Jamaica trivia: 45 questions and answers

Kingston. Kingston, on the southeast coast, has been the capital since 1872. Before that the capital was Spanish Town.

Jamaican dollar. The currency is the Jamaican dollar (JMD), in use since 1969.

Blue Mountain Peak. Blue Mountain Peak rises to 2,256 m. Pico Duarte is in the Dominican Republic and Pico Turquino in Cuba.

Cuba and Hispaniola. Cuba and Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, are larger. Jamaica comes third.

False. False. Jamaica is an island with no land borders. Haiti lies about 190 km to the east, across the sea.

6 August 1962. Jamaica became independent on 6 August 1962. 1 August is Emancipation Day, which marks the end of slavery.

Port Royal. Port Royal, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, partly sank into the sea in the earthquake of 7 June 1692.

Nanny of the Maroons. Nanny of the Maroons led the Windward Maroons, who won a peace treaty in 1740. Cudjoe led the Leeward Maroons, and Paul Bogle led the Morant Bay march.

True. True. An English force sent by Oliver Cromwell captured the island in May 1655, and Spain formally gave it up in 1670.

False. False. The capital moved from Spanish Town to Kingston in 1872, ninety years before independence.

Ackee and saltfish. Ackee and saltfish, the ackee fruit cooked with salted cod, is the national dish and a classic breakfast.

False. False. Unripe ackee is poisonous. The fruit is picked only after it has opened by itself, and outside Jamaica most people use tinned ackee.

Allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. Allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers are the main ingredients of a jerk rub or marinade. Jamaicans call allspice pimento.

Cassava. Bammy is made from grated cassava, pressed to remove its juice and baked on a griddle, just as the Taíno did.

A slightly sweet fried dough of flour and cornmeal. Festival is a slightly sweet fried dough of flour and cornmeal, crisp outside and soft inside, served with fried fish, escovitch fish or jerk.

Workers from India. Workers from India, who began arriving in 1845, brought curry and turmeric. Curry goat is now a favourite at parties.

Red kidney beans. The 'peas' are red kidney beans, cooked with the rice in coconut milk. At Christmas many families use gungo (pigeon) peas instead.

True. True. Sorrel is Jamaica's Christmas drink, steeped with ginger and spices and served cold.

The earthquake that destroyed Port Royal. Kingston was laid out in 1692 for survivors of the earthquake that destroyed Port Royal, across the harbour.

Falmouth. Falmouth was founded in 1769 during the sugar boom and is one of the best-preserved Georgian towns in the Caribbean.

True. True. Mandeville is about 628 m above sea level, so it is cooler than the coast.

Dunn's River Falls. Dunn's River Falls drops in natural steps onto a beach, and visitors can climb it in a human chain with guides.

Kingston. The museum is in Kingston, in the house that was also home to Marley's Tuff Gong record label.

True. True. Port Royal became Jamaica's second World Heritage Site in 2025, after the Blue and John Crow Mountains in 2015.

2,256 m. Blue Mountain Peak is 2,256 m high. On a clear morning, hikers at the top can see Cuba.

Black, green and gold. The flag is black, green and gold, with a gold diagonal cross. As of September 2026 it is the only national flag with no red, white or blue.

True. True. Bolt ran 9.58 seconds in Berlin in 2009, and he also holds the 200 metres record of 19.19 seconds.

Ian Fleming. Ian Fleming wrote all his Bond stories at Goldeneye in Oracabessa, starting with Casino Royale in 1952.

Land of wood and water. Xaymaca is usually translated as 'land of wood and water' or 'land of springs'.

Calgary. The team first raced at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. Their story inspired the film Cool Runnings.

True. True. None of Jamaica's eight native snake species is venomous. The largest is the Jamaican boa.

The doctor bird, a hummingbird. The doctor bird, a hummingbird also called the red-billed streamertail, is found only in Jamaica.

A child. A pickney is a child.

To eat. 'Nyam' means to eat, and it can also mean food.

True. True. A duppy is a ghost or spirit, and duppy stories are a big part of Jamaican folklore.

A firefly. A peenie wallie is a firefly, the small beetle that flashes its light at night.

What's going on? How are things?. 'Wah gwaan?' means 'What's going on? How are things?', the everyday friendly greeting.

Have a safe trip, take care on your way. 'Walk good' is a way of wishing someone a safe trip: have a safe trip, take care on your way.

Good morning. Say 'Good morning' first. Jamaicans greet people, even strangers, and skipping the greeting seems rude.

False. False. 'Likkle more' means 'See you later'. 'I'm hungry' is 'Mi hungry'.

Left. Jamaica drives on the left, as in Britain. Take extra care when turning and crossing the road.

True. True. Call 110 for an ambulance or the fire service, and 119 for the police.

True. True. Jamaicans often call cash machines ABMs. Use them in daylight, in busy, well-lit places.

False. False. It is illegal to bring meat and dairy products into Jamaica, and customs officers may destroy them.

The west and southwest. The west and southwest took the worst of the storm, including Westmoreland and St Elizabeth. As of September 2026 many communities there are still rebuilding.