Jamaica's history begins with the migration of Indians from South America around 650. They named the country "Xaymaca", which means land of wood and water. A few centuries later, this island paradise became known as Jamaica, the jewel of the Caribbean. The Arawaks, as the Indians were called, were peaceful people, and they lived in harmony in Jamaica until the arrival of the Spanish in 1494, which proved fatal for them. Only a small number of artifacts remain in museums.

For European civilization, Jamaica was discovered in 1494 by Christopher Columbus. It was colonized by Spain from 1509 and was under Spanish rule until 1655, when it became an English colony. Subsequently, it was significantly involved in the import of slaves and the production of cane sugar and the production of rum. In the years 1655 to 1962, it was a crown colony of Great Britain (from 1674 to 1688, the governor was the famous corsair Henry Morgan, who had already been raised to nobility). For three centuries between the landing of the Europeans and the present day of independence, the island was ungovernable, the colonial governments constantly under attack. First by pirates hungry for gold, then by groups liberating African warriors, but also by impoverished people who loudly (and sometimes violently) demonstrated their dissatisfaction.

Since 1958, the island formed part of the West Indies Federation, from which Jamaica withdrew in 1961, effectively ending the federation. In 1962, it declared its independence within the Commonwealth. Jamaica became an independent state on August 6, 1962. At the stroke of twelve, the British national flag was lowered and, with great anticipation and relief, the Jamaican population hoisted its own flagpole - black, green and gold. The head of state is the Governor-General representing the British King.
When the famous English pirate Henry Morgan was ennobled and appointed governor of Jamaica for plundering the Spanish colonies, his name was immortalized in the name of Captain Morgan rum, which began production in Jamaica in 1944, but today the production of the resulting product has been moved to Puerto Rico .