Who gave Jamaica its name?
Who gave Jamaica its name? Although the Taino referred to the island as Xaymaca, the Spanish gradually changed the name to Jamaica. In the so-called Admiral's map of 1507 the island was labeled as Jamaiqua and in Peter Martyr's work Decades of 1511, he referred to it as both Jamaica and Jamica.
What nationality are Jamaicans?
The majority of the population (90 per cent, 2006 Census) is of Jamaica is of West African origin. The rest are people of mixed heritage with combinations that include European-African, Afro-indigenous, Chinese-African and East Indian-African.
What is Jamaica old name?
Christopher Columbus, who first sighted the island in 1494, called it Santiago, but the original indigenous name of Jamaica, or Xaymaca, has persisted.