Manchester Parish

Manchester
Capital	Mandeville
county	Middlesex
Big cities	Christiana, Mile Gully, Newport, Porus, Williamsfield
surface	830  km²
population	191,378 (2009)
Population density	230.6 / km²
economy	Tourism, agriculture, handicrafts, bauxite mining

Manchester is a district ( parish ) in the south of Jamaica . The capital is Mandeville , the only capital of a Parish that is not on the sea or on a large river. The national hero Norman Washington Manley was born here.

history

Manchester was formed in 1814 from parts of the parishes of Saint Elizabeth, Clarendon and Vere. This makes it one of the youngest counties in Jamaica. The reason for the reorganization was the desire of the residents of the area to live closer to an administrative center. It was named after William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester, who was governor of the island for 19 years. The capital, Mandeville, was named after his eldest son, Lord Mandeville.

Until the end of slavery there were large coffee plantations. The former slaves became self-employed as farmers . Unlike other parts of Jamaica, sugar was never grown in Manchester. The potato was introduced here on the island, as was the economically important Ortanique, a mixture of orange and tangerine.

Inscriptions Taíno and Arawak , the indigenous people of Jamaica, have been found in the region.

geography

Manchester is bordered by Saint Elizabeth to the west, Clarendon to the east and Trelawny to the north. In 2001, 190,000 people lived on 830 km², 30,485 of them in the capital.

The Parish is crossed by the three mountain ranges Figuerero Mountains , May Day Mountains and Carpenters Mountains . The highest point is around 900 meters above sea level. As in many regions of Jamaica, the subsoil consists of over 90% limestone. There are numerous caves, sinkholes and underground rivers. Oxford Cave is the largest cave in the area.

The few rivers are small and some of them flow underground. The water supply is a major problem in the south of Manchester.

economy

The mountainous land and the drought prevent intensive agricultural use. Nevertheless, bananas, coffee, allspice , ginger and annatto are grown, as well as citrus fruits and potatoes. The majority is exported.

As in neighboring Clarendon, bauxite was also mined here .

Web links

Information about Manchester

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Statistical Institute of Jamaica: Demographic Statistics - Population by Parish 2009 ( Memento of the original dated November 13, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved November 15, 2010.