Jamaica...it's history and climate

Archaeological evidence suggests that the Tainos people settled in Jamaica as early as AD 650. The island took its name from the Tainos word xaymaca, meaning "land of wood and water."
Columbus first sighted the island in 1494, on his second voyage to the New World. Ever since, Jamaican life has been a stormy mix of political, racial and economic divisions. Although the Spanish never fully settled the island, their influence was far-reaching. Most notably, they carried diseases that killed many of the Taino people. In regards to vegetation, they introduced citrus fruits, bananas, plantains and sugarcane, and such livestock as cattle, pigs and horses. They also brought the first slaves from Africa.

The English invaded Jamaica in 1655 and gained complete control of the island by 1660. They then used Jamaica as a base to threaten Spanish interests in the Caribbean and Latin America. Jamaica's Port Royal became the premier headquarters of pirates in the Western Hemisphere until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1692. The English also established great sugarcane plantations powered by slave labor.

Slavery, in turn, played a central role in the political instability of the island. Slaves freed in the final days of Spanish rule, along with those who had run away from their plantations, established communities in the wild mountain interior and became known as the Maroons. Skirmishes with British troops eventually escalated into two separate wars, which led to the eventual deportation of many Maroons.

Two slave rebellions, one in Morant Bay in 1760 and the Christmas Rebellion in St. James in 1831, combined with the growing antislavery movement in England, ended slavery in Jamaica. Chinese and East Indian indentured laborers were then brought to Jamaica, adding to the island's cultural mix.

The early decades of the 20th century were marked by agitation for independence and social unrest among sugar plantation workers. After gaining greater sovereignty in the 1950s, Jamaica won full independence from Great Britain in 1962. It remains a member of the British Commonwealth. The island's social tensions have helped fuel its most famous export—reggae music. A potent mix of politics, religion and danceable rhythms, reggae rose to international popularity in the 1970s on the shoulders of Bob Marley and other Jamaican performers.
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In the 1970s, Jamaica veered toward socialism under charismatic premier Michael Manley. The resulting economic crisis spawned social unrest. Abetted by corrupt political leaders, criminal gangs evolved; the drug trade and politically partisan violence associated with it threatened to destabilize the nation. The economy has been relatively stable in recent decades, thanks to the growth of tourism and effective leadership.

​Geography

Jamaica is the third-largest of the Caribbean islands—146 mi/234 km long and 51 mi/82 km wide—and the largest island in the English-speaking Caribbean. It lies some 90 mi/145 km south of Cuba. More than 100 rivers wind through the forested mountains of the island, and nearly half the island is more than 984 ft/300 m above sea level, so you can always see a hill or mountain, wherever you are.
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The largest city, Kingston, on the southeast side of the island, lies in the lee of the Blue Mountains. The northeast side of Jamaica receives trade winds and is extremely wet. By contrast, the southeast and south central coasts are arid, and cacti abound. The tourism industry is concentrated along the north coast, especially in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, and in Negril, on the western tip of Jamaica.

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Weather

The best time to visit is November-April—Jamaica can be very crowded then. The temperature is fairly stable year-round, so it's possible to visit in other months as well.Winter coastal-area day temperatures are in the 70s-80s F/23-32 C. June-September is usually in the 80s-90s F/30-35 C. Nights tend to be 5-10 F/3-5 C degrees cooler everywhere.
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Temperatures in the hills and mountains are usually cooler than on the coasts—take a sweater for nights. Kingston, on the leeward (southern) side of the island, is drier, hotter and generally more uncomfortable than the windward (northern) shore. Always be prepared for rain showers in the Blue Mountains. The hottest time is July-October, when the humidity, heat and hurricane possibilities are the highest. Most rain falls May-October, but even then, it generally comes in brief showers and seldom ruins anyone's vacation. Hurricane season is June-November.

What to wear...

Lightweight tropical clothing is preferable, with a shawl or light jacket for cool evenings. Beachwear is appropriate only at the beach. You should wear a cover-up when strolling in town (men, too).

Even the most casual restaurants expect shoes and a shirt, except those on the beach, where button-down and barefoot is the rule. Appropriate dinner dress is Caribbean chic. Formal resort restaurants require men to wear a jacket and tie.
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Be sure to take comfortable walking shoes for sightseeing. If a visit to a church is on the itinerary, be respectful of the modest dress-code requirements.