Jamaica’s cultural reach and influence in the world is completely out of proportion to our size. We’re a tiny nation, with a population of just over three million, yet we’re known around the world. Our cultural impact in areas like music and sport is well-known and far eclipses the impact of other countries our size or larger.

We all know that reggae changed the world, that Bob Marley is a global icon, and Usain Bolt’s name is known near and far.

But there are other contributions Jamaica has made to the world, and some things you might not know about our amazing island.

1. We were the first commercial producer of bananas in the Western Hemisphere.

2. As the world slowly woke up to the horrors of apartheid in South Africa, Jamaica was already taking a stand. The ‘rock’ was the first country in the western hemisphere to ban trade and travel with the apartheid government of South Africa.

3. The Jamaica Railway was the first railway line open to traffic outside Europe and North America. It was constructed in 1845.

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Related: Culture Corner: Have you ever been to Duppy Gate? Exploring Jamaica’s Unusual Place Names

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4. Jamaica has been a force in the summer Olympics. But did you know that in 1988 we made a splash as the first tropical country ever to enter an event in the Winter Olympic Games?

5. We were the first British colony to establish a postal service.

6. Established back in 1868, the Manchester Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the western hemisphere.

7. In 1994, Jamaica became the first Caribbean country to launch its own website.

8. We all know that Devon House ice cream is some of the best around, but the super smooth cold treat was acknowledged by the international community. Devon House ranked as the fourth best place in the world to eat ice cream in the 2009 National Geographic book Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe.

Sources: National Geographic, My Island Jamaica, Wander Wisdom