Portmore
| Portmore | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 17 ° 58 ′ N , 76 ° 52 ′ W | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Jamaica | ||
| county | Middlesex | ||
| Saint Catherine | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | JM-14 | ||
| Residents | 101,196 (2014) | ||
| Website | www.portmore.org | ||
Portmore is a coastal city in southern Jamaica and the third largest city on the island. Though independent, Portmore is often viewed as a suburb of the capital Kingston , a few kilometers away .
After 1655 , the English settled in the area that was not previously settled by the Spaniards. In the late 17th century , around 2,000 Europeans, 2,000 slaves and around 400 soldiers lived in the city. Until 1900 the community could hardly grow. In the late 1960s, the West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON) systematically built thousands of residential homes, giving the city its present-day appearance. The aim was to counteract the overpopulation in Kingston. Many workers drive from Portmore over the Causway Bridge to the capital every morning. It was not until 1997 that Portmore received city rights. Another major construction project began in 2001. Greater Portmore is to complement the project from the 1960s and provide a further 16,000 residential buildings.
The city has the only racecourse in Jamaica.
Sports
Naggo Head FC is a Portmore football club.
Daughters and sons of the city
- David Weller (* 1957), track cyclist
- Vybz Kartel (Addijaheim) dancehall artist
- Popcaan Dancehall Artist