 km (235 mi) northwest. Coordinates: 18°15′N, 77°30′W. Area: 10,991 km² (4,244 sq mi)—third-largest Caribbean island after Cuba and Hispaniola.

The capital, Kingston, sits on the southeast coast at the foot of the Blue Mountains, housing ~670,000 (metro ~1.2M). Montego Bay (north coast) is the tourism hub. The island's position in the northeast trade wind belt and hurricane corridor shapes its climate, ecology, and history.