Saint Ann Parish

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Saint Ann
Capital Saint Ann's Bay
county Middlesex
Big cities Ocho Rios , Brown's Town , Runaway Bay
surface 1,213  km²
population 173,830 (2009)
Population density 143.3 / km²
economy Tourism, agriculture, handicrafts, bauxite mining
The Parish Saint Ann in Jamaica

Saint Ann is the largest county in Jamaica . It is located on the north coast of the island in County Middlesex. The capital is Saint Ann's Bay. Saint Ann is also called the Garden Parish of Jamaica because of its natural beauty , it is the birthplace of reggae singers Bob Marley (born in Nine Miles ) and Burning Spear, as well as the national hero Marcus Mosiah Garvey .

history

Saint Ann was settled as early as 600 to 650 BC. It is believed to be the oldest Arawak (also called Taino) settlement area in Jamaica.

Christopher Columbus landed on the coast of Saint Ann on his first visit in 1494. Seville la Nueva was the first Spanish settlement on the island, where the first sugar mills were built before 1526. The neighboring Saint Ann's Bay became the third capital that Spain built in America.

After the conquest of Jamaica by the English in 1655, Saint Ann's Bay slowly developed into a fishing port. The area was named after Anne Hyde, the first wife of James II of England . In 1770 it lost part of its area to the neighboring Trelawny Parish .

In 1960 Ocho Rios began to develop into a modern city. This also includes a deep water pier that is used to ship bauxite.

geography

Saint Ann is the largest county in Jamaica. It borders Clarendon Parish and Saint Catherine Parish to the south, Saint Mary Parish to the east and Trelawny Parish to the west. In 2001, 168,726 people lived on 1213 km².

The highest point is the Dry Harbor Mountain at 762 meters. In the limestone underground there are 59 larger caves and numerous sinkholes . The main rivers are the Dunns, Negro, St Ann, Great, Roaring, Cave and Pedro, all of which have their source just offshore. Only the White River is a little longer at 27.4 km.

economy

The main agricultural products are bananas, pimento, coconuts, coffee, cereals, ginger, sweet potatoes, yams and annatto . Citrus fruits and sisal can also be grown, cattle breeding, horses and pig farming also play an important role. Agriculture is in decline as more and more space is required for buildings.

In 1942, bauxite was discovered and has been mined by Reynolds Jamaica Mines Ltd and Kaiser Aluminum since 1953 . Kaiser Aluminum is one of the largest taxpayers in the country.

Tourism is the main source of income in Saint Ann. Ochio Rios is one of the most important tourist destinations in the country, known for the Dunn's River waterfalls and many beaches. There are numerous hotels in the city and in the surrounding area.

Web links

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. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / statinja.gov.jm

Coordinates: 18 ° 21 ′  N , 77 ° 22 ′  W