Capital City

Kingston: The Capital of Jamaica

Capital of Jamaica

The capital of Jamaica is Kingston , founded in 1693 by the British after the earthquake that almost destroyed the old capital, Port Royal . It is located in the southeast of the island and has a population of approximately 577,774 inhabitants 2010 is located within the Kingston Parish , Surrey County . It has a natural harbor protected by the Palisadoes, name that receives a long sand bank that joins Port Royal and Norman Manley International Airport with the rest of the island .

The capital of Jamaica is Kingston in addition to being the seat of government of Jamaica, the city is also the location of the Mona campus of the ” University of the West Indies “, founded in 1948 . Kingston is also home to several annual festivals. The central area of ​​Kingston is made up of two parts: the historic but conflicted center and New Kingston in which most of the tourist attractions such as the ” Bob Marley Museum ” Built in its former residence.

History

The capital of Jamaica is Kingston was founded in 1693 by some survivors of the disastrous earthquake that destroyed much of the port city of Port Royal , capital of the colony of Jamaica at that time, June 7 , 1692 . Initially, the refugees lived in a tent camp for Colonel Barry’s Hog Crawle. The city did not begin to grow until after the greater destruction of Port Royal by the pirate fleet of Catania Nick in 1703 . Surveyor John Goffe developed a plan for the city based on a grid bounded by the North, East, West and Port Streets.

Kingston: The Capital of Jamaica

Image of the city after the earthquake and fires

Little by little the wealthy merchants began to move their businesses residences above their farmland to the north of the Liguanea plains. The first free school, Wolmer’s, was founded in 1729 and is a theater, first on Harbor Street and then moved in 1774 to North Parade. Both are still in existence.

Intersecting Facts About Kingston

As a center of commerce and fashion, Kingston quickly distanced itself from the sleepy former official capital, Spanish Town, as it continued to grow despite the calamities that followed: a devastating hurricane in 1784 , a great fire in 1843 , an epidemic Of cholera in 1850 , And additional in fires 1862 and 1882 .

In 1755 the governor had decided the transfer of the offices of the Spanish government of the city of Kingston. Some thought it might be an inadequate location for the Assembly, in close proximity to Kingston’s distraction morale, and the next governor overturned the law. However, in 1780 the population of Kingston was 11,000, and merchants began lobbying for the administrative capital that was transferred from Spanish Town, which at that time was eclipsed by commercial activity in Kingston. This campaign was to continue for a century as Kingston grew even more, as an important trading port during the Napoleonic wars. The city finally became the administrative capital of Jamaica in 1872 . This condition is maintained when the island was granted independence in 1962 .

The 14 of January of 1907 , an earthquake in Kingston destroyed about 75% of the buildings. A widespread fire increased the number of dead that finally reached about 800, and not less than some initial reports. The damage is estimated to be over £ 2m. Buildings of brick and stone suffered the most serious damages. Reinforced concrete is heavily used in rebuilding the city, and the construction of heights is limited to 60 feet. These building codes were considered progressive over time.

Kingston: The Capital of Jamaica

The city became home to the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies, founded in 1948 with 24 medical students.

The 1960s saw the expansion of commercial activity to the north. The old Knutsford regattas became New Kingston, and uptown shopping plazas developed causing the decline of the shopping malls and shops of King Street and Harbor Street. An area of ​​95 hectares along the coast was rebuilt with extensive landscaped avenues and multi-story buildings including the Bank of Jamaica, Scotia Bank Center, Jamaica Conference Center, and Kingston Mall. early 1980 , There have been continuous efforts by the Urban Development Company to improve the roads and systems of commercial conditions in the center.

In 1966 Kingston was the host city for the British Commonwealth Games .

The city of Port Royal was the capital of the Spanish empire in the Americas in the 17th century.

Demography

The majority of the population has African heritage. East Indians are the second largest racial group, followed by Chinese, those of Raza white and Arab, mainly Lebanese. A small number of Hispanics , mostly from Latin America , also reside in the city. Most of the white people come from Cuba , the United Kingdom and Christians from Syria and Lebanon .

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Weather

Tropical maritime climate

Being located in the Caribbean the climate is tropical maritime, where the nights are colder than during the day, the winds coming from the sea that blow throughout the year makes the temperatures are pleasant on the island .

The areas near the coasts are cool product of the sea breeze, because the nights are cooler, and in the mountainous regions, and the hills that cross the island from east to west , are more of cold as it ascends the height. It is estimated that for every hundred meters you climb, the temperature drops one degree centigrade.

Due to the effect of the sea breezes, there is little temperature variation between summer and winter in Jamaica, with the coldest months between December and March and August being the warmest month of the year and February being the coldest, but the differences More extreme temperatures do not go beyond ten degrees.

Kingston: The Capital of Jamaica

The humidity is usually quite high, although not as much as the countries near the equator. In the capital, it remains around 63% in February and 5% in October . Montego Bay is a little more humid, ranging from 71% to 77%.

The wettest months in Jamaica are May and June , and then it rains again in September and October, though sometimes it is until December. Hurricane season begins June 1 and concludes November 30 .

Religion

There is a great variety of Christian churches in the city. Most are Protestants, a legacy of British colonization of the island. The main confessions are the Baptist , Anglican , Methodist , Roman Catholic , Seventh Day Adventist and Pentecostal .

There is a Jewish synagogue in the city, as well as a small number of Buddhists and Muslims. The main one is not the Christian religion but the Rastafari Movement .

Aspects of Interest

It has places of tourist and commercial interest among which stand out:

City View

Norman Manley International Airport

National Gallery

Ward’s Theater

Bank of Jamaica

House Devon

Coronation Market

Hellshire Beach

Lime Cay

Reggae stars like Buju Banton and Beenie Man Bob Marley

Bob Marley Museum , where are the Memories of the father of reggae and singer, released through Movies , Books , Videos and posters as the last tribute of Jamaica.

National Gallery of Jamaica ,

Ruins of Port Royal

Devon House Mansion , with an adjacent park that belonged to Jamaica’s first millionaire black.

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