Kingston (Jamaica)
| Kingston | |||
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| Coordinates | 18 ° 1 ′ N , 76 ° 48 ′ W | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Jamaica | ||
| county | Surrey | ||
| Kingston | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | JM-01 | ||
| surface | 480 km² | ||
| Residents | 648.683 | ||
| density | 1,351.4 Ew. / km² | ||
| founding | 1693 | ||
| Culture | |||
| Twin cities | see here | ||
| Postcodes: JMAKN01 – JMAKN06 | |||
 Downtown Kingston
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Kingston [ ˈkɪŋstən ] is the capital of Jamaica . It is located in the southeast of the island and was founded in 1693. In 2010 about 648,683 people lived here. The parish of the same name includes the city center, the remaining districts are in Saint Andrew Parish , which has been administratively combined with Kingston to form Kingston and St Andrew Corporation since 1923 .
history
Kingston was founded in 1693 by refugees from the recently destroyed Port Royal . The victims of an earthquake initially lived in a tent camp on the grounds of Colonel Barry's Hog Crawle . It was only after Port Royals were destroyed again, this time by fire, that Kingston's economic boom began. John Goffe designed the plan for the city based on a rectangular road network. As early as 1716, Kingston was Jamaica's largest city and its most important trading center. It had overtaken the then capital Spanish Town .
In 1755 the governor decided to move the government offices to Kingston. His successor reversed the decision. The wealthy merchants of the city, which now has 11,000 inhabitants, continued to try to move the capital there. However, the official relocation did not take place until 1872; Jamaica had now become a crown colony after the Morant Bay Uprising .
Kingston was partially destroyed several times: by a hurricane in 1784 , by a fire in 1843 and 1862; In 1843 a cholera epidemic raged . The city experienced the last major destruction on January 14th, 1907. An earthquake destroyed around 75% of the buildings, killing up to 1,600 people.
In 1948 the University of the West Indies was founded. 24 medical students began their studies.
In the 1960s, the north of the city in particular developed. From Old Knutsford Racecourse New Kingston was, with numerous shopping streets. That led to the decline of downtown businesses.
Kingston hosted the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1966 .
Population development
The following overview shows the population by area since the 1970 census.
| year | Residents |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 473,700 |
| 1984 | 524,638 |
| 1991 | 565,876 |
| 2001 | 579.137 |
| 2011 | 584,627 |
economy
Kingston is the economic center of Jamaica. It establishes international trade relations with the overseas port and the airport. However, around 30% of all residents are unemployed . The rural exodus has doubled Kingston since 1960. Another 22% are employed in agriculture . The main crop is sugar cane . Other agricultural products are the main food yams , rice and sweet potatoes as well as potatoes , corn , bananas , arrowroot , citrus fruits , coconuts , mangoes , cocoa , coffee , pepper , ginger and tobacco .
In a ranking of cities according to their quality of life, Kingston was ranked 153rd out of 231 cities worldwide in 2018.
traffic
Road traffic
Kingston is the starting point of three of Jamaica's four highways (A roads). There is an extensive modern bus network operated by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) , as well as taxis.
aviation
The Norman Manley International Airport is located about four kilometers south of Kingston on a coastal offshore headland. There is also a smaller domestic airport called Tinson Pen Aerodrome .
railroad
From 1845 to October 1992 there was a train connection from Kingston to Montego Bay with various branch lines. The station building still exists and is a listed building.
There was also a tram network between 1899 and August 7, 1948.
seafaring
Due to the favorable location, there has been intensive shipping traffic for centuries, which today largely comprises container transport, but also passenger traffic, both through the port of Kingston in the south .
Sports
Attractions
The Ward Theater from 1911 and the Kingston Parish Church , which was destroyed in an earthquake and rebuilt in 1910 , are located at William Grant Park, the haven of calm in downtown Kingston . In Uptown Kingston are the Bob Marley -Museum and the Jamaica House , the official residence of the Prime Minister of Jamaica.
Others
- The first James Bond movie , 007 chases Dr. No , plays in Kingston and was shot mainly in Jamaica.
- The International Seabed Authority , established in 1994 by the Convention on the Law of the Sea , is based in the city.
- The Jamaican National Stadium, Independence Park , is located in Kingston.
sons and daughters of the town
Town twinning
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Coventry , England , UK
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Guadalajara , Mexico
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Kalamazoo , United States
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Miami , United States
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Panevėžys , Lithuania
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Shenzhen , China
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Topeka , United States
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Windhoek , Namibia
Climate table
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Kingston
Source: WMO ; wetterkontor.de
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Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jamaica: Districts, Cities & Urban Settlements - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information. Retrieved January 7, 2019 .
- ↑ Mercer's 2018 Quality of Living Rankings. Retrieved August 18, 2018 .
- ↑ http://www.jnht.com/site_kingston_railway_station.php
- ^ Last Trams, The Daily Gleaner, August 7, 1948
- ^ Jamaican capital city agrees to twin with Windhoek. Namibia Press Agency, January 11, 2018.