Jamaica Geography

Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean, after Cuba and Hispaniola. It's mostly mountainous, with a narrow, discontinuous coastal plain.

The island is ringed by numerous bays, small cays and islands, and white-sand beaches stretch for miles in some areas.

Volcanic in origin, Jamaica can be divided into three landform regions: the eastern mountains, the central valleys and plateaus, and the coastal plains.

The most elevated area is the Blue Mountains in eastern Jamaica. The highest point is Blue Mountain Peak at 7,402 feet (2,256 m). Other mountain ranges of note include the John Crow, Dry Harbour and the southern Manchester Plateau.

The limestone plateau covers two-thirds of Jamaica, and there caves, caverns, sinkholes and valleys and scattered about in large numbers.

To the west of the mountains is the rugged terrain of the Cockpit Country. It is a harsh, dramatic landscape filled with endless hills.

As for rivers, there are over 100 in Jamaica, however, most are small, unexplored and not navigable; many are mostly underground rivers and run through the limestone region.

The Black River is the largest (widest) river at 73 km long. The Rio Minho is the longest river in Jamaica.

• Landforms of the Caribbean