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First colonized by the Spanish and then, from 1655, by the English, Jamaica is located in the Caribbean, 145 km (90 miles) south of Cuba. It was the first of the Caribbean island countries to become independent in the postwar years, and remains an active force in regional politics. Jamaica is also influential on the world music scene: reggae, ska, and ragga (or dancehall) developed in the tough conditions of Kingston's poor districts.