- Political Map 2002 JPG and PDF Formats
- Political Map 1968 JPG and PDF Formats
- Shaded Relief 2002 JPG, PDF Formats
- Shaded Relief 1968 JPG, PDF Formats
- Small Scale Map
- Population Map
- Land Utilization Map
- Agriculture Map
- Mining and Industry Map
See full-size image (388KB).
From: NASA
Island of Jamaica July 1997. Called the "Island of Springs", Jamaica can
be seen in this east-northeast-looking view. The island of Jamaica is 146
miles (253 km) long from east to west, and a maximum width of 51 miles (82
km) from north to south. It is the third largest island in the West Indies.
Jamaica is largely hilly or mountainous. Limestone-covered hills and plateaus,
occupying more than half of the country’s surface, dominate the central
and western parts (center and lower left of image) of the island at an average
elevation of 1500 feet (460 meters). In the middle of this limestone area
is a wild almost inaccessible "Cockpit Country", a high dissected plateau
of 500 sq. miles (1300 sq. km), replete with gorges, springs, streams, underground
caverns, and small, deep circular basins known locally as cockpits. In eastern
Jamaica (upper right), the forested Blue Mountains rise to 7402 feet (2256
meters). The mountains are known for the premium quality coffee grown on
their slopes. Narrow coastal plains reach their greatest width in the south.
The coastal lowlands and interior valleys, covered by alluvial soils, are
intensively cultivated and densely populated. The last major hurricane to
hit Jamaica was Hurricane Gilbert in September, 1988, a powerful hurricane
that devastated the island.