Editing Geography of Jamaica (section)

==Coasts==
The coastline of Jamaica is one of many contrasts.<ref name=":0" /> The northeast shore is severely eroded by the ocean.<ref name=":0" /> There are many small inlets in the rugged coastline, but no coastal plain of any extent.<ref name=":0" /> A narrow strip of plains along the northern coast offers calm seas and white sand beaches.<ref name=":0" /> Behind the beaches is a flat raised plain of uplifted coral reef.<ref name=":0" />

The southern coast has small stretches of plains lined by black sand beaches.<ref name=":0" /> These are backed by cliffs of limestone where the plateaus end.<ref name=":0" /> In many stretches with no coastal plain, the cliffs drop {{convert|300|m|ft}} straight to the sea.<ref name=":0" /> In the southwest, broad plains stretch inland for a number of kilometres.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Black River (Jamaica)|Black River]] courses {{convert|70|km|mi}} through the largest of these plains.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Rio Minho (Jamaica)|Rio Minho]] is 92.8&nbsp;km long and is the longest river in Jamaica (previously, the Black River was thought to be the longest).<ref name="JNHT">[http://www.jnht.com/heritage_site.php?id=197 Jamaica National Heritage Trust - Black River] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307042122/http://www.jnht.com/heritage_site.php?id=197 |date=March 7, 2009 }}</ref> The swamplands of the Great Morass and the Upper Morass fill much of the plains.<ref name=":0" /> The western coastline contains the island's finest beaches.<ref name=":0" />