Saint James Parish

This article explains the community in Jamaica, which in the US see St. James Parish .

Saint James
Capital	Montego Bay
county	Cornwall
Big cities	Adelphi, Cambridge, Montpellier, Catadupa, Fairfield
surface	595  km²
population	184,854 (2009)
Population density	310.7 / km²
economy	Tourism, agriculture, industry

Saint James is a district ( parish ) in the northwest of Jamaica . The capital is Montego Bay . The national hero Samuel Sharpe was born here. Sangster International Airport is one of the two international airports in Jamaica.

history

During the Spanish colonial period was from Montego Bay from mainly lard exported, giving the place its name Bahia de Manteca gave (lard Bay). When the English took over in 1670, Saint James was one of the poorest areas on the island, sparsely populated and without cities.

The circle is named after James II of England .

After the contract with the Cimarrones (called Maroons) in 1739, the sugar trade flourished. More than 150 ships a year brought slaves from Africa and exported the sugar. Montego Bay was becoming a wealthy city at the time.

Montego Bay was almost completely destroyed several times. In 1795 and 1811 by fire and in 1831 by a slave revolt. The uprising, led by Sam Sharpe, was directed against the English slave owners who refused to release their slaves. Sam Sharpe, who initially sought a peaceful solution, was hanged in Montego Bay.

After slavery ended, the banana trade replaced the sugar industry. He also helped build Jamaica as a tourist destination.

geography

Saint James is bordered by Trelawny Parish to the east, Saint Elizabeth Parish to the south, and Hanover Parish and Westmoreland Parish to the west . In 2001, 178,000 people lived on 595 km².

Like the other counties in the north of Jamaica, the soil of Saint James consists largely of limestone. The Nassau Mountains stretch across the area. The highest point, south of Montego Bay, is 1524 meters.

The border rivers Great River (to Saint James and Hanover) and the Montego River, which has its source in the center of Saint James, are the most important rivers.

economy

Tourism is the most important industry in Saint James, one in four residents work here. Over 500,000 tourists visit the county each year, a third of all tourists in Jamaica. Agriculture and forestry also play an important role. The textile industry and wood processors in particular have settled here.

Interesting places

• Rose Hall , east of Ironshore. An 18th century house that is said to be haunted by the builder's wife. It attracts around 100,000 tourists annually.
• Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay. Place of execution of Sam Sharpe, a statue commemorates him and his colleagues during the Revolution of 1831.
• Creek Dome. Former part of the drinking water supply.
• Old Fort. A fortress built in 1774 to protect Montego Bay.
• The cage. Former slave prison and now tourist information and museum.

Web links

• Information about Saint James

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. 

Coordinates: 18 ° 23 ′  N , 77 ° 51 ′  W