Swift-flowing rivers run north and south from the mountains. Jamaica has a hot, humid climate that is eased by ocean winds. The rainy seasons extend from May through June and September through November. The rainiest months are May and October. About a fourth of Jamaica's people work in agriculture.
Sugar cane is the most important crop.
Other farm products include allspice, bananas, cacao, citrus fruits, coconuts, coffee, milk, poultry, and yams. However, the nation's farms do not produce enough food for all the people, and so Jamaica must import much of its food. Mining provides much of Jamaica's income. Jamaica is one of the world's largest producers of bauxite. Plants near some of the bauxite mines remove a mineral compound called alumina from the bauxite ore.