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Capital: Kingston
Climate: Jamaica's tropical climate is influenced by the sea and is characterized by little change in seasonal temperature, although the mountains cause regional variations. Because the island lies between the subtropical high-pressure and the equatorial low-pressure belts of the Atlantic Ocean, the northeast trade winds are dominant and blow throughout the year. Along the coasts, breezes blow onshore by day and offshore at night. During the winter months, from December to March, cold winds known locally as "northers" reach the island through the wide, open trough of the North American plains.
Variations in temperature range from 90 F (32 C) on the coasts to 40 F (4 C) on the peaks. Kingston, at sea level, has an average daily maximum temperature of 88 F (31 C) and an average daily minimum of 71 F (22 C). At Stony Hill, 1,400 feet above sea level, the maximum and minimum means are 86 F (30 C) and 68 F (20 C).
Rains are seasonal, falling chiefly in October and May, although thunderstorms in the summer months, from June to September, can bring heavy showers. The average annual rainfall for the entire island is 82 inches (2,095 millimetres), but regional variations are considerable.
Yahoo weather forecast for various locations in Jamaica.
Coordinates: 18 15 N, 77 30 W
Currency: Jamaican dollar (JMD). Need exchange rates? Try our currency converter.
Electricity: 110 volt/50 cycle AC.
Official Language: English, although you will hear the local patois English everywhere on the island.
Political Status: Independent nation, member of the British Commonwealth.
Population: 2,680,029 (July 2002 est.)
Time:
Standard Time is 5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-5). Jamaica does not operate Daylight-Saving Time.
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